Cortes Island (Northern Gulf Islands)
After spending 5 days exploring Cortes Island last July, Trish and I decided that this is the island to visit if you are looking for quiet and solitude. There are three provincial parks on the island, but only Smelt Bay has vehicle-accessible camping. We had reserved one of the 24 sites, but found that wasn’t really necessary, as there were only half a dozen occupied sites the entire time we were. This island is not easy to get to, which might be why the camping is so quiet. If you’re coming from Vancouver, there is the drive to Horseshoe Bay, a ferry to Vancouver Island, a drive to Campbell River, a ferry to Quadra Island, a drive to the other side of Quadra and another ferry to Cortes Island. From Victoria, this was an 8-hour journey, including the ferry waits. But don’t let that deter you! This island is well worth the extra time to get here. Here is the ferry website so you can plan your trip. https://www.bcferries.com/schedules/
If you don’t want to camp, there are plenty of places to stay; privately-owned campgrounds and resorts, bed and breakfasts, etc., so. Check out http://ourcortes.com/accommodations/.
Aside from exploring the parks (please see my blogs Manson’s Landing Provincial Park and Smelt Bay Provincial Park), there are some great hikes and beaches, marinas and restaurants, all surrounded by stunning scenery.
Green Mountain Loop was Trish and my favourite hike on the island. The loop trail is 4km (just under 2.5 miles) long, and ascends 310m (1017 ft) in elevation. Add to that a couple of kms of walking along a deeply rutted, uphill logging road to get to the trail, and you get a great physical workout.
It was interesting to note the different tree species as the elevation rose. Red Cedar, then spruce, and I think hemlock, and at the top – pine and huge arbutus. Don’t quote me on that, though, as I am just learning about plant identification. Salal covered the forest floor, mixed with huckleberry plants and many other species of small bushes and ground cover that I can’t yet identify.
Small stone cairns mark the trail to keep the hikers on the right path, but one area had several trails and each entry point had a cairn. It was very confusing. Of course, Trish and I chose the wrong route and walked an extra twenty minutes along a deer trail before we reached a dead end and had to turn back.
We tread very cautiously as the path led us up and over boulders and thick roots. A rope was provided at one point to hang on to as we slid down a smooth rock face at a steep angle.
The trail winds its way around the summit of Green Mountain, and once we arrived at the top, we knew that all that hard work was worth it. The views were captivating. We spent some time at the summit, taking in the views: coves, islands and inlets of Cortez and Quadra Islands, as well as the mountains on Vancouver Island. We saw yellow and black butterflies, some small woodpeckers, turkey vultures, and heard the sound of possibly some kind of grouse. Ruffed grouse I think. We hadn’t met anyone on the trail, and looking down at the ocean and the coves, really felt the solitude and peacefulness of being the only humans for miles around.
A note of warning – the trail guide estimated 70 minutes for this loop hike, but it took Trish and I three hours to get from our parked van to the summit and back to the van!
By the end of the hike we were ravenous and drove to the nearest picnic site we knew of, Squirrel Cove. First priority, get the coffee on! Second, get to the washroom. After a lunch of cheese and crackers and fruit, we were feeling quite human again. Squirrel Cove is an interesting little cove with a small diner, private camping, an artists’ co-op store, a general store, government dock and marina. Also very grungy showers and laundry facilities.
I highly recommend a stop at the Cortes Island Museum. The young lady in charge was born and raised on the island, and could answer every question we asked, gave tips and suggestions, and was a pleasure to talk to. Being a bit of a history buff, I found the exhibits fascinating. My knowledge of early island life is very limited, and the exhibits brought the viewer into the picture in a very personal way. I would allow at least 30 minutes to go through the museum and walk around the beautiful heritage garden. There’s a link here… https://cortesmuseum.com/.
The beaches on Cortes are amazing, but our ultimate favourite is Hanks Beach. This beach has been left in its perfect natural state. There are no washrooms, picnic tables, playing fields or other marks of human interference. There is something special about being in a place left completely natural. It feels right, almost sanctified.
Like most West Coast beaches, at high tide the beach is made up of stones and rocks, tricky to walk on. But we were fortunate. When we arrived, the tide was retreating, leaving beautiful white sand in its place.
It is a mystery to both Trish and I as to why we didn’t bring our swimming gear. We took off our shoes and socks and waded in the shallow, clear water. We could see little fish and sea life scurrying along the sand, making their way to the deeper water. We watched a spider crab crawl along the sea floor, until it turned around and headed for my bare toes. My worst nightmare!! I backed off and the little fellow kept following me, I backed off again, lost my balance and fell. I was sopping wet. Then the little crab went after Trish’s toes. We had a laugh over this, but decided to stop harassing the little fellow and go for a swim (in our clothes). After cooling down, we sat on a rocky knoll to dry off and do some sketching and listen to the eagles call as they flew in circles over the water. A wonderful, peaceful and enjoyable afternoon.
For more beautiful beaches and hikes, check out Smelt Bay Provincial Park and Manson’s Landing blogs.
We could have spent more time on the island, but responsibilities were calling us back home, so we reluctantly boarded the ferry, leaving many hikes, parks and coves unexplored.
Here is some great information about hikes on Cortes Island http://ourcortes.com/activities/cortes-island-hiking-trails/
Related Blogs:
Mansons Landing Provincial Park
Smelt Bay Provincial Park From the campground a short 10 minute walk to the beach.
Háthayim Marine Park (a.k.a. Von Donop Marine Park) – only accessible by private boat or hiking trails. Check out this website for some great information about the park. http://vancouverisland.com/things-to-do-and-see/parks-and-trails/vancouver-island-bc-islands/hathayim-von-donop-marine-provincial-park/
Here is my growing list of the parks visited as I continue my quest to visit all 648 BC Parks!!