IN DEEP: SLEDDING ON VANCOUVER ISLAND
When most people think of outdoor adventure on Vancouver Island, they likely imagine surfing in Tofino, hiking the West Coast Trail, or kayaking up coastal inlets with the whales. But did you know that the Island is also home to several road trip worthy sled zones? The snow here can be deeper than any other place in BC and occasionally deeper than anywhere else on the planet.
There aren’t too many locations in BC where you can snowmobile in the morning, golf in the afternoon, and go fishing in the evening. But the temperate coastal communities of Campbell River, Courtenay, and Nanaimo provide access to riding over 3000ft in just a half an hour from main street. The snowfield elevations here produce an incredibly long riding season that can start as early as November and extend well into June each year. In fact, many of the peaks here are mantled in snow year-round.
The Mid Island Snow Blazers maintain two warming shelters and about 150km of trails in the Mt. Washington (Courtney), MacLaughlin Ridge (Port Alberni), Beauforts (Buckley Bay), and Bacon Lake (Campbell River) zones. The main arteries into Mt Washington and Bacon Lake are regularly groomed.
photo: exploring Mid Island Snowblazers zones
The North Island Snowmobile Association provides access to the Oyster River and Mount Adrian zones. The area is sometimes referred to as the ‘Out of Boundary Range’ and holds incredible alpine sledding terrain among the surrounding peaks. From the upper Mt Adrian cabin, sledders can enjoy viewsheds 1600m below to Buttle Lake. The club provides two warming shelters and enough terrain here to change every skill level of rider.
photo: Carter Sawchuck catching some air around Mt. Adrian
A membership is required to snowmobile in these areas due to the unique partnership with landowners who permit recreation access on their private property. Riders should be aware of the riding zone boundaries with neighbouring Strathcona Provincial Park, the oldest provincial park in BC.
photo: rider Scott Francis at Mount Washington looking at Georgia Straits. In 1999 Mount Washington had a record snow fall of 18 meters allowing snowmobiling into late June
LOCAL INSIDER TIPS:
Service: Rider’s on the Island give an incredible amount of props to local Courtney Motorsports for having the best support in sales and service in the region.
Stay: The Best Western Waverley Hotel (Courtney, BC) is conveniently located and offers complimentary breakfast.
Apres: Visit the Waverly Hotel in Cumblerland, BC for great atmosphere and classic pub fare.
Down Day: Check out the Elk Falls Suspension Bridge just outside Campbell River, Englishman River Falls located near Errington or take a walk along the ocean in Nanaimo, Parksville, or Qualicum. The area is also come to Canada’s tallest waterfall, Della Falls (44m) near Campbell River.
photo: Scott Francis enjoying the Vancouver Island old growth trees in a low visibility day.
Allan Sawchuk is a rider and photographer born and raised in the Comox Valley. His incredible images and video, seen here and in numerous publications, are a generous sneak peak into some of the incredible nooks and crannies sledders can expect on the Island.
MORE VANCOUVER ISLAND INSPIRATION
Impeccably maintained trail systems, meadows, plateaus, and even some big mountain boondocking; this hidden BC gem is a destination you won’t want to miss. Especially if you love consistent snowfall, and mild temperatures.
Start planning your trip now:
