CAPE SCOTT TRAIL ITINERARY
6-DAY BACKPACKING TOUR
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.
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.
Activity Level Moderate
Group Size Medium max 8 guests, 2 guides
Days 6
HIKING DAYS: 5
TRAVEL DAYS: 1
Trip Highlights
-Diverse Terrain: The trails around Cape Scott meander through dense rainforests, lagoons, sandy beaches, and rocky headlands, offering a variety of terrains that challenge and delight.
-Stunning Coastal Views: Breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean nd Hecate Strait, with opportunities to see migrating whales, sea lions, and other marine life.
-Rich indigenous Heritage: The trail traverses the traditional territories of the Nahwitti people.
-Iconic Lighthouses: Visit the Historic Cape Scott lighthouse.
-Rich Settlement History: Cape Scott has many visible artifacts of attempted settlement around 100 years ago.
-Abundant Wildlife: Encounter diverse wildlife, including black bears, wolves and bald eagles, in their natural habitats.
ITINERARY
This is our typical itinerary for this tour. Because we are travelling in the 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.
This trip begins in Nanaimo, where we will arrange your pickup to drive to the location where we begin the activity.
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Day 1-Travel Day: 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. 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 | What’s Not Included |
| Transportation from and to the departure location (pick up and drop off) | Your transportation to the departure location (from your home) |
| All park fees and camping fees | National Park entry fees (may change as Parks alter their policies) |
| Professional guides | Hiking Boots (should be less than 5 years old) |
| All meals (except on travel days) | Some food (on travel days and special options) |
| Tent (shared) | Backpack (available for rent) |
| A substantial preparation guide | Sleeping bags or mats (available for rent) |
| Gear rental options | Gratuities are not included. Recognizing your guide for their hard work and care is always appreciated; $10-20/day per guide is recommended. |
Notes
*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.
GETTING THERE
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.
Flying to Victoria (Airport code YYJ)
Flying to Nanaimo (Airport code YCD)
Nanaimo Airporter shuttle service.
Servicing all of Vancouver Island from airports to ferries to cruise ship terminals. Tel: 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 out times, you can go the the BC Ferries website at: www.bcferries.com/schedules/
WHERE TO STAY
Naniamo Pick up & Hotels Between 8:15-8:30 am on the first morning of your trip date.
Pick up: Departure Bay, Duke Point Ferry Terminal, or the following Accommodations:
Coast Bastion Hotel
Address: 11 Bastion St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 6E4
Phone (250) 753-6601
Website: https://www.coasthotels.com/
Best Western Dorchester Nanaimo Hotel
Address: 70 Church, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, V9R 5H4
Phone: (250) 754-6835
Website: www.dorchesternanaimo.com
Travelodge by Wyndham Nanaimo
Address: 96 Terminal Ave North, Nanaimo BC, V9S 4J2
Phone: (250) 754-6355
Website: https://www.guestreservations.com/travelodge-nanaimo/booking
What Our Guests Say
From pre-trip planning (equipment and clothing suggestions, physical preparation, food, environmental consideration, Parks Canada requirements) to pick up/drop off to excellent food on the trip, the communication certainly fulfilled expectations. Our guides were wonderful – experienced, knowledgeable, patient and with a sense of humour, they made a week+ strenuous adventure safe while fun. We had a fantastic group to meet up and travel with, and we will consider going again on another tour with this company.
Book this Trip Here View Itinerary HereRead What Our Clients Say About Us
Please note that prices for this trip are in Canadian dollars and are subject to 5% GST sales tax
