Here’s the trail with the best view on Quadra Island:

 Climb the Beeches Mountain Trail to the summit and on the way back down to the car, pop up to Chinese Mountains South peak and then climb the trail to the north peak. What views! And you should love the beneficial exercise gained by plugging away up these steep trails. The trails are in excellent condition and during fine weather there are usually hikers on them. These two photos below were taken looking northeast and southeast from Beeches Mountain’s 1st summit, on 30th June, 2023.

Come share Quadra’s lovely island hiking trails, native fauna, and scenery with all of Quadra’s visitors and residents. Generally Quadra Island provides easy, safe hiking and outdoors activities, but if you are new to the island or if you are not very experienced in the island’s outdoors you should read this page carefully.

We do our best to clear, mark, and bridge our trails, all with volunteer effort through the Quadra Island Trails Committee, and we have tourists from around the world hiking these trails every summer and telling us year after year how impressed they are with their Quadra Island hiking experiences. However, occasionally hikers become lost and require rescuing. This page of the website is designed to help avoid problems when hiking Quadra’s trails.

An excellent source for Quadra’s trails on an online map website is:  GaiaGPS  (click on link below)

https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.5/-125.1882/50.0643&layer=GaiaTopoRasterMeters

 

Remember to prepare well for your hike, take plenty of warm clothing, water and food, a cell phone and/or locator beacon are advised, and a small compass as a back-up is also advisable. And if you have any doubts, and for further insurance, ask locals who know these trails about each trail before you hike it. There are cougars, wolves, and black bears on this island so please keep you dog on a leash for its own safety and do not let it run free as it will be there one minute and may vanish into a predator’s tummy the next minute if it’s running free ahead of you. Small children too should not be allowed to run ahead of adults on trails, at all, as this is typically when cougar attacks occur, in front of adults. Cats and small dogs are vulnerable to the many eagles and other predators on the island which can snatch them in a flash if you do not control your small pet very closely.

Camping in non-residential wilderness areas outside of campgrounds is permitted on Quadra provided you keep your campsite clean and leave no litter or other imprints behind you, so that others can enjoy the wilderness after you. Be warned that every summer there is a total ban on all open fires and this must be strictly observed, thank you. The fine for having an open fire during the ban is very severe.

Quadra Island lies across Discovery Passage beside Campbell River, Vancouver Island, and is about 26 miles long and averages about three miles wide. Quadra is heavily forested, and in places is very rugged, with mountains up to 2,000′ high. On the island are numerous well-kept forest trails and forest walks, some near the residential areas and others back in the wilderness where you might see wolf, cougar, or black bear; as well as beaver, mink, otter, and black-tail deer. The views east from Quadra are spectacular as the large photo shows, and many trails have viewpoints east and west. There are some jewels of small and medium lakes on Quadra too; some high up, and other down near roads. The purpose of this website is to give descriptions of Quadra’s trails so that people can access the information online before deciding to hike any particular trail.

Although Quadra is a relatively small island, make no mistake, people do get lost on the trails here; and the terrain is deadly rugged in places with many hidden cliffs, bluffs, and impossible undergrowth.

ABOVE:    In November 2018, two middle-age women went for a one-hour afternoon walk up an old trail near Mine Lake and became lost. They then had to survive TWO wet nights out in the open before they were, very fortunately, rescued. The search involved many resources including aircraft, vehicles, and many searchers. The two women found a dry spot under a tree and stayed put until they were found.

Some hikers these days carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) (as shown below) which usually greatly reduces the time taken for searchers to locate the lost or injuries parties.  These beacons work anywhere on Earth and send a signal out to satellites which is then beamed down to tracking stations which then alert Search & Rescue and give them your exact location to within ten feet. Rescue often happens within a few hours of activating the beacon. These beacons cost between $350 and $500 depending on the model and the retailer. They can be used in boats as well as on land. Some hikers carry a cell phone and a personal locator beacon.

