Route Description
Langdale Ferry Terminal to Gibsons (5 km)
Your first stop on the Sunshine Coast loop is Horseshoe Bay ferry
terminal. Ferries leave every two hours for Langdale on the Sunshine Coast (see
ferry schedules under Other Information). The ferry ride is 40 minutes and
crosses Howe Sound, surrounded by the snow covered peaks of the coast
mountains. If you miss the ferry, there are numerous restaurants and coffee
shops in Horseshoe Bay. Particularly good is Ya-Ya’s Oyster Bar (although maybe
not if you’re coming first thing in the morning). Food on the ferry is also not
so bad these days – it seems to have improved from the dark days of the
sunshine breakfast.
When you arrive at Langdale, bikes will probably unload first
(unless you were very late getting on the ferry). I would strongly recommend
waiting 5 minutes in the terminal for the ferry traffic to unload and get ahead
of you. Otherwise you’ll have cars passing you every few seconds on a fairly
narrow road into Gibsons. Once the ferry traffic is gone, the road is very
quiet. From the terminal, take a left and follow Marine Drive along the water
into lower Gibsons. The main highway goes straight and bypasses the village.
It’s 5 km into Gibsons Landing, passing through Hopkins landing and Grantham’s
Landing. In the first half of the 20th century these small
collections of houses and cottages used to be holiday destinations for wealthy
Vancouverites who would bring the family up for the summer. Today they are
mostly occupied by full time residents, although some are still summer homes.
Gibsons Landing is the home of the Beachcombers, and Molly’s Reach
is still the most famous landmark, more than 20 years after the show went off
the air. Gibsons has a number of other cafes, restaurants, and shops, and there
is a new wharf which makes a nice place from which to view the picturesque
harbour.
Gibsons to Sechelt (27 km)
From Molly’s Reach, follow Gower Point Rd. past Winegarden/Holland
Park. By the park you’ll find a water fountain where you can fill up your water
bottles. Gibsons has some of the best tasting municipal water around, and
people actually come from other parts of the Coast to fill up at the public
tap! At the end of the park turn right on Winn for one block, and then go left
on South Fletcher. This will eventually turn into Gower Point Rd. again.
Continue along Gower Point as it winds its way through the Arbutus trees past
Gospel Rock. The rock itself, jutting out into the straight, makes a nice viewpoint.
After you round the point, about 3 km from Gibsons, turn right on Pratt Rd
(continuing to the end of Gower Point is a nice cycle and will take you to some
nice beaches, but it’s a dead end). Follow Pratt until you reach the highway,
where you’ll turn left. At this point you have to cycle on the highway for a
bit, but the shoulders are good. About 3 km down the highway, look for Lower
Road on your left. Take this and follow it 6 km to Roberts Creek.
Roberts Creek has a small grocery store and some shops, as well as
one of the funkiest restaurants on the Coast, the Gumboot Café. This is a good
place to stop if you need a meal, with lots of veggie and organic options.
Roberts Creek is also hippy central for the Coast, which will be quickly
apparent by the amount of dreadlocks around. There’s a nice beach at the end of
the road.
From the Gumboot, turn left and then right onto Beach Ave. Follow
this for about 2 km until you reach Roberts Creek Park (the waterfront part –
Roberts Creek Park also includes a campground up on the highway). Turn right on
Flume Rd. to return to the highway.
Once back on the highway, there are unfortunately no more side
roads between here and Sechelt. But the shoulder is generally not too bad. On
the way to Sechelt you’ll pass Roberts Creek Provincial campground and Wilson
Creek, an area of shops and services. Just beyond Wilson Creek is Davis Bay, a
community with a decidedly beachfront holiday feel to it. When the tide is out
the beach is nice for swimming and walking, with some sandy sections. After
Davis Bay you climb up a bit of a hill before coasting down into Sechelt. As
you come into Sechelt, you’ll see the Construction Aggregates gravel pit, one
of the largest in the world. It’s a bit ugly, but is a major source of income
for the Sechelt First Nation, who own and operate it.
Sechelt is the largest town on the Sunshine Coast. It’s not as
quaint as some of the others, but it has lots of services and is a good place
to stock up on supplies, as the rest of the coast is considerably less
populated. You can camp here at Porpoise Bay Provincial Park, about 7 km up the
road (see Side Trips).
