The Sunshine Coast trail is an impressive 180KM backcountry hiking trail that stretches from Sarah Point in Desolation Sound to Saltery Bay on the Sunshine Coast. The trail features 14 huts – making it the longest hut-to-hut hiking trail in North America. The trail and huts are all free to use, and do not require reservations! While the entire 180KM is an amazing bucket-list hike for those who have the time to take on the entire journey; the Sunshine Coast Trail can also be enjoyed by those who do not have 2-3 weeks it takes to hike the entire 180KM trail. This post outlines a 40KM three-day hike beginning and ending at Saltery Bay that Jens and I actually did along with a kayak camping excursion in the Sechelt Inlet over a week on the Sunshine Coast.
Saltery Bay is one of the termini of the Sunshine Coast Trail, and also the starting point that is most accessible for those visiting from the mainland. To get to Saltery Bay from Vancouver, you first need to take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver to Langdale in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. Then you will need to drive 80KM (1.5 hours) from Langdale to Earl’s Cove to catch the ferry from Earl’s Cove to the Saltery Bay Ferry Terminal. There’s also a shuttle service if you want to make your adventure completely car-free.
If you are driving, note that there’s free parking at the Earl’s Cove Ferry Terminal so you can save a bit of money by taking the ferry as foot passengers to Saltery Bay – this course of action is recommended if you do the “Classic Saltery Bay Three Day Loop” which does not require a car once you arrive in Saltery Bay. The Saltery Bay loop trail starts and ends at Saltery Bay, and is only about 18KM long on relatively easy terrain. This closed-loop itinerary is an excellent introduction to through-hiking for anyone trying it for the first time.
Savings tip: when taking BC ferries route to the Sunshine Coast, make sure to load money on a BC Ferries Experience card and get nearly 25% off your regular passenger and vehicle fares for the Sunshine Coast and all of the other BC ferries routes except for the larger routes from Vancouver to Nanaimo/Victoria.
Classic three-day Saltery Bay Loop hike (18KM closed-circuit):
Aside from the “classic” Saltery Bay closed-loop hike described above, there are very few itineraries that start and end in the same place on the Sunshine Coast Trail. This creates logistical challenges in a place that does not have many easy transportation services to get you in and out. Accordingly, we had to get creative with our itinerary. The hike I’m going to describe in detail in this post is a much longer 40KM three-day hike beginning and ending in Saltery Bay – intended for those looking for more of a challenge than the classic Saltery Bay Loop circuit.
For this hike, we travelled from the Saltery Bay ferry terminal to Rainy Day Hut on Day 1, then from Rainy Day Hut to the magnificent Troubridge Hut on Day 2, and finally from Troubridge Hut to the town of Lang Bay on Day 3. This itinerary requires a bicycle and a vehicle – as we left a bicycle locked up at Lang Bay – where we eventually exited the trail, and Jens rode the bicycle 12KM back along the highway to Saltery Bay where he then retrieved the vehicle to pick the rest of our hiking party up at Lang Bay. It’s very good that Jens is so fit! There’s also a bus service on the Sunshine Coast that runs between Lang Bay and Saltery Bay, but you need to call ahead to request service.
Three-day 40KM Hike trip map:
Pre-hike/Staging:
The day before the hike, we drove to the town of Lang Bay and locked Jens’ old beater bike behind a bank of Canada Post mailboxes. We initially thought of locking it up in the woods so no one would see it, but then we were unsure of whether it might be private land – so right behind the Canada Post mailboxes would at least mean that it wasn’t private land. The bike was clearly visible, so we just locked it up there, and hoped that no one would bother to try to remove it for the 3 days we left it there. That night we stayed at Mermaid Cove Provincial Park right next to the Saltery Bay ferry terminal (which is also by the trailhead for the Sunshine Coast trail).
Mermaid Cove Provincial Park is a large front-country campground that I have visited a few times. Due to its remote location – it generally has space for walk-in campers. To be safe, definitely try to get a reservation at: www.discovercamping.ca; but if you cannot get a reservation, you can also try your luck as a walk-in. The campsites feature firepits. There are also freshwater taps, pit toilets and cold water showers available.
Day 1: Saltery Bay Ferry Terminal to Rainy Day Hut (10KM, 630 meters +/- elevation)
Our adventure started at the Saltery Bay Ferry terminal where we were able to park our vehicle overnight in the parking lot adjacent to the ticketing booth. We checked with the ferry attendant and he said it was fine for us to leave our car overnight during the hike (recommend you check before you park in case policies change). Turns out there was another small lot that had free parking right next to the trailhead, and it wasn’t even full. I guess most people don’t expect to find such choice parking right next to the trailhead for free.
The trail from Saltery Bay to Rainy Day Hut passes by the Fairview Bay Hut – a beautiful camp location overlooking the ocean – and also one of the stops you can take on the 3 day “classic” Saltery Bay loop hike. There are peek-a-boo ocean views along the trail to Fairview Bay, and if you’re very lucky, you might even see a pod of Orcas as we did! Listen for the telltale sound of air and water sputtering out of a blowhole as your signal to look towards the ocean.
Rainy Day Lake hut, is a basic structure, but great to have in case of inclement weather. We chose to sleep in our tents outside the hut as there was already another group in the shelter. Rainy Day Lake is a clear calm lake for refilling your water supplies, as well as going for a swim after a long day hiking.
