GaLTT's map of Gabriola trail walks

Our 2019 trail map includes many new trails added since the 2016 edition. In particular, 707 Community Park has greatly expanded and the RDN has installed new signage throughout the expanded park.

Paper copies are available for $5 each from North Road Sports & Clothing store, Mid-island Co-op, the Visitor's Information Centre (at 480 North Rd), Page's Resort Group (Silva Bay Inn & Page's Marina), and at the summer Farmers' Market at Agi Hall. The reverse side includes a detailed map of the expanded 707 Community Park including the numbered signposts. It also has 26 described walking routes marked with letters on the main map (also described below).

The map below is the same as GaLTT's newest paper edition. Click the zoom command in your browser to see details. The starfish mark public beach accesses. Click on this map's letters A to Z to read about good walks:

  • A to E: shoreline walks
  • F to J: walks to viewpoints or shoreline accesses
  • K to P: road and trail connectors between neighbourhoods
  • Q to Z: loop trail routes

Shoreline walks—A to E

Beware! Sandstone may be very slippery in winter.

Shoreline walk A—Malaspina Galleries to Gabriola Sands Provincial Park (Twin Beaches)

(3 km return/mid to low tide/slippery in winter)
Spectacular views, great sunsets. Malaspina Galleries were recorded by Spanish explorers in 1792. Access from end of Malaspina Drive; turn left to view the amazing sandstone formations, turn right to follow sandstone shelving to Gabriola Sands Provincial Park.

Shoreline walk B—Gabriola Sands to Orlebar Point

(8 km return/mid to low tide/slippery in winter)
Views of Entrance Island and north across Georgia Strait to the Sechelt Peninsula.

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Shoreline walk C—Bell’s Landing to Sandwell Provincial Park

(2-3 km return, low tide)
Sandwell has a pebble beach at high tide, sand at low. Soft muddy sand between Bell’s Landing and Sandwell.

Shoreline walk D—Joyce Lockwood Community Park

Excellent for swimming and exploring. Cobblestone at high tide with rocky areas and a large sandy beach at low tide. Access by rough trails leading down from the trail running above the beach. At low tide you can walk back along the shoreline to connect to other Whalebone area community park accesses—look for yellow markers.

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Shoreline walk E—False Narrows sand bar to Spring Beach

(5 km return/mid to low tides/some scrambling)
Access from South Road at Stokes Road by Gabriola Cemetery. Eroding shale cliffs, sandstone formations, winter waterfalls, views of Pylades Channel. For a longer walk, start at Brickyard Beach (Y on the map).

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Walks to viewpoints and/or shore accesses—F to J

Viewpoint &/or shore walk F—Orlebar Point

Views of the mainland and of Entrance Island lighthouse.

Viewpoint &/or shore walk G—Whalebone area community parks

Each little park has a trail to a grass area, a lookout, and steps to the beach. Best accessed at low tide, when you can follow the shoreline to Joyce Lockwood Community Park. Seasonal views of seal/sea lion haul-outs.

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Viewpoint &/or shore walk H —Murray Road right-of-way

(0.5 km return/no water access)
Trail leadsfrom the end of Murray Road to top of cliffs and a lookout over Pylades Channel.

Viewpoint &/or shore walk I—Dragons Lane

(short trail to beach access requires a slope and rock scramble)
Access from the end of Dragon’s Lane on the right. Stay close to fence on left to avoid trespassing on private land. Views of Coast Mountains.

Viewpoint &/or shore walk J—Gabriola Passage viewpoint

(0.5 km return)
Walk 100m down a public access driveway at the end of St. Catherines. Turn right at the sign onto a short trail to a lovely viewpoint.

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Connector trail and road routes—K to P

Many public or private trails provide opportunities for extended non-motorized walks or loops between different areas of the island. Some involve extensive road walking—please face oncoming traffic, and in poor visibility conditions carry a light or wear reflective clothing.

Crown lands extend to both North and South Roads and are used by walkers with and without dogs, by bike riders and by horse-riders. Some off-road biike riders construct trails that are not on GaLTT's maps and have no signage where they meet well-used wider trails. Be careful at these intersections—bikes are fast and quiet, startling walkers and horseriders when they suddenly appear. Bikers please announce your presence loudly!