Sechelt to Pender Harbour (38 km)
From Sechelt, continue on the highway, which will have much less
traffic on it now. After 7 km, turn left onto Redroofs Rd. This detour will
take you through Sargent Bay Provincial Park and Coopers Green Park, but
neither have camping. You’ll come back to the highway after about 11 km. Just
before you rejoin the highway, a side road leads to the Halfmoon Bay store,
where you can get groceries, liquor, and pizza.
After rejoining the highway, its about 1 km to Brooks Rd., the
turnoff to Smuggler Cove Marine Park (see Side Trips). This is a camping option
if you need it, although its 5km down the road and a 2 km trail through the
park.
2 km after Brooks Rd. there is a small sign for the Suncoaster Trail.
You can bypass about 20 km of highway by taking this trail to where it rejoins
the highway 4 km past Madeira Park. But be forewarned, it’s fairly rough
logging road and has quite a bit of up and down. You’ll need mountain bikes,
and with full panniers it will be heavy going. The trailhead is about 1.5 km up
the road from the turnoff sign.
4 km past Brooks Rd., turn left on Mercer Rd. This is a short
detour that takes you past Secret Cove, with some nice views and a couple of
resorts where you can stop for a drink. The road rejoins the highway after
about 4 km. From here to the ferry at Earl’s Cove you’ll be cycling on the
highway, but traffic is generally light.
Pender Harbour to Earle’s Cove Ferry Terminal (17 km)
Pender Harbour is actually made up of the communities of Madeira
Park, Irvines landing, and Garden Bay. It’s a beautiful area of lakes, inlets,
bays, and islands. Madeira Park is the centre of things, with a full grocery
store, shops, and restaurants. There are a couple of RV parks where you can
camp. Stock up on groceries here, as the next good grocery store will be in Powell
River.
Continuing along the highway, it’s about 6 km to Garden Bay Rd.
This detour will take you to Garden Bay and Irvine’s Landing. This is a very
nice area to ride, with lots of lakes and some restaurants and pubs at the end.
But it’s about 7 km one-way, and you will need to return the same way to get
back on the highway. This is also the way to Katherine Lake Park campground.
Continuing on the highway, you’ll pass the Pender Harbour Golf
Club, and then later the Ruby Lake resort. Although a bit pricey, this would
make a great place to stay if you’re not camping. The restaurant is said to be
excellent. After the resort, you follow Ruby Lake until just before the ferry
terminal. Shortly before the ferry is the turnoff to Egmont and Skookumchuk
Narrows. There’s not much in Egmont, although there is a general store and
Marina. But if you have time and the tides are cooperating, it’s worth the
detour to see Skookumchuk Narrows, one of the fastest tidal rapids in the world
(see Side Trips). Egmont is about 5 km off the highway, with the narrows a 2 km
trail beyond. A new visitor centre is
being planned for Skookumchuk, opening in 200x.
Saltery Bay to Powell River (31 km)
After getting off the ferry at Saltery Bay, I recommend waiting to
let the traffic go by before starting on your way to Powell River. The route
follows the highway, so if you’re ahead of the traffic you’ll have a couple of
hundred cars passing you for the first 15 minutes. If you wait you’ll have the
road to yourself. The highway has a good shoulder most of the way, and is easy
cycling. About one km from the ferry is Saltery Bay Provincial Park campground.
Two km further is the day use area for the same park, with a beach for swimming.
There are numerous other accommodations along the way, including campgrounds,
motels, and B&Bs.
Powell River is a major centre, with about 15,000 people and all
services. Most of the services are in Westview, to the south, while the
original townsite is a National Heritage District, as well as the site of the
pulp mill. From here you can catch ferries to Texada Island, or to Comox on
Vancouver Island. The area around Powell River is a goldmine of recreation
opportunities, in particular for diving and kayaking/canoeing. The Powell River
canoe route connects 8 lakes over 57 km, while Desolation Sound provides
spectacular sea kayaking.
North of Powell River the highway continues for another 25 km until
its end in Lund. Lund is a small, but quaint, fishing and tourism centre, with
the historic Lund Hotel, as well as some restaurants. From here you can take a
water taxi to Savary Island.