Hike Details
- Difficulty: 4/6 (Difficult)
- Distance: 17km
- Duration: 7hrs
- Elevation: 730m
- Type: Out & Back
- Exposure: None
- Season: Jan - Dec
- Dogs: Yes
- Camping: No
- Wheelchairs: No
- Public Transport: Yes
- Strollers: No
Description
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Mount Gardner on Bowen Island offers a trail that winds through evergreen forests, opening up to stunning views as you reach higher elevations. The path is well-signed, guiding hikers through the dense growth of the Pacific Northwest to the summit's rewarding vistas. For the keeners among you, you can following the marked trail (on this map) and start the hike right out of the Snug Cove ferry terminal, also meaning you don't need to bring a car across. It is also possible to make the hike shorter by starting the hike at Killarney Lake Parking.
Navigation
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The trail: Some junctions or misleading side-trails. Check your map regularly. Phone signal in BC is not reliable when hiking. Always carry an OFFLINE map. I recommend and use AllTrails+ and Gaia Maps.
Highlights
Hike Difficulty And Conditions
Hiking Mount Gardner from the ferry terminal is a 17m round trip. From the Killarney Lake Parking, it's 10km. Since most of the elevation is beyond the lake, both variations have an elevation around 600m. The terrain varies from easy-walking forest paths, to wide forest FSRs, to more challenging rocky and steep sections. Sturdy hiking shoes are advisable, and bringing along water, snacks, and layered clothing is important due to the changeable mountain weather. Reaching the summit, you're greeted with expansive views of Howe Sound, the Georgia Straight, Vancouver and Vancouver Island, making the hike well worth the effort.
Camping
- Camping Possible: No
Hiking Season
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Jan - Dec is the recommended season for Mount Gardner. Outside of this period, the trail is: Caution - Snow and Ice Possible
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Stroller Accessible: No
- Dog Friendly: Yes
Location & Access
- Public Transport: Yes
- Public Transport By: Translink
- Region: The North Shore
- Fire Region: Coastal Fire Centre Info
- Trailhead: 49.37971, -123.33439
- Vehicle Requirement: Any Vehicle
Getting There
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From Horseshoe Bay, take the regular Bowen Island ferry across to Bowen Island. No need to book. Once you reach Snug Cove you can either begin the hike from there, or take the 282 bus towards Killarney Lake and Mount Gardner.
Unlike most of BC, Bowen Island encourages hitch-hiking.
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Rent a car, or better still, reduce the demand for cars with Evo Car Share, Vancouver's car sharing network.
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