Sunshine Coast Tour

Day 0 - Vancouver

Overnight in hotel in Vancouver to rest before your motorhome holiday.

Day 1 - Vancouver to Gibson's via Horseshoe Bay ferry (72 km / 45 miles)

The ferry winds its way from Horseshoe Bay between Bowyer and Bowen Islands, then past Gambier and Keats Islands before docking at Langdale. The only way to reach Gibsons is via the Horseshoe Bay ferry, as the overland route is too mountainous to build roads. The ferry to Langdale takes approximately 40 minutes at a distance of approximately 9.7 nautical miles. The ferry winds its way from Horseshoe Bay between Bowyer and Bowen Islands, then past Gambier and Keats Islands before docking at Langdale. Here, you disembark and head to your chosen campground for the night. It is an easy trip and only takes about seven minutes. You can settle in for a comfortable night in the town of about 4,000. The most notable claim-to-fame for Gibsons Landing is the hit TV show, The Beachcombers as it was filmed there and ran from 1972 until 1990. 

Day 2 - Gibsons to Earls Cove (78 km / 48 miles)

If you were to drive straight through to Earls Cove from Gibsons, you would arrive there in just over an hour. However, with the incredibly scenic drive and gorgeous parks to stop at along the way, why pass up the opportunity? Some of the beautiful parks to explore include Roberts Creek or Sargeant Bay Provincial Parks or you can spend a relaxing day exploring the village of Sechelt wandering the artisan shops, enjoy some great local cuisine browsing museums, checking out markets or festivals.

When you're in the Earls Cove/Egmont region of the Coast, the Skookumshuck Rapids at Egmont, are an awesome sight to take in when the tide is coming in or going out. Due to the confined narrows connecting Sechelt and Jervis inlets, 760 billion litres (200 billion gallons) of water are forced through the channel and create fantastic tidal rapids. We have a recommendation for one more stop in the area;  take Egmont Road over to Sunshine Coast Tours to take in their Princess Louisa Inlet tour.  This is a 5-hour tour departing the Backeddy Marina at 10:30am.

Day 3 - Earls Cove to Powell River (50 km / 31 miles)

The trip from Earls Cove to Powell River is completed in two legs: the first is by hopping on the ferry to Saltery Bay and the second is on the Sunshine Coast Highway to Powell River. The ferry takes you around Nelson Island and into Saltery Bay in just over an hour then the overland portion takes about one half hour. Powell River is home to almost 13,000 residents and activities such as scuba diving, kayaking, fishing and canoeing can be enjoyed by water lovers. Incredible opportunities for canoeing, fishing, swimming, bird watching and hiking await you at Duck Lake Protected area - a mere 20 minute drive east of Powell River. The lake itself is small but set in a picturesque basin with about 9 km of hiking and mountain biking trails within the area.

Leaving Duck Lake and traveling north along the Haslam Lake Road about one half hour, you will reach the Inland Lake Provincial Park, formerly a Forest Service Recreation area. In 1997, it was established as a provincial park and has a wide variety of activities to take in such as wildlife viewing, hiking, fishing, cycling and canoeing. It would be extremely easy to spend hours at the park exploring and appreciating the fantastic beauty surrounding you. Why not take a Kayak or Hiking Tour in this area with Footprint Explorations. Let their professional guides lead you into the tranquil Desolation Sound. 

Day 4 - Powell River to Lund (28 km / 17 miles)

Heading up the Sunshine Coast Highway for the final north-bound leg of the tour, you will reach Lund in just over one half hour. However, to explore some of the provincial parks in the region, you will need to take the Malaspina Road heading east a couple kilometres south of Lund. Okeover Provincial Park is small in comparison to other provincial parks (only 4 hectares) along the Sunshine Coast, but a very important one as it is located on a traditional Sliammon First Nations archeological site.

To reach Malaspina Provincial Park (572 hectares), you will need to take Malaspina Road back to the Sunshine Coast Highway and connect to the Sarah Pointe Road just north of Lund. The trip takes about eight minutes just north of Lund and you will need to walk from Sarah Pointe Road into the park. This park provides a low elevation coastal hiking and backcountry recreation experience.  The Desolation Sound area is very popular for kayaking and boating.  There is no RV camping in the park itself. We recommend SunLund By-The-Sea for your overnight campground in the Lund area.

Day 5 - Lund to Sechelt (130 km / 81 miles)

Lund today is a hub of coastal activity. Its harbour is home to a fleet of commercial prawn boats, sail boats, recreational motor vessel and water taxi services which delivery people and goods to Savary Island, known for it's white sandy beaches. Returning to Sechelt down the Sunshine Coast will take about three hours. When you return to the Sechelt region, take Brooks Road eastward (approximately 16 km northwest of Sechelt off Highway 101/Sunshine Coast Highway) to Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park. To access the park you will park in the lot and walk the four km in to the park. The park is a gorgeous, all-weather anchorage on the south side of the Sechelt Peninsula where you can see the work from its resident beavers. Other residents in the wetland include various species of birds, fauna and flora.

As you leave Smuggler Cove and make your way into Sechelt, head north on Wharf Avenue to East Porpoise Bay Road (which becomes Sechelt Inlet Road) to Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. The park is noted as a second-growth forest of alder, western hemlock, western cedar, Douglas fir and maple trees. There is also a spawning channel area for chum and coho salmon and an estuary that hosts numerous types of shore birds. It's a relaxing, beautiful way to spend your afternoon in the Sechelt area. This park is a great base for hiking, swimming, paddling, fishing and biking and offers full service camping from mid April to mid October.  Reservations are strongly advised during July and August.

Day 6 - Full Day in Sechelt

If you had spent part of your Day Two tour in the Provincial Parks in the Sechelt area - or even exploring Sechelt itself - you have an entire day you can devote to relaxing in the area. Sechelt is one of two larger towns on the Sunshine Coast and is home to 9,500 residents. The compact downtown zone has local coffee shops, art galleries, bakeries, a First Nations gift store (with art by local First Nations artists), a beer & wine store (BC has some exceptional wineries and craft breweries), gelatoria and a movie theatre that shows first-run movies and cinematique films.

In West Sechelt you will find the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden - about a 10 minute drive from downtown Sechelt. The Sunshine Coast Botanical Society began in 2002. Between 2003 and 2013, they sourced the land that was to become the permanent home and created the Native Plant Garden then in 2005 the Seaside Centre garden was established. Basic infrastructure was put in place between 2009 and 2010 and the gardens have since flourished under the careful maintenance of volunteers. Thousands of visitors attend the Garden each year taking in the beauty of the gardens, special events and workshops.

Day 7 - Return to Vancouver (101 km / 63 miles)

The return drive to Vancouver from Sechelt will take you about three hours and you can either drop off your RV at the Vancouver location or continue with another tour/itinerary if you planned on vacationing in Western Canada longer.