For safety, stay on the trails and if you think you are lost, stop immediately, until you are totally calm, and then carefully and slowly backtrack a little way at a time, until you know you are back on the correct trail. Or, stay put as soon as you realize you are lost, and await help via your cell phone calls or locator beacon activation. If you have a cell phone, or locator beacon such as a Spot or ARC, and you are wary of trying to backtrack to the trail, then call for help. Be aware that cellphone coverage is non-existent on certain trails and on certain parts of the island. See each trail’s page on this site for cellphone coverage on that trail. Basically, if there is any slope or rock face between you and Campbell River township, you will not receive cell coverage. You must have a clear line across from your position to Campbell River to receive cell coverage. Heriot Bay has no reception, for example.

Hikers who have become lost on Quadra’s trails have used cell phones to alert rescuers and effect their rescues. The best alternate device to a cellphone is a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), (SPOT is just one type of PLB,) which will bring rescuers to places where there is no cell phone reception. There is basically no cellphone reception on Quadra Island’s east side, although some cellphone providers may be supplying it in due course. Carry both cellphone AND beacon to be as safe as possible.

Plan your hike carefully, take food and water, extra clothes especially a raincoat no matter what the weather condition is when you start out, and it is advisable to tell someone exactly where you will be hiking and when you expect to return.

Quadra Island GENERAL OUTDOORS INFORMATION:
The forest on Quadra comprises mainly fir, but commonly includes western red cedar, sitka spruce, western hemlock, a few arbutus near the ocean, and much alder at lower levels especially on recently cleared areas. Shore pine (also called ‘scrub pine’ and ‘lodge-pole pine’) is especially common around coastal areas and inland around rocky bluffs. Other native shrubs and small trees include nine-bark, Saskatoon, arrow-wood, holly, salmonberry, and huckleberry.

As you gain elevation on Quadra the vegetation changes slightly. Up at the Lily Pond and around Nugedzi lake, which are both 1400 feet above sea level, you find juniper bushes and Labrador tea bushes. These only grow at this altitude or higher.

Many of the streams on Quadra hold good drinking water, but be wary of stagnant water and slower moving streams, especially during warm weather and especially if there has been no heavy rain for a while, or if there are any signs of wildlife such as beaver in the water. Giardia is present in Quadra’s stream water in places, as there are beaver and deer here among other wildlife. Smaller and swift streams, especially ones coming from out of the ground are generally safe to drink at all times.

Beware of tick bites, as Lyme disease is present on Quadra and surrounding islands, although is not common. If you are bitten by a tick and are unsure of Lyme disease symptoms, please carefully research online or visit a doctor, as the correct antibiotic taken as soon as possible can save you huge amounts of suffering and many doctors visits. Lyme disease is rare but is a particularly nasty problem to contract. For protection against tick bites wear long pants and long-sleeved shirt, and avoid bashing through heavy scrub, where ticks can drop onto you. Stay on the trails.

Also beware of wasps nests, which appear every summer, sometimes right on or very near trails, and can be the size of a basket ball, and can be quite dangerous if disturbed. If you disturb a wasps’ nest you will probably be stung once or twice, and then hear the angry mass-buzzing from the nest, and realize what is happening, and then you must run fast away from the spot. Be sure to move away very fast from the buzzing, to minimize the number of stings you get.

 

In July, 2019, a young man in Parksville on Vancouver Island died from rabies after a bat flew into him during daylight hours. It hit his hand and must have inflicted a tiny scratch or bite, as, by the time he went to a doctor it was too late for the vaccine to work and he died. Had he got to a hospital immediately after contact with the bat he may have saved his life by taking the vaccine. We have bats on Quadra and if you ever see one acting as if it has been injured or is dead, or if you see one during broad daylight, or seemingly doing unusual things, be very wary of it, and under no circumstances touch it. Only one bat out of every 100 is likely to carry rabies, and bats are the only animals in BC to carry rabies, according to CBC. Raccoons too may carry rabies in BC.

If you are camping or hiking do not leave food or possessions lying around in the open as this can attract wildlife such as bears; and gulls, ravens, and crows will steal things from under your nose and are especially adept at thieving from boats, even going inside the cabin to steal things.

There are a few black bears on Quadra, but they are rarely seen and like to raid ripe fruit trees during late summer and autumn.

