Best Hikes - Mt. Galiano
10 Mar 2016

Hiking Galiano Island

by | Posted in: Step Outside Blog | 107

While many people head to Vancouver Island when the weekend comes, there is another beautiful island just an hour ferry ride away from Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Nicknamed the Gem of the Gulf Islands, Galiano Island offers incredible scenery and a slice of small town Canadiana that is hard to find on the mainland. Even better, if you are in good shape, you can walk over from the ferry terminal to a couple of trailheads and hike up to some incredible viewpoints.

The Island

Galiano Island is located in British Columbia between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and can only be accessed via BC Ferries (either on foot or in a vehicle). The island is 27.5 km long by 6km at the widest point and 1.6km at the narrowest part. Named after Spanish explorer Dionisio Alcalá Galiano, who explored the area in 1792, the island today has a population of approximately 1,200, although in the summer, the number of people on the island grows dramatically.

Hike Mount Galiano

Upon arriving on Galiano Island, my favorite route if I’m leading a hiking tour is to walk and then hike over to Bluffs Park, the oldest wilderness park on the island. Offering high cliffs surrounded by arbutus and Garry Oak trees, you can savour incredible views from the edge as you look towards Mayne and Salt Spring Islands, among other islands in the region. You also get a great view of Mt Galliano, which is where I head next.

It is a little tricky finding your way to the trailhead for Mt. Galiano but once you are on the trails, it is not too difficult hiking up to the top, where your views are even more magnificent and panoramic than from Bluffs Park. I find this a great place to have lunch while you soak in the scenery. At this point, you have done a moderate 350 metres in elevation gain.

Have a Drink or Dessert

After hiking back down to the base of Mt Galiano, you can either head back to the ferry terminal, taking a slightly different route, or if you have time, do a larger loop and stop by the Hummingbird Inn. This pub has loads of character and outdoor seating if it is sunny. After a drink, I usually check out some of the shops on the way back to the ferry terminal, including a bakery and ice cream shop for a nice dessert! While waiting at the ferry terminal for the ride back, you can walk down to the shore and try to find some starfish and other marine life on the beach. Just make sure you don’t miss your ferry as you’ll be otherwise staying the evening!

Step Outside Adventures (www.soadventures.com) is a Vancouver based tour company offering sightseeing and hiking tours in British Columbia, including the Gulf Islands.

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