Mayne Island … our favourite so far

panoramic view from the summit of Halliday Ridge Trail, showing water off in the distance, trees, mountains across the water, and fluffy clouds in a blue sky

View from Halliday Ridge Trail

In May, we spent five glorious days on Mayne Island. We hiked four trails and rode our bikes twice, strolled through a Japanese garden, and saw black-tailed deer, driftwood sculptures, and much stunning scenery. We’re agreed that Mayne is the most beautiful of the Gulf Islands we’ve been to.

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I’ll let my photos prove it.

tree with a moss-covered sign nailed to it saying "Giant Arbutus" in the middle of a forest

Day 1: “Giant Arbutus” is the name of a trail, not this tree, in Mount Parke Regional Park.

steps leading upwards in the middle of a forestrailing next to the landing between sets of steps with "Love Yourself" carved into the wood

Halliday Ridge Trail includes some steep climbing … lots of steps … and motivational messaging.

stunning view from a trail summit of mountains on a distant island, water in the middle ground, and trees and shrubs in the foreground


another stunning view of distant islands with mountains, water in the middle view, and the lower part of the cape, covered in evergreens and green fields, taken from the summit of a trail

The views from the summit rewarded our efforts.

a fallen arbutus tree trunk, jutting over a trail, with trees and grasses surrounding them.

An actual arbutus trunk, though clearly past its prime

view of Bennett Bay and a distant island, taken from the patio of the restaurant, with a table in the foreground

View from Bennet Bay Bistro during a well-earned dinner

white lighthouse with a red roof in the middle of a green lawn, with a tree on either side and water in the background.

Day 2: We cycled to Georgina Point Heritage Park and Lighthouse under cloudy skies, with a few drops of rain.

rocky beach with a bay behind it and a hill covered in trees in the background

Day 3: Kadonaga Bay in St. John’s Point Regional Park …

view between the trees of wind-tossed waters and a distant island

… where 70- to 90-kilometre wind warnings were in effect. No better time for a cliffside hike!

view between trees of calm waters and a distant island

The sheltered return trail, where we could still hear the wind battering the opposite side of the cape

The birds were quite loud, but almost drowned out by the wind (turn sound on).

trail leading off into the distance between trees and green grass

The last stretch of St. John’s Point Regional Park trail; you’d never know a windstorm
was raging less than a kilometre away (Mayne Island lost power for 26 hours).

black-tailed deer staring straight into the camera, while its companion munches away on downed branches behind it

Day 4: At the end of the day spent cycling and hiking Mount Parke Regional Park again,
a couple of brazen black-tailed deer dropped by our cabin at suppertime …

… completely unfazed by being videotaped.

set of steep stairs leading upwards in a trailset of steep stairs leading downward in a trail

Day 5: One last hike in Henderson Park, straight uphill on Vulture Ridge Trail.
Mr. Fluffster made it to the top, but I turned back early … too many steps … too hot.

pink spruce buds on a treewalkway through a Japanese Garden, with a small bridge in the distance

After lunch on our last day, a Japanese Garden …

driftwood sculpture of a horse on a lawndriftwood sculpture of a horse in mid-jump over rocks

… several driftwood horse sculptures on the lawn of a riding stable …

driftwood sculpture of a seal, perched on a rock, in front of green fields and roads running through a park behind it

… plus a seal guarding the park across the street.

Next up, Texada Island in September.

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Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

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