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Interactive trail mapsUsers 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. Also, GaLTT member Randy Young has made an interactive GPS-based Gabriola trail-map that includes flagged beach accesses. Caution: some of the trails on Randy's map may traverse private land. Other web-based maps for Gabriola's trail users
GaLTT's map of Gabriola trail walksGaLTT's beautiful trail-map drawn by member Cameron Murray, is printed on tough, water-resistant 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. On the reverse of the printed map are details of 25 trail walks (numbered on the map). The maps on this webpage are the same as the printed map. The maps include only those trails on public land or licensed to GaLTT for public access by the private landowner. Some well-known trails on Gabriola do not appear on GaLTT's trail maps because they are on private land, in nature reserves, or on land with restricted access rights. We urge trail-users to respect private property and No Trespassing signs. Horses on the trailsYou may encounter horse-riders on our trails—visit this link for some tips on how to behave. Click the zoom command in your browser's view menu to see details more clearly.
Suggested walks on Gabriola's public walking trailsWalk 1—Descanso Bay Regional Park and campground (2km)
There are easy walks on the rocks around two bays and headlands in Descanso Bay Park. In winter, rocky beaches are very slippery. Consult the trail and facility map in the park. Day use parking is straight ahead through campground. To the left of the car park there is a trail through a wooded headland leading to views of Nanaimo and Protection Island. Along the south boundary of the park there is a trail through a fence to a public right-of-way that connects to Ivory Way. On the north side of the park here is a steep trail up the bluff to McConvey Road. TUrn left along the road to pick up a licensed trail across private land connecting McConvey Road to Malaspina Drive, or you can turn right to reach Taylor Bay Road and turn right again to return to the Park entrance. Walks #2.1 and 2.2 Cox Community Park and Haven Woods
Walk 2.1 Cox Community Park (3-5km)A main trail enters Cox Community Park from Taylor Bay Road opposite McConvey Road at the Yogi ("Youth of Gabriola Island") sculpture. A second trail starts opposite the entrance to Descanso Bay Park allowing for longer combined walks. Be careful crossing the road! Within the park, signs indicate loops and the main trail to River Place. A cedar plank bridge crosses a wetland near River Place. Ample road parking is available at River Place. A new trail loop was developed in the south of the park in 2014 giving a view of the man-made lake on the neighbouring property and linking Taylor Bay Road to River Place). Walk 2.2 Haven Woods and other licensed trails to Cox ParkDuring 2014 a private landowner granted a licence for public access to a complex of trails in Haven Woods, linking Fin Road at Berry Point Road to the end of King Road up behind Twin Beaches Centre. Neighbouring landowners also licensed trails to link Haven Woods via Bruce Lynn Road to Cox Park. Please park at the end of King Road in the gravel pull-in 120 mteres from the Haven Wood entrance and avoid blocking neighbouring driveways. Walks 3 and 4—Malaspina Galleries and Twin Beaches
Walk #3—Malaspina Galleries to Gabriola Sands Provincial Park —about 4 kmShoreline walk on flat sandstone shelf at mid to low tide, with spectacular views and great sunsets. Dangerously slippery rocks from November to April. Access to trail is at the end of Malaspina Drive. Follow the short trail through woods to an open point of land with views across the sea to Newcastle Island, Nanaimo, and Mt. Benson. At that headland turn to your left and follow the lower shelf back to look into the Malaspina Galleries, which were recorded by Spanish explorers in 1792. Retrace your steps back to the headland and then follow the sandstone shelf all the way to Taylor Bay's sandy beach at Gabriola Sands Provincial Park (Twin Beaches). At this point you can connect with Walk #4 or #5, or retrace your route along the shoreline back to Malaspina Drive. Before heading back, walk across the grass field behind the sandy beach then cross the road and take a look at the twin beach of Pilot Bay. Walk #4—Twin Beaches headland loop (2 km)Start at parking area in Gabriola Sands Provincial Park (Twin Beaches). This walk goes clockwise around the shoreline