Mt Gardner Bowen Island Tour
12 Apr 2016

Hiking Bowen Island

by | Posted in: Step Outside Blog | 110

Bowen Island

When it comes to hiking in the Greater Vancouver area, many people tend to overlook beautiful Bowen Island. Only a 20 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay, this surprisingly large island offers a number of easy and challenging hikes, including Mt Gardner, Killarney Lake, and Dorman Point Trail.  In addition to great hiking trails, Bowen Island also offers a number of great shops and restaurants, which you can browse after a day on the trails. By the time you catch your ferry back to the mainland, you will find that the island’s slogan, “Within Reach. Beyond Comparison,” is pretty accurate.

Killarney Lake

Easy – Distance: 9km, Elevation: Minimal

Upon departing the ferry, you find yourself on the island’s main street, Bowen Island Trunk Road. A short walk away via Cardena Road is Crippen Regional Park, where you can start a beautiful but easy hike around Killarney Lake. On the way to the lake, the trail passes a fish ladder and Bridal Veil Falls, which are worth checking out. Once at the lake, you can start a two hour loop, passing Cedars and Hemlocks and crossing bridges on the densely forested trail. You will eventually come to a rest area with picnic tables and an outhouse, where you can stop for lunch.

Mt Gardner

Challenging – Distance: 17km (from ferry), Elevation: 720m

At Killarney Lake, you can also start a much more challenging hike up to Mt Gardner, the highest point on the island. Be aware that the trail can be difficult to follow at times so make sure you have a good map or a knowledgeable guide.

From the trail on the west side of Killarney Lake, about 5 minutes north of the picnic area, look for a sign for Mt Gardner. After taking the trail up a short way, make a right on the road, and then a left. The steep path will come to a metal gate at the end of the parking lot. Not long afterwards, you will see a sign for the Skid Trail on the left, which you should take. On the way to the top, you can stop at a rock outcropping for incredible views of the Sunshine Coast and Gambier and Keets Islands. After hiking further up, you eventually reach the North Summit at the cell towers. Unlike the South Summit, which is actually the highest point, the North Summit offers panoramic views of Bowen Island, the Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound, and the Vancouver skyline in the distance. Once you have taken in the views, look for a trail on the south side of the North Summit and hike over to the South Summit (there is no view) and continue on. You eventually complete a loop and can continue down the Skid Trail, ultimately reaching Killarney Lake.

Dorman Point Trail

Easy – Distance: 4km, Elevation: 100m

Another great hike on Bowen Island is the Dorman Point Trail, which starts near the Snug Cove picnic area. It’s an easy 30 minute hike to the top, about 100 metres above Howe Sound. From there, you have a great view of the other islands in the area as well as some of the tallest mountains on the North Shore. There are also some beautiful arbutus trees nearby.

Enjoy the island!

Step Outside Adventures (www.soadventures.com) is a Vancouver based tour company offering hiking tours of Bowen Island and other beautiful areas of  British Columbia.

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