Connector walk K—Rollo McLay Community Park to Orlebar Point OR to Gabriola Sands Provincial Park (Twin beaches)

(up to 10 km return, mostly on roads)
Walk via Horseshoe Road to Daniel Way and along it, then follow marked trail up the steep hill to Chelwood Road. Walk straight ahead to Norwich; turn right and walk downhill to Berry Point Road. At Berry Point Rd either turn right again to Orlebar Point or proceed straight ahead to Gabriola Sands Park.

Connector walk L—Rollo McLay Community Park to Wild Cherry Terrace (or extending down to Joyce Lockwood park)

(up to 10km return, mostly on roads)
Walk along the northeast side of the park and through the licensed trail to Barrett Road. Turn right, then left onto Honeysuckle Lane. At end of Honeysuckle, follow the trail through the forest to Wild Cherry Terrace.
Note:From here you can extend your walk to the end of Wild Cherry to enter forested Crown lands, following connecting trails down to Joyce Lockwood Community Park.

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Connector walk M—South end South Road connectors

Trails from Crown lands connect to South Road near Wheelbarrow Nursery (marked as Degnen Rd South, just uphill from the Community Hall). Crown land trails also connect down to Dorby Way via the Nelder’s Pond trail licence. From the Dorby/Peterson intersection short trails lead south to McDonald Road and then to South Road. A side trail from Timber Lane connects McDonald Road to Cresta Roca Road.

Crown lands extend to both North and South Roads, and some off-road bikers construct trails and sometimes ramps that are not on GaLTT's maps and have no signage where they meet well-used wider trails. Be careful at these intersections—bikes are often fast and quiet, startling walkers and horseriders when they suddenly appear. Bikers, please announce your presence loudly as you approach wider trails.

Connector walk N—South Road to Gabriola Commons

From South Road, walk on Dogwood Crescent to Redwood Road, and then by the boardwalk across a marsh to the Commons, the school, and Rollo Centre (or vice versa).

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Connector walk O—McConvey Road to Malaspina Drive and Malaspina Galleries

Follow a licensed trail from McConvey Road to James Way and walk a short trail to Malaspina Drive. Turn left and walk to the end of the road, and take the short trail to view the Malaspina Galleries.

Connector walk P—Haven Woods to Berry Point Road or to Cox Community Park

From the end of King Road, follow the trail to Berry Point Road (opposite Fin Road, or turn right on a marked trail to Vanilla Leaf Meadow and via two licensed connector trails to Bruce Lynn Drive and through to Cox Community Park.

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Loop trail routes—Q to Z

Walk Q—Descanso Bay Regional Park

2-3km/beach rock is slippery in winter. Features: views of Nanaimo and Protection Island, beautiful rock bluff trail to McConvey Road, connections to Cox Community Park.
Use the designated day-use parking (through the campground); see park map there for detailed information. There are easy walks on the rocks around two bays and headlands. Trails connect to beaches, views, and a public right of way trail to Ivory Way.

If you take the steep bluff trail to McConvey Road:

  • cross there to find the marker for the forested McConvey trail to Taylor Bay Road. If you wish, you can then cross Taylor Bay Road into the Cox Park trail system.
  • for a shorter loop, turn right down McConvey Road. At Taylor Bay Road turn right again to return to the Park entrance.

Walk R—The Commons Trails

You are welcome to walk the trails in community-owned Gabriola Commons, a former 10-ha goat farm with a barn, timber frame shelter, yurt, labyrinth, orchard and pond. A boardwalk connects the buildings close to North Road south to two areas of community gardens. Take trails leading to Huxley Park and the Village centre, or through the forest in the west to discover a richly varied ecology. Enter from the Main or West Entrances off North Road across from the school, or via Dogwood Crescent and Redwood Road from South Road.

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Walk S—Cox Community Park

Variable lengths/some trails are steep or rough. Features: Forest trails; cedar plank bridge crossing a wetland near River Place; pond viewpoint on Mallett Creek loop trail.