of the Decourcy Peninsula, and is best at mid to low tide. Note: The rocks are dangerously slippery when wet. Ever-changing vista, interesting rocks, swimming spots, and summer sunsets. From the parking area, cross the road and walk over grass field to the sandy beach on Taylor Bay. Turn right on the sandy beach and at the end of the sand follow the rocky shoreline around the north side of Taylor Bay. The rocks soon give way to a flat sandstone shelf. The northern shoreline has vistas to Lasqueti and Texada islands. At the end of this northern shoreline you get a view of Entrance Island lighthouse. Next you round the headland into Pilot Bay and after about 100 metres look for wooden steps with a yellow concrete marker at the base. This is the return route, as the rock shelf is not passable all the way into Pilot Bay. At the top of the steps follow the public access trail to the paved road. Turn left and follow the road, taking the left fork at any intersection, to return to your starting point. Walk #5—Gabriola Sands at Twin Beaches to Orlebar Point (8km return)
Start at parking area in Gabriola Sands Provincial Park (Twin Beaches). This walk follows the shoreline to Seagirt Road, and then road and shoreline to Orlebar Point. Note: The rocks and logs are dangerously slippery when wet. The walk starts on the beach of Pilot Bay. Turn right on the sandy beach and follow the high tide line to the sandstone shelf. Follow the shelf in a northeast direction for about 2 km until you get to rocky headland with a clear view of the lighthouse. At this headland turn, with your back to the lighthouse, and follow the rock shelf up to Seagirt Road. Follow Seagirt, turn left on Berry Point Road, and then left again at the next junction. From here, you can continue along this peaceful shoreline road, or look for trails back to the sandstone shoreline. In about 500 metres, by a roadside nursery stand, you reach the lookout to Entrance Island, with one of the last manned lighthouses on the BC coast. To return, either retrace your route back to the start point, or take the pedestrian/cycle track all the way along Berry Point Road to Ricardo Road and back to Gabriola Sands Provincial Park. Walk #6—Descanso Valley to Canso Bluff walk (3 km)
Walks 7 & 8 —Village area loop (3 km) and Gabriola Commons Trail
Walk up a lengthy hill from the ferry or park in the Agi Hall lower lot near the top of the hill. Throughout the summer until Thanksgiving weekend, visit our Farmer’s market there from 10am to 1pm each Saturday. Keep to the right, taking South Road with the post office and The Women’s Institute Hall (built as Gabriola’s school in the 1920s) on your left. Ahead on your right is the Gabriola Museum, where First Nations petroglyphs have been reproduced in concrete. Rubbing kits can be purchased at the museum. Continue along South Road past the Police Station on your right and then past Good Earth Garden on your left. Take next left onto Dogwood Crescent. Continue past Pinewood and then turn left on Redwood to the end. Trail starts immediately to the right of a private drive, where a board crosses the ditch. A small sign indicates "Rollo/School". The trail here can be wet and muddy. Keep a fence on your left and bear right at first fork. This drier section connects to a boardwalk in the grounds of the Gabriola Commons. Take right branch on the boardwalk and turn left after passing through the gap in the fence. Continue with the fence on your left to the Rollo Seniors Centre parking lot and North Road, with the Elementary School across the road. Turn left on North Road toward the village centre and on to Agi Hall, or turn right to do Walk #9 Tin Can Alley Connector Loop. Walk #8—The Commons trailThe Gabriola Commons welcomes you to walk their trails and use the area to connect to other neighborhoods (see #7 Village Area Walk.) The walk shown is a trail running from the parking lot of Huxley Park (tennis courts) off North Road near the village centre. It connects to the same Redwood Road mentioned in Walk #7 passing near the parking lot of the Rollo Seniors Centre. This connects to the boardwalk and links the east portion of the Commons (house, gardens, orchards etc.) to the southeast portion (allotment gardens) and to the labyrinth just south of the orchard overlooking the pond near the entry of the Poetry Gabriola Yurt. Walk #9—Tin Can Alley connector loop to 707-acre Park (3–5 km)
