Trip Report: Fairview Bay, Sunshine Coast Trail*
*This trip is in Shishalh Territory.
Overview and Reflection
In mid-June, we went on a short 3-day backpacking trip to Fairview Bay. Fairview Bay is in Shishalh territory on the Sunshine Coast. It is the last stop before the final 7km of the Sunshine Coast Trail. The Sunshine Coast trail goes from the northern tip of the Sunshine Coast at Sarah’s Point, all the way to Saltery Bay.
We chose this route as an achievable short route for our family. We have a 1.5 year old and I was about 25 weeks pregnant at the time. Coming from Gibsons, we wanted something that didn’t have a lot of travel time and allowed for free time with a toddler. We had heard good things about the Fairview Bay campsite and felt it was the right trip at the right time for us.
Overall, this trip was a gem for us. The hiking was beautiful, although very strenuous with our heavy backpacks due to the need to carry our toddler most of the way. The trail was well maintained and quite scenic. The campsites were spacious and fun to explore. (More info on the trip specifics below). Our trip was filled with coastal magic: rain, sun, ocean, turning over rocks, looking for salmonberries, watching a bear scurry away. It was extra special for us, as our last backpacking trip before we have two kidlets to keep track of.
Every trip is always filled with reflection and learning and this trip for us helped us get clear on the WHY of outdoor adventure at this stage in our family life. With a toddler and a baby on the way, the trip allowed us to reflect on what types of goals make sense on family trips.
Being outside with our toddler is a magical experience. He likes to touch and say hi to trees, he likes to explore moss and sticks and throw rocks. Things he doesn’t like: being in the backpack. Some people have toddlers that are happy to watch the world from their perch for hours and let themselves be soothed by the rhythm of being carried by their parents - not our kiddo. So, after about an hour of being in the bag, he wanted to walk. I felt torn when pushing him along the trail or letting him cry in the backpack because we had an objective (getting to camp) and he just wanted to immerse himself in nature. While there are times where kiddos just need to experience hard things for an adult agenda, I felt our balance was off on this trip. This was great for us to reflect on because our next trip allowed for much more play time and we were all a little happier. That being said, we’re still glad we pushed ourselves on this trip and got to experience a beautiful place.
Detailed Trip Report
Day 1: Saltery Bay -> Fairview Bay (7km, 22om elevation gain)
Day 2: Day hike to Rainy Day Lake (7km, 560m elevation gain round trip)
Day 3: Fairview Bay -> Rainy Day Lake (6km, 120m elevation gain, alternate route back)
Our first day we left Gibsons in the morning and started hiking at around 1:30pm at the trailhead of the Sunshine Coast Trail. It is possible to walk to the trailhead from the ferry terminal; it is only about an extra kilometer. We brought our car, just so that we had a car for transport if we needed it. Traveling with a toddler leads to our risk tolerance being much lower and making decisions such as that.
The trail from the trailhead to Fairview Bay is beautiful. There are some gorgeous coastal sections, and forest sections filled with moss and big ferns. We enjoyed it immensely. While the overall elevation gain of the day was not huge, we found that there was a lot of consistent up and down. We all had very heavy packs; I was carrying our toddler in a hiking backpack, plus gear and baby bump, and my husband was carrying the majority of our gear. The last few kilometers to Fairview Bay felt challenging as our toddler was also very unhappy at that point; he wanted to walk but we didn’t let him because we wanted to get to camp.
The campsite at Fairview Bay was lovely. There is a hut there, which was closed due to Covid, but it and the outhouse were in good condition. Water was a bit of a walk down the trail, but well worth it to get to the bubbling stream. If it has rained recently, there is also a healthy stream that runs through camp. The beach is a classic coastal beach - open with lots of slippery, seaweedy rocks. It’s great for exploration, but definitely supervised, for those with kids. There’s a bear cache and some additional tent spots down closer to the beach.
The second day we did a day trip up to Rainy Day Lake. This is a steep climb but a beautiful forest. The swimming in Rainy Day Lake was refreshing and it was worth the trip. We were glad not to have our full packs as we were climbing up to the lake, but it looks like a great place to camp and there is an open shelter there, as well.
Finally on our third day we returned from Fairview Bay to Saltery Bay. Due to timing we cut the hike a little bit shorter by hiking along the power lines. The advantage of this was a quicker, easier hike back and there were many salmonberries to be grazed on along the way. However, we were definitely in bear territory. We made lots of noise and kept our pace through that area to try and minimize our impact and stay safe.
We got back to the Saltery Bay ferry in good time to have a snack and watch the ferry roll in. Overall, I recommend this route as an easy and rewarding 3-day trip. No reservations need to be made but if you have a large group I recommend getting to camp relatively early.
Resources:
Here is the Sunshine Coast Trial website and where you can make donations.
Here is the Shishalh Nation website for more info.
Free download of pre-trip packing list by signing up for Wonder Outdoor School newsletter.
