Hello, wise ones

In late September, we will have a few free days at the end of a supported tour. We are keen on exploring a corner of Vancouver Island, specifically between Nanaimo and Victoria. 

Logistically, it seems very possible.  There's a Vancouver bike shop offering hard tails with racks, and panniers for extra cost. We envisage cycling to Horseshoe Bay, ferrying to Nanaimo and then making our way to Victoria (specifically to Clover Point) and  then biking up to Swartz Bay for the return trip to Vancouver and flight home.

The Butchart Gardens are on my list. What else ? Shawnigan Lake? East Sooke Regional Park? Off-road trails? We will have 5 full days so there's room for meandering.

I expect that Islanders will still  be sensibly touring somewhere warmer in late Sept, but we're hoping for some reasonable autumn weather.

You’ll no doubt get a deluge of information from the local experts, but here’s another point of view you could consider.  If it were me and I had the time I’d stretch my window, stay longer, and include the loop from Victoria west along the coast to Sooke and Port Renfrew and then back through the interior to Lake Cowichan.  Here’s what it looked like 6 years ago, when we’re part of what I still think is the largest CB meetup to date: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/victoria2019/

Thanks, Scott. Unfortunately we have confirmed flights either side of these five days. But coming back to BC  is definitely a possibility.

You journal will make  interesting reading.

Hi Robyn, your question tweaked our interest, since we live right in the middle of your proposed cycling area. Let us begin by saying that we will be home in late September, have a spare room, and could even guide you around our local area a bit. We are also not beyond organizing a Cycleblaze meetup, with some of the Victoria CB folks.

Our initial reaction is that Butchart Gardens (and nearby Butterfly World), downtown Victoria and Fisherman's Wharf, the Lochside Trail/Galloping Goose Trail, Cowichan Bay village, the Mill Bay ferry, the Cowichan Valley Trail and Lake Cowichan village are all worthy things to include in an itinerary (though I have listed them randomly, not as one would cycle to them.) Although you did not mention it, cycling the Gulf Islands is also a fine idea.

A couple of our blogs could be worth looking at. The Grampies' World Class Local Tour (https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/worldclass/) includes Nanaimo to Cobble Hill, and Grampies Fall for the Islands is one of ours that covers going to Gulf Islands in Fall: (https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/gulf/)

We could help you more with routes and advice, and to arrange a place for you at the farm. Try us on shadybrook at shaw dot ca !

Not to intrude on Robyn's question, may we interject here?  We are planning for a SanJuan and Vancouver Island tour also in the fall. We've checked out your journal, (and the Anderson's) thanks for the information.

We would most likely want to camp more than staying in B&B or hotels. What can you tell us about how easy it is to find campgrounds, and is there free camping opportunities or hiker/biker areas in the campgrounds.

Thank you

Hi RacPat! We are not very up on camping these days, but could research it a bit, preferably when we get home. We do think BC has a reservation system for its sites.

Of course you need to stay with us when you are nearby! Also there is Barry and MaryEllen Bartlett on Salt Spring Island. They may also know about camping.

Oh, also Sue and Jim Price in Nanaimo.

Thanks for the information and more contacts to make.

Racpat.

There are only two campgrounds I know of in BC that offer hiker/biker areas:  Porpoise Bay Provincial Park near Sechelt (on the mainland) and Sooke Potholes Regional Park near Sooke (near the end of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail).  The other good bet is Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island, which doesn't have a designated hiker/biker area but has "approximately 78" walk-in sites and only 8 vehicle-accessible sites.  We stayed at both Ruckle and Sooke Potholes in 2020 and I stayed at Porpoise Bay and some other parks in 2014 (I repeated much of this in 2019 with Al but didn't document it).

Most provincial park campgrounds in BC offer reservations--the problem is that you usually need to book 4 months in advance, booking opens at 7 a.m. and sites at popular parks (within half a day's drive of Vancouver or in the Okanagan) are often gone by 7:01 for summer dates.  There are also first-come, first-served sites at many parks but they are often taken by 11 a.m. (checkout time).  Perhaps I'm a bit jaded...  We tried to do another trip in 2021, which was to include a night or two camping on Galiano Island (Montague Harbour Marine Park) but had to cancel twice due to Covid travel bans and then couldn't get another booking.  Accommodation on the Gulf Islands can be tricky and we didn't want to get caught with nowhere to stay.

As for free camping, I've only done it on kayak trips.  You can find some information here.  I wouldn't count on free/wild camping close to Vancouver or southern Vancouver Island.

You should also be aware that the ferry between the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island has been out of service for a few years and isn't anticipated to return before 2030.

Wow, good to know about the ferries between San Juan Island and Vanacouver! There's no ferry from Victoria to Friday Harbor?

That puts a wrinkle in the route we were planning.

Appreciate all the information. Thank you

Hi Robyn!

We are in North Vancouver, very near the north end of the Lions Gate Bridge, and can have a guest room if wanted/needed.  At the very least I'd like to ride out to Horseshoe Bay with you!  September is one of the months we like to be here.  

Five days can get eaten up quickly if you want to allow time for sightseeing.  One idea is Vancouver to Duncan (or further to Cobble Hill where the Grampies live) would be a day; another day to Port Renfrew, a third day to Sooke, a day to Victoria/Butchart Gardens, and fifth day to return to Vancouver.  Alternatively, you could ride bits of the Cowichan Valley 8 or South Island Sundowner bikepacking routes.  The Cowichan 8 is on my list but I haven't looked into accommodation/camping.  Free/wild camping is not permitted.