Follow Tin Can Alley Trail toward 707-acre Park until you see Post #2, at the junction with the Tansy Road allowance. Ignore the cross trail and stay on the Tin Can Alley Trail. When you break out of the tree cover into 707-acre Park, the trail goes left, and meanders a bit, eventually going up the hill to a junction and Post #3, again with a map on top. One option here is to retrace your steps back to North Road. To make a big loop, at Post #3 take the Erratic Trail, which goes to the right. (Confusingly, Tin Can Alley Trail goes to the left here, and a loop trail goes hard left.) Keep right. Eventually you get to Post #5, with a map on top. This is the Old Centre Road Trail, much used by early residents. Turn right for a short walk to Post #4, at the edge of the park. Eventually this private road will be closed and a new licensed trail marked, but in the meantime it leads out to South Road, diverting around a big fallen fir tree. Turn right, and then right again onto Dogwood Road, and again onto Redwood Road. At the end of Redwood, detour left down a short driveway to the Commons Garden Allotment. To the right a short distance is a cedar walkway (winter rains turn the area into a flood plain). When the walkway divides, go to the right, and then left up the trail back to your car! Walks #10.1, 10.2, and 10.3—707-acre Park707-acre Park is an undeveloped community park in the centre of the island. Enjoy this regenerating young forest on foot, bicycles or horses. Motorized vehicles are not permitted. The network of old logging roads and footpaths can be confusing and surfaces are often rough and sometimes muddy. It is easy to get lost or wander onto private land. The RDN has named many of the trails and installed numbered signposts, some of which have maps on their tops. Walk 10.1: 707-acre Park Ricki to Jeanette loops: (up to 3 km)
Walk 10.2: 707-acre Park Fisher Road loops, up to 3km
Walk #10.3—707-acre Park to Tait connector
An old overgrown trail has been re-opened roughly parallel to North Road connecting 707-Acre Park to Tait Road. Start at Post #26 near the North Road park entrance and walk roughly southeast until you intersect a dirt road near the park boundary. Turn left to walk toward North Road, and then turn right through the salal to walk roughly parallel to North Road. The trail intersects Elgie Road, where you turn right for a few metres before continuing the trail toward Tait Road, where several trails converge. Walk #11—Coats Marsh Regional Park To get to the formal park entry point: Proceed about 1.1 km further up Coats Road to the first road on the left. Go left on Stanley Road for about 100 metres and park at the turn-around. Proceed on foot about 75 metres (rubber boots are best) past the Coats Marsh Regional Park entry sign to view the wetland and watch birds. At present it is not possible to get to the other side of the wetland without trespassing. Walk #12—Rollo McClay Park to Orlebar Point or Twin Beaches (up to 10 km return)
Turn left along Horseshoe Road to Daniel Way and continue for about 1 km, watching for TRAIL sign on the left. Follow the flagged trail straight up the hill through dense trees. It is steep in places and slippery when wet. Pause at the stunning view over Lock Bay and mainland mountains. The trail emerges on Chelwood, where you proceed straight ahead to Norwich. A right turn down the hill brings you to Berry Point Road, where you can turn right to Orlebar Point or left toward Twin Beaches (Gabriola Sands Provincial Park) along Berry Point Road. When returning down Chelwood, look for and follow TRAIL sign on left. Do not follow gravel road beyond this point (private property). Walk #13—Clarendon–Upper Berry Point connector/loop (3 km loop) Walk #14—Rollo McClay Community Park to Wild Cherry Terrace
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Easy country road and short trail walk to a high cliff edge—excellent for sunset watching but dangerous for children and pets. From ferry parking proceed along Easthom Road, passing views of Descanso Bay on your right. Beach accesses are available at Descanso Valley Drive and Easthom. Continue uphill on Easthom to the top, turning left on Canso. About 500 metres along and on your right, watch for a yellow concrete Public Access marker. A short trail takes you between two private properties to an unprotected high cliff lookout with views of Duke Point and Nanaimo. Cormorants nest on this cliff. Stay well back from the high cliff edge. Another high cliff lookout with a slightly different view is down a short path at the end of Canso. Retrace route to ferry parking. 
