Located on Page Lagoon, Piper's Lagoon Regional Park offers excellent kayaking, hiking and beach combing.
A 300 metre man made causeway leads to a small forested island; at the end of the causeway you are faced with a rocky climb to the start of the island's 4 km circular trail system. The trail borders very close to 50 metre bluffs, and can be very slippery on wet and windy days.
At low tides, Shack Island is accessible across a muddy flat that is interspersed with oyster and barnacle-encrusted rocks, and liberally coated with sea weed. Shack Island is a step back in time to the days when unserviced island cottages were popular. Although the small cabins are now abandoned, they are in remarkable shape. If kayaking to the island, the west side has several small beaches that are good for landing.
The GPS data has two sets of way-points leading to Shack Island; one for kayaks and canoes, the other for hiking. The north side of the causeway is exposed to wake from BC Ferries transiting to and from Horseshoe Bay, and can make for quite interesting launchings on windy days.
The west side of Shack Island is exposed to Hammond Bay; heading to the north east, the reefs at Neck Point offer good opportunities to observe seals and the occasional sea lion.
Map: NTS 92f01
Directions:
Turn east at the sign off of Hammond Bay road. Hammond bay road can be accessed by turning right off of TCH, at Woodgrove Mall.
ByPosted By: VIslander
- Sat Jun 18 15:08:22 EDT 2005
Not Rated
UpsideBeautiful example of Garry Oak ecosystem, easy and lovely walk, especially in spring when the wildflowers bloom.
Downsidenone
CommentThe shacks were built by fishermen, but they're not abandoned. All sorts of people inhabit them in the summer and keep them up. Also, the causeway is natural, not manmade. Locals call it The Spit.
ByPosted By: toolbox
- Tue Feb 01 15:35:11 EST 2005
UpsideA nice rough trail along rocky cliffs with beautiful views of the coast mountain.
DownsideNone.
CommentThe trail difficulty should be changed to easy. My 65 year old in-laws can manage the climb at the beginning, this is one of the best parts of the trail.
Posted By: toolbox