In June of 2021 a grizzly bear began killing livestock on Quadra’s south end farms and had to be destroyed by government officers. In 2015 another grizzly bear had to be destroyed at Morte Lake because it was frequenting the popular hiking trail there. Grizzlies are not usually found on Quadra Island, they are usually found only on the mainland which is about five miles from Quadra Island.

 

Native wild animals here comprise wolves, cougars, black bears and an occasional grizzly bear. Also, river otters swim in the ocean and in streams here; as do mink. Also raccoons, red squirrels, black-tailed deer (a sub-species of mule deer), deer mice, and bats. Feral cats are seen from time to time but there is a group of volunteers who catch these cats and find good homes for them.

Birds found here include kingfishers, bald eagles, towhees, winter wrens, robins, varying thrushes, song sparrows, night hawks, up to 12 owl species, and turkey vultures and several types of hawks in summer.  Common water birds include the great blue heron, the loon, mergansers, scooters, scaups, wood-ducks, mallards, geese, cormorants, shags, gulls, and terns.

Native reptiles and amphibians include salamanders, orange-bellied newts, alligator skinks, garter snakes, tree frogs(which sing loudly) during spring nights), and red-legged frogs.

If you encounter dangerous wildlife on Quadra, such as an aggressive bear or cougar, or, if you see someone polluting the environment or the ocean, or poaching wildlife, please report it to the Wildlife Service hotline: phone 1-877-952-7277, 24 hours daily, seven days per week. To report illegal dumping of garbage please phone 1-800-331-6007.

To report a forest fire, please phone 1-800-663-5555. For seasonal fire ban information phone 1-800-336-7378.

For any emergency requiring ambulance, police or fire please phone 911.

IF YOU TAKE A DOG ON ANY OF QUADRA’S TRAILS THE DOG SHOULD BE KEPT STRICTLY ON A LEASH, TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH WILDLIFE AND WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IT IS MAINLY FOR THE DOG’S PROTECTION, AS NUMEROUS DOGS HAVE BEEN PREYED UPON BY WOLVES, COUGARS, AND POSSIBLY BEARS over the years here on Quadra. If you take a dog into the forest on Quadra, anywhere on the island, in remote areas or on forested trails close beside residential areas, always keep your dog on a leash. There are cougars, wolves, and bears which will prey on dogs and sometimes it happens so quickly and so silently that, one second the dog is there, and in the next second the dog has disappeared, never to be seen again.

Here is an actual example of why you should always keep your dog leashed while walking in Quadra Island’s forest.  Lost on 10th November 2022, as posted on various Facebook Quadra Groups. Extensive searching by numerous people for this dog over the next few days did eventually find the dog alive and well, and it went home with its owners.

Quadra Island’s glaciated, rugged terrain is fascinating and dramatic, and the vast areas of rock are mostly basalt and granite rock. As you can see in the picture below there are fractures, open faults, cliffs, and steep drops all over Quadra’s wilderness areas. Tread carefully if you are exploring unused parts of this wildernesses.

If you feel that you can assist with building this website, with maps, photographs, and/or trail descriptions, or improved versions of current descriptions please forward them to the administration (alpinewriting@gmail.com) and they will be reviewed and maybe used on this site.

 

Sometimes it’s the smaller things that are more-interesting. Here is a clump of juniper bushes bearing their berries, at the end of the Lily Pond Trail where there is a good lookout point. Juniper berries are essential in making gin. They are also used in cooking. On Quadra and in Canada generally juniper bushes grow only above 1400′ elevation.

Generally Quadra Island provides easy, safe hiking and outdoors activities. But, never underestimate Mother Nature, and go prepared.

MOUNTAIN BIKING and TRAILS MAPS

For trails maps please go to our Trails Maps Page, which links to the Quadra Island Mountain biking map.

For an up-to-date and easy-to-use streets and roads map of Quadra Island, please open and/or download the free pdf map below, produced late in 2020. It will help you find your way around Quadra’s streets and roads.

Quadra Streets Map. updated in January, 2024.

Quadra Streets Map. 2024. pdf

This website was begun in 2014 by Greg Ross, a volunteer with the Quadra Island Trails Committee. Since 2016, two Quadra residents Mark Lasby and Greg Ross have been running this website which is financed by Mark Lasby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                

      this page was updated on 29th., January, 2024.