Vancouver Island Recs

[LegoSkier]

Lego family is renting a house on Vancouver Island from July 9-16. Its right on the ocean/straight near Buckley Bay and actually has a pretty extensive chunk of shoreline for itself. There seems to be lots to do around there but I’m looking for some specific info/advice and anything not well known I should check out in the area.

Other than drinking and consuming my bodyweight in shellfish daily and taking a few hikes what else should I do. Keep in mind for most everything there will be a 3.5 year old in tow so epic hikes and long hours driving are out.

- Fishing looks good there but BC alien/non-resident licenses are kind of expensive. Should I spend the money on a short term tidelands license so I can cast from the house for Sea Run Cutthroats and salmon? Should I buy a temp BC freshwater license for chasing trout on local rivers/lakes?

- Mountain biking also looks promising. Teh internetz says Cumberland has good riding. Any other recs for the area?

- Kayaking. Our original plan was to try to just rent a two kayaks for the whole week and just have them at the house but from what I have found outfits that do that are mostly geared toward renting to people doing multiday expedition type things and not just a family looking to have some at their vacation house. Any kayaking recs either places to rent from long term or just for a couple hours?

Any other things we should do, places we should eat/drink? Thanks!

[rob stokes]

Cumberland is cracking riding, sweet town there for having a look round with the family too.

Strathcona park just inland from Campbell river is also very nice.

[evdog]

For MTB a pretty cool spot is Hornby Island. Take the ferry from Buckley Bay to Denman and then on to Hornby. Super fun XC trails. Easy riding for a couple hours while the family does some exploring. There used to be a cool pub/restaurant there for lunch. There are tons of other trail nearby - Forbidden Plateau near Mt Washington, Snowden Demo forest near Campbell River, and a bunch near Parksville and Nanaimo. You can see them all on Trailforks.

Mt Washington (Strathcona Park) has some great hiking and scenery that would be worth a day trip. Tofino/Long Beach is worth it too IMO but would be a long drive for a day trip. At minimum it might be worth checking out big trees at Cathedral grove east of Port Alberni. If you want some beach time one of the better ones is at Rathtrevor Park in Parksville, you can wade out forever due to gentle slope. Just mind where you put your towel down if you arrive when the tide is out or coming in. There is tons of cool and/or touristy stuff to see driving both north and south on the old Island Hwy. As for fishing I only ever fished the north end of the island for trout. Locals will be able to tell you what's what. It might be worth doing a half day salmon trip if the fishing is on, and see what you can get.

[shafty85]

We live in Nanaimo, shoot me a pm if you need/want any further suggestions

[Caucasian Asian]

If you're driving, look into reserving a spot on the ferry. Those lineups can be horrendous.

[XXX-er]

Long Beach / Torino is pretty cool, if you Surf you could rent gear, we used to surf it in ww kayaks

[BCMtnHound]

Another vote for the hippy/mtb scene on Hornby. Some of the warmest water in the strait between Hornby and Savory Is. The Denman-Hornby double ferry system (especially the smaller Hornby ferry) can get real backlogged in the summer though, go early or ride bikes across if possible. If you want the beach scene on Hornby, the scenery is pretty good at the main Tribune Bay Prov Park, but a little further up the island is whaling station bay that is low-key cool with a nicer beach (IMO), is hound friendly, and is alright with discrete alcohol consumption.
Kayak over by Helliwell Prov Park and you might catch sight of a rare six-gilled shark!
At least get a tidal license for shellfish, but be real careful not to harvest in the commercial zones. The tidal license is probably dollar for dollar better than a freshwater license, but then I don't go to the coast for freshwater fishing.
Cumberland is amazing for biking and brews. My little 7yr old nephew wants to take me out to show off some 'new' trails this year!
We will be doing the annual Hornby-Cumberland-Nootka Sound circuit July 16th -25th after visiting family in Victoria and Nanaimo the week leading up. Every year the little one gets a bit older (she's 3.5 this time) the trip gets more fun!

[kevin267]

If you're driving, look into reserving a spot on the ferry. Those lineups can be horrendous.

Having done hundreds of ferry trips in my life the reservations are only worth it for the typical busy times (Fridays, Sundays, holidays etc) if it's off peak times I'd rather just get there early than give bc ferries any more of my money haha.

I vote for trying to get over to hornby, super cool place!!

[jamesp]

sometimes later in summer it can be bad eating shellfish due to 'red tide' toxins. Not sure exactly when or if its every year, I think it depends on heat?

[BCMtnHound]

sometimes later in summer it can be bad eating shellfish due to 'red tide' toxins. Not sure exactly when or if its every year, I think it depends on heat?

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/c...index-eng.html
I just check the website or call the number. The alerts are usually valid for about a week. And yes, there's been some issues with biotoxins and parasites the last few years in the strait and on the west coast. Most of the shoreline access points have signs that remind people of the hazard, and post the website and phone number.

[shafty85]

Having done hundreds of ferry trips in my life the reservations are only worth it for the typical busy times (Fridays, Sundays, holidays etc) if it's off peak times I'd rather just get there early than give bc ferries any more of my money haha.

I vote for trying to get over to hornby, super cool place!!

Ferries are often busy all weekend so far this summer. For $20 or so (can't remember the exact price) you can avoid potentially waiting in a parking lot for hours. Worth it to us, but YMMV

[Dromond]

I just spent a long weekend at Hornby last month. FWIW the riding in Cumberland much more technical and challenging while the Hornby trails or super flowy with great views at the top. I enjoyed the riding in both places a lot and Hornby would be a great day trip.