The rugged wilderness areas, glaciers, snowfields and mountains of Strathcona Provincial Park require that hikers who wish to venture off maintained trails and away from developed areas be entirely self-sufficient, properly equipped and suitably experienced.

Backpacking routes in Strathcona are not signed or defined in any way, and required orienteering by the group. All trails in Strathcona are closed to mountain bikes and horses.

Strathcona Park is bear and cougar country - these wild animals are potentially dangerous and may be encountered at any time. Prudent hikers will exercise due caution and follow the published Bear Safety and Cougar Safety guides.

As the opportunity for backcountry hiking in Strathcona is endless, we have described two of the recommended hikes. Hikers wishing to challenge the trails of Strathcona should use Hiking Trails lll as their travelling companion. This guide describes approximately 40 trails and routes in Strathcona, providing excellent route maps.

Della Falls
The Della Falls Trail leads Hikers from the head of Great Central Lake to the base of the highest falls in Canada, a 440 metre cascade from Della Lake into the valley of Drinkwater Creek. The trail starts at the campground at the northwestern tip of Great Central Lake and follows an old logging path carved out earlier this century, crossing timber bridges and travelling through second-growth and old-growth forest.

This 16 km trail takes about 7 hours each way (from the trailhead) and is suitable for intermediate level hikers. For Great Central Lake, drive 13 km west of Port Alberni on Highway 4 and, instead of turning towards Sproat Lake, continue on Great Central Lake Road for 8 Km. It takes 20 minutes to the Ark Resort, where you can park for a small fee and take a boat to the Della Falls Trailhead. Allow 3 days for a round trip if using a powerboat, and six days by canoe.

Comox Glacier
The Comox Glacier Trail is a steep trail and alpine route suitable for advanced hikers and mountaineers only. This is a three day hike (9 km) in reasonable weather for strong hikers: one day to the frog pond campsite about 1.5 km along the ridge, a second day to travel light up to the glacier and back to the camp, and a third day to pack out. The route is rough and in places the rock steps can be quite intimidating. Good backpacking gear, maps, a compass, ice axe, ropes and a stove are all essential.

Road access to this area is by very poor logging roads for about 38 km from Courtenay. Local conditions can be checked before embarking on the trip by calling BC Parks or TimberWest. A 4x4 vehicle is essential.

Strathcona Provincial Park was created in 1911 and is the original park in the provincial system, which now numbers over 450 protected sites. At the time, the 544,000 acres (200,000 hectares) seemed like a fabulous amount of land to set aside. It still does, especially to those who like to hike in the middle of the rugged, heavily glaciated Vancouver Island Mountains. The park was created for those who seek adventure in remote wilderness surroundings. It may be easier to reach the trailheads, but the routes still remain as challenging as ever. To really experience the beauty of this park, come prepared to explore the backcountry.

You'll find trailheads at three locations in the park, including those at Great Central Lake for the Della Falls Trail. Hiking routes also originate in the Forbidden Plateau region to the summit of Mount Becher (moderate; 6 miles/10 km return) and to McKenzie Meadows (strenuous; 22 miles/35 km return). Other trails in Forbidden Plateau begin from the Paradise Meadows trailhead on nearby Mount Washington. Forbidden Plateau is located 14 miles (23 km) west of Hwy 19 in Courtenay, via well-marked Mount Washington and Piercy Roads Somewhat gentler, these trails range from a short loop through Paradise Meadows (easy; about 3 miles/4.5 km return) to an extended 5-mile (8-km) loop around Lake Helen McKenzie and Battleship Lake. Much lengthier exploring is possible using Lake Helen Mackenzie and Kwai Lake as a base. The Helen McKenzie-Kwai Lake-Croteau Lake Loop (moderate; 5 miles/8 km return) leads to a series of subalpine lakes in the beautiful alpine amphitheatre of Forbidden Plateau. Farther afield, the Circlet Lake Trail (strenuous; 12 miles/19 km return) leads from Lake Helen McKenzie past Hairtrigger Lake to a wilderness campsite at Circlet Lake. Stunning views of the rugged nearby mountain peaks, as well as the unending string of Coast Mountains to the east on the Lower Mainland, reward hikers for their efforts. Die-hard enthusiasts can hike still farther from Circlet Lake to Moat and Amphitheatre Lakes, eventually reaching the summit of Mount Albert Edward.

More than a dozen more hikes and walks originate from the Buttle Lake area of the park. Trailheads are found at both the north and south ends of the 9-mile (15-km) lake, as well as additional trails that lead off elsewhere around the lake. From the park entrance on Hwy 28, the Elk River Trail (moderate; 13.5 miles/22 km return) leads through the Elk River Valley to aptly named Landslide Lake. Careful of your footing here and on the Crest Mountain Trail (moderate; 6 miles/10 km return), which climbs to a variety of scenic viewpoints farther west. The Crest Mountain trailhead is located on the north side of Hwy 28, about 15 miles (24.5 km) west of Buttle Narrows Bridge.

One of the park's gentler hikes begins at the south end of Buttle Lake and leads to Upper Myra Falls (moderate; 4 miles/6 km return). Don't be fooled by the seemingly short distance. The lower part of this trail crosses a steep hill with sections of loose rock. A series of shorter hikes and walks leads from Hwy 28 to viewpoints at Lady Falls, Elk River, and Lupin Falls. A fascinating look at weathering appears along the Karst Creek Trail (easy; 2.5 miles/4 km return), which begins beside the picnic area on the east side of Buttle Lake. The Wild Ginger and Shepard Creek walking trails originate in the Ralph River Campground.

The hiking opportunities in Strathcona Provincial Park far exceed our capacity here to describe them all. We have provided a short description for each of the following trails:

Hiking trails in Strathcona Provincial Park:

Bedwell Lake Trail
Della Falls Trail
Elk River Trail
Kwai Loop Trail
Landslide Lake Trail
Lupin Falls Nature Walk
Mount Albert Edward Trail
Paradise Meadows Loop
Sawdust Trail

Click for companies that offer Hiking & Backpacking services, or visit our Recreation section for more information on Hiking and Backpacking in British Columbia.

Trail information for Vancouver Island is provided in three superb Hiking Trails guides by the Vancouver Island Trails Information Society. The guidebook Hiking Trails lll will help you discover the joys of hiking Strathcona by providing information on dozens of known trails in the park.