Park at Rollo Seniors Centre on North Road, across from the Gabriola Elementary School. Rollo provides seniors activities. It’s also the Gabriola Emergency Centre for the north of the island. Turn right along North Road—the farm alpacas will come to chat, especially if you offer grass. Continue to Tin Can Alley. On your right at the side of North Road is Post #1 at the trailhead leading to 707-acre Park. The map on the post shows all the trails in the 707-acre Park, with a ‘you are here’ red marker. (To orient yourself, remember North is ‘up’ on the map, which is behind you, up Tin Can Alley.)
This new park has minimal facilities at present, but there are two access points for bird watching and forest exploration. To access the beautiful second growth Douglas-fir forest lands drive or walk 300 metres up Coats Road from South Road to a trail head at the corner by 1034 Coats Road. A simple trail runs 200 metres through a linear extension to the main body of the park and then joins a main trail in the park. A developed public trail loop does NOT exist at present and users should respect the signs indicating private land boundaries. 
You can retrace your steps at any point on this walk—your distance varies, with longest return 10 km. Park at Rollo McClay Park or at Rollo Road and Horseshoe Road. 
(Reverse the order for a gentler walk.) Park at Orlebar Point overlooking the Entrance Island lighthouse. Walk back along Berry Point Rd. or on the shelving rock beach to Norwich, enjoying views across Georgia Strait to the Coast Mountains. Turn left up Norwich, a steep hill, to Clarendon. Turning left again, follow the gravel road to the end. Continue about 25 metres up a drive marked "Annie’s Acres" and watch on the left for a narrow trail entrance marked by a yellow tape. The trail is rough with exposed roots and rocky places. Views of the water emerge ahead on the right. Trail opens onto a gravel lane where you turn left, keeping the fenced property on your right. Continue bearing right and downhill past an orchard on your left, back to Orlebar Point. This 3 km loop can be incorporated into Walk #12. 
You can return to your car by backtracking or, for a return road loop, turn right from Wild Cherry onto Buttercup and follow it to North Road. Turn right again to Barrett and right to McClay, where you turn left to return to the park. 
Park at the end of The Strand. Follow the main trail into Sandwell Park, past yellow gate, and continue to the wide but steep descent to the sand/gravel beach, picnic area and public toilets. Or use the trail located on your right just beyond the yellow gate where you will find steps leading to the beach. If the tide is low enough you may turn left and walk the full extent of the bay, returning by the main trail up the hill, which starts near the picnic area. At low tide a longer loop walk can be done from Bell's Landing (the public launch site located towards the end of The Strand). From there, walk to Sandwell Park along the beach, returning up the hill on the park trail. Between Sandwell and Bell's Landing on The Strand, a trail sign points to a community connector path to Fleet Street. Turning left here, you can loop back on Bond and The Strand to Bell's Landing. Parking is available both at the entrance to the Park and at Bell’s Landing. 
The trail may be accessed from the end of Timberlane (entrance on the left) connecting with McDonald or if approaching from Cresta Roca, go to the end of Cresta Roca, turn left at the T-junction. Turn right and go to the end of McDonald, past Perry on the left. Look for a path through the woods to connect with Peterson—this trail can be impassably wet in winter.
Easy 500-metre walk of shore access trail at the end of Dragon’s Lane on the right. A yellow concrete PUBLIC ACCESS marker indicates the start of a trail winding down to a rocky cove, which can be accessed at lower tides by a scramble down a steep bank. Keep close to the fenced property on the left to avoid trespassing on adjacent property on right. Views of Coast Mountains from the bank. Trail can be wet.
ADDENDUM to this map segment: The beach access symbol shown next to #22 should be moved slightly to the left, to the trail outlet at the east end of Islands View Drive. Evans Road (shown here running parallel to Cooper) is in fact a well-defined woodland trail on an undeveloped road allowance, running from Gray Road to a steep beach access (where the #22 is positioned currently on the map). Our next map edition will correct this. The beach walk is only accessible at very low tides. Turn right to connect with the Islands View shore access and follow it to connect with the Robinson Woods Trail. The Islands View beach access runs from the very east end of Islands View starting straight to the beach, and then on a diagonal. The Robinson Woods Trail also starts straight east and then up the hill. The Robinson Woods Trails can also be accessed from Cooper Road.
Walk #23—Petroglyph Trail loop (6 km)
