Hiking Canada’s Cape Scott Trail Itinerary
- Duration
- 6 Days
Trip dates do sell out — please book early to get the dates you want.
Cape Scott Provincial Park is one of the most beautiful and intriguing areas for hiking Vancouver Island.
The Cape Scott hike is a scenic tour through a number of coastal ecosystems. Dominated by hemlock, cedar, and sitka spruce, the trail passes through large stands of each tree species.
Cape Scott has a number of hiking trails leading to incredible historical and geographical features. There is time on this trip to explore the beauty of Cape Scott Park, with side trips to Nels Bight, Hansen Lagoon, and Guise Bay.
Just outside the park, past Guise Bay, is the Cape Scott Lightstation, one of the few remaining attended lighthouses in Canada. The history of this area is fascinating, and the views are unbeatable.
Subject to Changes
This is our typical itinerary for this tour. Because we are travelling in wilderness, itineraries can change. There are many factors that can affect how a tour actually runs. We confirm pickup times by phone, email or SMS at least 12 hours before.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1: Travel Day
Guides and clients meet between 8:15-8:30 am in Nanaimo at one of our pickup points (point of origin). The journey up island to Port Hardy takes 5 hours. From Port Hardy, after a check on equipment and other needs, we drive the 67 km of logging roads to the Cape Scott Provincial Park lot. We begin our tour with the journey to Eric Lake or Fisherman’s Creek, to camp for the night.
Day 2: Hike into Nels Bight
We continue our hike along the relatively flat area of the Cape, exploring some of the historical sights along the way, ending at Nels Bight, where we set up a base camp for the next day.
Day 3: Day Hike to the Cape Scott Light Station
With so much to explore at the Cape, we take off toward the lighthouse, looking at the sites available, travelling around Experiment Bight, across the sand neck to Guise Bay, then to the lighthouse. After a visit, we return, taking a different route after returning to Guise Bay.
Day 4: Hike to Nissen Bight
The other side of Nels Bight is another day's exploration. We hike back out, stopping to explore Hansens Lagoon, on our way to Nissen Bight. This area sees fewer people, and is frequented by bears and wolves. We set up for another day hike the next day.
Day 5: Day Hike to an upland bog lake
Travelling up from Nissen Bight, we catch the end of the North Coast Trail, stopping for a morning snack at the lake. We return, to pack up and begin the journey back out in the afternoon, returning to either Fisherman's Creek or Eric Lake for the night.
Day 6: Last explorations and the hike out
This is the last day of the tour. We explore the area of Eric Lake, then pack up to hike out to the parking area, where we load and begin the drive back to civilization. The tour ends with your return to the departure location.
What's Included
(Items that are covered in the cost of tour price)
What's Not Included
(Items that are NOT covered in the cost of tour price)
- Your transportation to the departure location (from your home)
- National Park entry fees (may change as Parks alter their policies)
- Hiking boots (should be less than 5 years old)
- Gratuities are not included. Recognizing your guide for their hard work and care is always appreciated; $10-20/day per guide is recommended.
Good to Know
* A rest day has been built into the trip to allow for the unexpected without having to rush clients after time loss on route. Nissen Bight is the obvious place to spend this extra night, however other situations may take precedence or other options may be decided upon.
** You will be responsible for food you may want on travel days
† Solo travellers can request a Single Tent for $6.50 per day
Sleeping bags, sleeping pads, backpacks, and poles are available for rent.
All-inclusive Tour
From pickup to return, we cover everything you need, except your personal items. We take you to and from the trip start, and feed you well along the way. We can’t guarantee weight loss on our tours.
Knowledgeable Guides
Our guides get out into our areas. They know the ins and outs of the trip and provide exceptional interpretation of flora, fauna and history.
Supportive Preparation
We give you an entire packet of information on how to prepare, what to bring, how to pack, and a plan for training so you can fully enjoy the trip. Our care for you starts before you even arrive.
Getting There
Pickup: Nanaimo, BC (Vancouver Island)
Pickup is at Departure Bay Ferry Terminal, Duke Point Ferry Terminal, downtown Nanaimo, or one of the hotels below.
Coast Bastion Hotel
11 Bastion St, Nanaimo, BC1-250-753-6601Visit the website
Best Western Dorchester Hotel
70 Church, Nanaimo, BC1-250-754-6835Visit the website
Travelodge by Wyndham Nanaimo
96 Terminal Ave North, Nanaimo, BC1-250-754-6355Visit the website
Getting to Vancouver
Many of the major North American carriers fly into Vancouver or, alternatively, Seattle. Check with your travel agent for options. There is a bus service, Quick Shuttle, from Seattle’s airport to hotels in Vancouver. These run daily and are reasonably priced. For more information, in North America, phone 1-800-665-2122 or 1-604-940-4428, and fax 1-604-940-4429. Check the link regarding shuttles and other airport information.
Getting to Nanaimo
If you are travelling into the Vancouver, Victoria, or Nanaimo area from afar, you should arrive at the departure location (in Nanaimo) for your trip the day/evening prior to the trip start date and plan to leave the day following trip return.
You can fly to Vancouver (airport code YVR) or Seattle (airport code SEA), then connect to Vancouver Island using ferry, bus, or air, or arrange flights directly to Vancouver Island.
You can also fly directly to Victoria (airport code YYJ) or Nanaimo (airport code YCD).
Several bigger carriers fly into Nanaimo, usually after a change in Vancouver. Check with your travel agent for options that take you all the way to Nanaimo. Alternatively, the Horseshoe Bay ferry in West Vancouver sails to Departure Bay, Nanaimo. The Tsawwassen ferry terminal also has sailings to the Duke Point ferry terminal in Nanaimo.
Nanaimo Airporter shuttle service: servicing all of Vancouver Island, from airports to ferries to cruise ship terminals. Phone 1-250-758-2133.
BC Ferries: 1-888-BC FERRY (1-888-223-3779). We will let you know the ferry to take for travelling to Vancouver Island, but if you want to check times, you can go to the BC Ferries website at www.bcferries.com/schedules.
Booking and Payment: The booking requires a 30% deposit by Visa or MasterCard with the balance due 75 days prior to trip departure.