  • Yogi Trail Loop: Access from Taylor Bay Road at the pullout nearly opposite the road into Descanso Bay Regional Park. Head up the trail to the second intersection on the left and up a steep hill. Staying left at the next two marked trail intersections will return you  to the first intersection you passed when setting out. Turn right to return to Taylor Bay Road.
  • River Place connector: From the Taylor Bay Road access, keep straight at all marked trail intersections all the way to a wooden bridge and up a hill to River Place.
  • Mallett Creek loop: From the Taylor Bay Road access, take the first right after setting out and follow the trail past a pond on the right. The trail intersects the River Place connector near the bridge. Turn left and follow the trail straight back to Taylor Bay Road.
  • Other connectors: (1) There is another trail marker between the Yogi sculpture and Bruce Lynn Drive; this trail connects the McConvey trail from Descanso Bay Regional Park to the Cox Community Park trail network. (2) There is also a licensed trail connector from Bruce Lynn Drive into Cox Community Park.

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Walk T—Twin Beaches headland loop

2km/variable terrain/slippery in winter/mid to low tides. Features: Ever-changing vista, interesting rock formations, swimming spots, and summer sunsets. At either end, there is some rock scrambling. To avoid this, use the other public access points from the peninsula roads, shown on the map.
Park at Gabriola Sands Provincial Park (Twin Beaches) and cross the road and grassy field to the Taylor Bay beach facing toward Nanaimo. Turn right to go clockwise along the Decourcy Peninsula shoreline. The beginning requires crossing soft mud and then a scramble over rocks to reach a flat sandstone shelf. The northern shoreline has vistas to Lasqueti and Texada islands and is easy walking till you reach the headland facing the Entrance Island light station. Go around the headland into Pilot Bay. After about 100m look for wooden steps with a yellow concrete marker at the base; you will have to scramble up a large boulder to reach them. Follow a public access trail to the road; stay left at every fork to return to the starting point.

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Walk U—Clarendon to Upper Berry Point loop

3km—some on roads. Features: Views of Entrance Island and across Georgia Strait
Park at Orlebar Point, where there are views of Entrance Island light station. Walk uphill on the gravel Upper Berry Point Road. Pass an orchard on the right with occasional glimpses east toward Vancouver on the left. Continue up the hill and past the turning circle on to a narrow public road that may appear to be a driveway. At a gate across the road, turn right onto the narrow forest trail. The trail is rough, with some exposed roots, and exits onto Clarendon Road, a quiet dirt road. Turn right onto Clarendon, and then turn right again on Norwich Road and walk down the steep, paved hill. Turn right onto Berry Point Road and head back to Orlebar Point, enjoying views across Georgia Strait to the Coast Mountains.

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Walks V— Drumbeg Provincial Park outside loop

2-3km at low tides—sandstone rock is slippery when wet. Features: spectacular island and mountain views, interesting rock formations.
Mostly an easy trail and low-tide beach walk. Start at Drumbeg carpark. Turn left on the shoreline trail through a meadow to the last bench, which marks the park boundary. Climb down to the beach on shelving rocks. Continue along beach about 350m, staying below high tide line to avoid trespassing. After the fifth house, look for yellow concrete public access marker and a yellow blaze in a tree by a split rail fence. Follow the trail through woods for about 1km to a cross trail. Turn left and continue 200m to Stalker Road. Re-enter Drumbeg by the gravel park road down to the car park. Or add another 1km to your walk by following Stalker Road to end; re-enter park by turning left on the trail above the beach to return to the carpark.

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Walk W—Drumbeg Provincial Park to Degnen Bay

About 7km—mostly on roads. Features: Interesting rock formations, views of Degnen Bay.
Start at Drumbeg carpark and turn right to take the shoreline trail to Stalker Road. Turn left down low bank to beach and follow high tide line 100m further. Look for steps made out of car tires leaving the beach. At the top, follow trail for 200m to the end of a dirt road. Follow road about 300m to the corner of Sir Williams Drive and St. Catherines Avenue. Turn right along Sir Williams for about 1km to Degnen Bay, with its government wharf and many private docks.

To reach the wharf continue to South Road; turn left and left again onto Bevmaril Crescent. After 100m turn left on Maple Lane. At the top of the bluff take the narrow trail beside the fire hydrant to the wharf. Walk around the wharf to view the entire bay; look for sunflower sea stars underwater. From the wharf follow Degnen Rd along the shoreline to South Rd and turn right to walk 1.2km to Coast Road. From Coast Rd turn right onto Stalker and either turn left down the signed main trail into Drumbeg Park or walk all the way to the water at the end of Stalker and then turn left on the shoreline trail into the park and follow it back to the carpark. (Or, at low tide you may walk on the rock shelving below the trail—very slippery when wet.)