Day 2: Rainy Day Hut to Mount Troubridge Hut (8KM, 910 meters +/- elevation)
Up, up and up, can be the theme for this day. Although we only travelled 8KM, we gained nearly 1000 meters of elevation in that short distance. The view from the summit of Mount Troubridge is worth it though – as was the Troubridge Hut where we spent the night. Easily one of the best huts I’ve stayed at on the trail; Troubridge Hut is a fully winterized log cabin and has a kitchen and dining room that is very well stocked with pots, pans, utensils – much more so than any other hut we visited on the trail. Most huts won’t have a kitchen area for example – let alone cookware. As the cabin is winterized, mice are less of a problem in this hut – Rainy Day Hut was teaming with mice inside – so make sure you do your part and keep the doors closed to keep Troubridge Hut somewhat mice-free!
You can collect freshwater at Jocelyn Pond – just a 5 minute walk from the hut. The pond is quite muddy in the bottom so make sure you collect your drinking water before you jump in, otherwise it takes the mud some time to settle. There are wild blueberry bushes all around the hut – so we collected fresh wild blueberries for dessert and breakfast the next morning.
We used the cast-iron pan from the hut to make grilled cheese flatbread sandwiches over an open fire, and I also surprised our hiking party with dirtbag pina coladas (also incidentally keto-friendly)!
Day 3: Mount Troubridge Hut to Lang Bay (22KM, 1200 meters +/- elevation)
Our last day featured our longest stretch of hiking kilometer-wise, but the trail was far less technical, and nearly half of the day’s hiking were on service roads – so easier hiking (although not super scenic). The day starts out very scenic passing by Elephant Lake, and through lush forest trails, but it’s a very long day of hiking and we were quite relieved to see the town of Lang Bay (and Jens’ bike – which had survived the 3 days unharmed, still happily locked up to a set of Canada Post mailboxes – not sure if we got lucky – so your overnight bike locking experience may or may not be the same).
While Jens did some extra cardio riding the 12KM back to Saltery Bay to retrieve the Eurovan to pick us up in Lang Bay, the rest of the party raided the Lang Bay General store, which has a fairly well-stocked beer and liquor section and a small selection of basic groceries. We picked up some sausages, sauerkraut, wine, beer and whisky for our celebratory dinner later that night at Mermaid Cove Provincial campground, where we spent one last night before heading back to Vancouver.
Final Thoughts:
The Sunshine Coast Trail offers adventures of all sizes for hikers from beginners to advanced. The three-day 18KM Saltery Bay Loop circuit offers a great option for those who are up for a lighter hike, or for beginners to through-hiking. The three day 40KM hike hike outlined in this post is a more challenging but very rewarding journey for those who can manage a few more logistical details.
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Trip Packing List:
- Hiking boots (I use the Salomon Quest 4D Hiking Boots, considered by many to be one of the best hiking boots on the market. They’re surprisingly light for heavy-duty hiking boots, and deliver outstanding traction and stability. They’re an investment, but I have some big hikes on the horizon so I invested in the best I could get my hands on)
- Backpack (I use a women’s specific Gregory Amber backpack)
- Hiking Poles (I use these amazing folding poles – they have different attachments for hiking and also for resort and backcountry skiing! Super-lightweight and folds small enough to fit in a daypack. I’ve used them both for hiking and skiing, so an excellent find!)
- Tent (Jens and I use a MSR Hubba Hubba 2 person tent)
- Sleeping pad (I use this ultralightweight, super-packable pad)
- Sleeping bag (It can get chilly if you’re hiking in the fall, so consider getting a sleeping bag rated to 0 – 2C. This TETON sleeping bag is great. Comes in different sizes. Get the “Scout” size you’re under 5’6” for savings in weight and money)
- Headlamp (I like this rechargeable one)
- Battery Pack for charging phone and other electronic devices (I like this one that also has solar panels. Excellent customer service. Mine stopped working and they offered a full-refund right away)
- Smartphone
- Sawyer Water Filter
- MSR Dromedary Water Bladder (connect-compatible with Sawyer Water Filter)
- Camelback (so you don’t have to take your backpack off to get your water bottle)
- Steripen as a backup water sterilization method
- 1 Liter Nalgene – required for using the Steripen
- Clothing (I’m completely obsessed with Icebreaker clothing – as it’s antimicrobial and does not hold odors – you can wear the same shirt for a week without washing and it’s as good as new)
- Bathing suit
- Sandals or flip-flops (I have a pair of Chakos Z Cloud sandals without toe-loops. These are sturdy enough to hike in, but you can also wear them with thick socks at night – yes I am suggesting socks and sandals. You can thank me later.)
- MSR Mini Stove (weighs less than 100grams!)
- Fuel for MSR Mini Stove
- Pot set (we have a pot-set and to save space, we also eat from the pots)
- Cooking utensils
- Pot scraper – these are amazing for getting all the food out of your pots – thereby minimizing cleaning tremendously
- Rainshell
- Down jacket (I have this one that I got off Amazon – it’s well-priced for a 100% down jacket and packs down small)
- Biodegradable soap
- Waterproof bags for clothing, food etc.
- Hat
- Sunglasses
Optional:
- Bug spray (I love this DEET-free repellent that kept me completely bite free in India)
- Insect bite healer. This device is basically like a mini heat-pen that when applied to a fresh bite, denatures the poison from the insect bite and greatly reduces/eliminates itching and swelling. This is an absolute game-changer for those who have allergic reactions to bug bites. I normally get very bad swelling and itching from any bite that I get – but if I use this device when the bite is fresh, there is typically no evidence I even had a bite the next day!
- Sunscreen (I really like this Ombrelle sport spray – it sprays on clear – and great if you’re travelling solo – you can get your back with the spray!)
- Waterproof First Aid Kit
- Arnica (My go-to non-drug treatment for any bumps/bruises/inflammation on the trail. I even carry a tube around in my purse. Great for anyone allergic to Advil like I am.)
- Insulated coffee mug