Route Details
- Difficulty: 3 High Fitness Required
- Distance: 103km
- Elevation: 2200m
- Duration: 5hrs
- Duration: 2days
- Route Type: Loop
- Camping Possible: Yes
- % Unpaved: 90
- % Singletrack: 0
Summary
This route follows well-maintained FSRs out into the Sunshine Coast backcountry, most notably crossing the Sunshine Coast Trail and the Powell River Forest Canoe Route. Easily accessible from Powell River, the route is well traveled by others, so you're never too far from support should you need it.
You'll find wide roads and frequent viewpoints make this a great route to explore some of the area's backcountry roads and rec sites.
Short Itinerary
We loaded the bikes onto the car in Vancouver on a Friday evening. Mark had got the group together for the trip, but it was only at this moment that I realized I was in for a challenge. Turns out Mark, Sam and Harry were all Iron Man finishers - this might get interesting!
Day 1 (55km): We stopped at Nanton Lake for lunch and then camped at Goat Lake, which involved a 10-minute, relatively steep walk down from the road. 55km on gravel roads wasn't too bad, and considering the company I was feeling pretty good.
Day 2 (45km): Cycled across Rainbow Main from East to West, and ate as we rode, trying to make it back in time for our ferry reservation. With the early summer sun bearing down on us, day 2 was far more intense - I was most definitely the slowest in the group. After a well-stuffed burrito and some very welcome jelly bean donations from Sam, we made it in good time for our Sunday after ferry back to Vancouver.
This route was inspired by Natalie Jones' Route Guide on bikepacking.com.
Navigation
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Phone signal in BC is not reliable when hiking. Always carry an offline map. I recommend and use AllTrails+ or GaiaMaps.
Route Conditions
Following the route anti-clockwise, your first day follows easy-going fast-flowing gravel roads. Once you take a left onto Rainbow Main you'll find chunky gravel and significant periods of elevation gain and drops. The final third of the route is back to smooth FSRs where you can pick up a little more speed. For me, this second half of the route (including Rainbow Main) was the more challenging part.
Camping
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Most of the rec sites on the route are run by BC Rec Sites.
Fiddlehead Landing Cabin is run by the Sunshine Coast Trail.
Some of the rec sites are reachable direct from an FSR. Others require dismounting and hiking down through a steep forest. The trails form part of well used canoe portage routes, or the Sunshine Coast Trail and are generally well maintained. We stayed at Goat Lake Rec Site, which made a great swim spot after 10 minute walk down through the forest. In anticlockwise order around the route:
- Nanton Lake - Easily Accessible
- Ireland Lake - Easily Accessible
- Dodd Lake - Easily Accessible
- Windsor Lake - Steep walk down a portage route
- Goat Lake - Steep walk down a portage route
- Fiddlehead Cabin (detour) - Part of the Sunshine Coast Trail
- Giovanno Shelter
Suggested Season
- Apr - Oct
Location & Access
- Start: 49.85145 ,-124.52443
- Region:The Sunshine Coast
- Fire Region: Coastal Fire Centre
- Vancouver Day Trip: No
- From Vancouver: 6hrs
- Public Transport: No
Getting There
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From Vancouver
- Ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale on the Sunshine Coast (Gibsons) (about 40 mins)
- Drive up to Earls Cove (90 mins)
- Ferry from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay (40 mins)
- Drive to Powell River Community Centre (30 mins)
- Park around the back of the community centre
From Vancouver Island
- Ferry from Comox to Powell River (90 mins)
- Drive to Powell River Community Centre (5 mins)
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If appropriate to reach this adventure, rent a car, or better still, reduce the demand for cars with Evo Car Share, Vancouver's car sharing network.
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