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Walk X—Pylades Channel loops

Distances vary; may be steep; beach accesses may be slippery; beach walks may only be accessible at low tide. Features: Lovely woods, shoreline views of Pylades Channel.
Several trails and connecting routes can be accessed from roads south of Christ Church Gabriola on South Road.

  • Evans Road right of way (ROW): a 500m trail from the yellow access marker on Gray Road south to the shoreline and a view of Pylades Channel.
  • Merlin’s Trail: a licensed trail leading east from Evans trail past a seasonal creek to connect to Murray Rd; turn left to follow the road back to Gray Rd and the Evans trailhead.
  • Evans-Cooper loop: Follow Evans ROW to the beach and turn right. After a short distance, look for a yellow beach access marker that leads to Cooper Road. Walk on Cooper Road to Gray Road and turn right to the Evans trailhead.
  • Robinson Woods loop: Follow Evans Rd ROW to the beach and turn right. Pass the Cooper Rd yellow access marker and continue to the Islands View Dr shore access marker. Walk up to the very end of Islands View Dr, then turn right onto the Robinson Woods licensed trail. Keep right at the posted intersection to Cooper Rd. Turn left onto Gray Rd and then turn right to the Evans trailhead.

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Walk Y—False Narrows shoreline walk

4-5km return; accessible at mid to low tides. Features: Views north to Harmac/Nanaimo, views south to Pylades Channel; much birdlife especially in winter, herons on mudflats year-round.
Access at Brickyard Beach, where bricks manufactured nearby until the 1950s were loaded for export from Gabriola and can still be found on the beach. There are oysters in the inter-tidal zone and much birdlife in the winter and spring. Turn left from the parking lot and follow the shoreline of False Narrows, where the tidal flow can be very strong. Across the channel is Mudge Island, the target of Canada Day potato cannons. Some years they shoot back. Pass the boat launch and continue till False Narrows opens to Pylades Channel with a view of Valdes Island and other Gulf Islands. The mudflats are rich clam beds still harvested by the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Almost 2.5km from the start you will see a wide track going up the slope from the beach to the Gabriola Cemetery. At this point you can retrace your steps along the beach or follow the trail up past the Cemetery and turn left to walk back along South Road. You can also extend your southeasterly walk along the shoreline toward Spring Beach.

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Walk Z—"Three Gates" trail loop in 707 Community Park (from Fisher Road)

(4km walk)
The 2018 expansion of the 707 Community Park added several established (previously private and some of them gated) trails to the park, including the excellent loop offered by this now gateless trail. Enter 707 at Fisher Road (post #85) and after a short trail section turn right at post #84 onto Coats Drive Trail.  Ignore trails leading off to the right. Turn sharp left at post #41 to walk south on Three Gates Trail (there are no gates anymore!) through the lovely second growth forest. Turn left again at post #74 to walk Fisher Rd Trail back to the Fisher Rd access.

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Elder Cedar Nature Reserve (S'ul-hween X'pey)

Elder Cedar Reserve is owned by the Islands Trust Conservancy, who have requested that the trails and boardwalks not be marked on our maps. This beautiful nature conservation area lies north of North Road and west of Seawind Drive. It includes some old-growth forest and forest wetland, and some rare and vanishing species live here. If you explore the area (on foot only please, with pets closely leashed), please respect this special environment. Stay on the main trails and boardwalks within the Reserve boundaries and do not trespass on adjacent properties on Windecker and Seawind Drive.

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Interactive trail maps and other web-based maps

Users can access interactive trail maps by cell-phone while walking and reference their own locations. The Regional District of Nanaimo website has an interactive map of 707 Community Park on their website.

  • You can find downloadable Sensitive Ecosystem Maps (SEMs) on the Islands Trust website by clicking here.
  • You can download a pdf of GaLTT member Nick Doe's personal maps of 707 Community Park and Coats Marsh Regional Park area trails here. These are superimposed on Google landscape maps. Many trail names used by Doe are different from those used in RDN and GaLTT maps.