Guides and clients meet in Nanaimo at one of our pickup points (point of origin). The journey up island to Port Hardy takes 5 hours. The first night will be spent in Port Hardy, where guides will assist clients with packing, backpack adjustment, ensuring necessary items have not been forgotten.

The group will be transported by water taxi to Shushartie Bay, where they will don their packs and begin hiking. The trail climbs up a steep hillside in a wet cedar forest. The trail continues over boardwalk and muddy sections, ascending to 252m before a muddy plateau followed by a descent to the beach at Skinner Creek. The campsite in the forest here is our destination for the day. Boots off and wash your feet or swim in one of the best swimming locations along the west end of the trail.

The day begins either on the beach along the base of cliffs or inland skirting around the top of them. At high tide the inland trail must be taken. The route passes old trapper cabins before reaching the Nahwitti River. Here the river can be forded at low tide or further up the trail a cable car can be used to cross. Travel continues through forested region before descending stairs to Weser Point. The views of white sand beaches around the bight lure us on to our campsite in one of these pocket beaches or in the forested site at Sutil Beach.

The route continues round the very northern tip of Vancouver Island, initially along the beach then leading inland and across clifftops on a sidehill before breaking out onto the beach again. The views and scenery are stunning! The camp site at Shuttleworth Bight is reached just after crossing Irony Creek.

This day’s hike begins westward along the beach to the cable crossing at Strandby River. Some boggy forest hiking followed by pebble beach and some easily negotiated tidal obstacles. Much of the trail is along the various pocket beaches before reaching the campsite at Laura Creek, where the marine life in the tidal pools are vibrantly colourful.

This is the last leg of the ‘Nahwitti’ trail and begins with an uphill climb over Nahwitti Cone. It joins the old pioneer road which climbs up through a boggy forest to a plateau. Eventually the trail descends and an elaborate staircase leads to the beach at Nissen Bight.

Nissen Bight is a great place to take a well-earned rest day, explore the magnificent beach and one of the easy Cape Scott trails. *

It is time to head back to civilization. The hike is along the established Cape Scott trail ending at the Cape Scott trailhead. It is the easiest section of the trip, however it is 15.4 km and takes 5 – 7 hr to hike. Here the group will be met by a shuttle bus to take us to Port Hardy. We will spend the night either at Eric Lake, about 3 km from the trailhead, or at San Josef Bay, about one km past the trailhead junction.

The North Coast Trail Shuttle picks us up late morning or early afternoon. The next leg is the drive back to Nanaimo, where everyone will say their ‘goodbyes’.