Salt Spring Island is the largest and most populous of the Southern Gulf Islands with about 11,600 residents. It’s easy to access by ferry from Vancouver or Victoria, but unless you are a fit cyclist willing to tackle lots of hills, it’s best to have a car to get around.
The bustling town of Ganges is the heart of the island with grocery stores, boutiques, and a popular farmers market on Saturdays that features local produce, food, and artisan crafts.
Popular Ruckle Provincial Park is located at the southeastern end of the island. It’s home to a gorgeous walk-in campground and oceanfront hiking trails. You’ll find Burgoyne Bay (Xwaaqw'um) Provincial Park on the west side of Salt Spring Island. It has lots of hiking trails in former farmland, along the ocean, and on nearby bluffs.
Salt Spring is also the most mountainous of the Southern Gulf Islands with hiking trails leading to the top of 448-meter-high Mount Erskine, 602-meter-high Baynes Peak (also known as Mount Maxwell), and 709-meter-high Bruce Peak. Some of the shorter peaks, like Reginald Hill (240m) also have incredible views.
Many other hiking trails crisscross the island, taking you to isolated beaches, ridgetop viewpoints, and lush rainforest.
Hiking Trails
Trail Details
Channel Ridge South Trail
Located on Salt Spring Island, the Channel Ridge South Trail offers a scenic forested walk with slightly overgrown views of St. Mary Lake.
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Chris Hatfield Trail
Located on Salt Spring Island, the Chris Hatfield Trail is a scenic hiking route that passes through a lush forest to Yeo Point, offering coastal views of the Southern Gulf region.
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Mount Erskine
Mount Erksine Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island has several viewpoints looking west towards Vancouver Island and further north towards Penelakut Island.
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Mount Maxwell from Armand Way
Mount Maxwell Provincial Park is located on Salt Spring Island and the hike from Armand Way to Baynes Peak offers scenic views as you pass through a beautiful west coast rainforest.
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Mount Maxwell from Burgoyne Bay
Located on Salt Spring Island, the hike to Mount Maxwell from Burgoyne Bay passes a few viewpoints before reaching the top at Baynes Peak.
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Ruckle Loop
Located in Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island, the short Ruckle Loop takes you to a scenic view of Swanson Channel offering beautiful Pacific Northwest coastal views.
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Yeo Point
Located on Salt Spring Island, the hike to Yeo point begins in Beaver Point Provincial Park before following the scenic coastline through Ruckle Provincial Park.
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