HIKING TRAILS NEAR SANDY HOOK
** Level of difficulty of each trail is measured on a Grade 1 to Grade 5 scale.
1 being the Easiest and 5 Being for experienced Hikers and Backcountry persons only.
1. SECHELT HERITAGE FOREST
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: 1
LENGTH/TIME: A few minutes
HIGHLIGHTS: A second growth hemlock forest with some big, old, red cedars. Much evidence of woodpecker activity. The west trailhead is well marked with signposts. The main trail leads to a yellow cedar bridge over Deerfern Streamlet and the Ancient Cedar (600-1000 years) which has survived two attempts to fall, but still lives on. The east
trailhead has no signposts to date. It leads to the Christmas Tree Farm under the power lines and loops left uphill to the gravel road then goes west to return to Sechelt Inlet Road.
ACCESS: At the main traffic light in Sechelt turn right onto Wharf Road and then right after 600 meters to Sechelt Inlet Road. Follow Sechelt Inlet Road for 6 kilometers to the head of the trail marked along this road.
OR from within Sandy Hook – see Map and entrance from Bob Road (off Skookumchuk) and Field Road (end of Mt. Richardson)
TERRIAN: Easy, well-marked trails BUT SEE FULL MAP AND HISTORY ON
WEBPAGE.
2. HIDDEN GROVE TRAIL
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: 2
LENGTH/TIME: 25 min
HIGHLIGHTS: The trail begins with easy walking in second growth past fire-scarred veterans, and ends in majestic old growth fir and cedars. The Maple Wetland trail loops through lush ferns in a boggy zone thought to be the headwaters of Davis Brook and within sight of tall maples. The viewpoint begins easily from the Wetland Loop then rises steeply up a rock-lined draw toward a view of Sechelt through the tops of old growth fir, arbutus, and pine. A short trail from the Grove leads uphill between rocky bluffs, to regard the 27-foot circumference Douglas fir. SEE FULL MAP ON WEBPAGE.
ACCESS: From the Sunshine Coast Highway 101, turn right at the main traffic light intersecting Wharf Avenue. Turn right again at the four way stop at Wharf Avenue and Sechelt Inlet Road. Continue along Sechelt Inlet Rood for 6.6 kilometers to Sandy Hook Road. Park here and look for the Hidden Grove sign on the right hand side of the road. The trail begins here.
OR from Sandy Hook just walk towards town from the mailboxes at the turnoff and see the sign across the road.
3. GRAY CREEK TRAIL
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: 2
LENGTH/TIME: 600 meters 30 minutes, round trip.
HIGHLIGHTS: A short trail alongside the golden waters of Gray Creek - one of the major creeks on the Sunshine Coast.
ACCESS: At the traffic light in Sechelt turn north on Wharf Road and after 500 meters, right onto East Porpoise Bay Road. Follow this road past Porpoise Bay Provincial Park to the Gray Creek bridge at 9.4 kilometers from the traffic light, or 4.5 kilometers past Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. Park on the wide gravel area beside the creek.