One of the most enjoyable trail hikes I’ve had in a long time is the Ripple Rock Trail on Vancouver Island – the trail head is about 16 km North of Campbell River. Getting there is easy, there is parking just off HWY 19.
We did this hike in the middle of December, so it was pretty cool and wet – but if you dress appropriately, it’s not a problem. Good quality waterproof hiking boots are recommended.
It won’t be long until you reach Menzies Bay, it’s beautiful, but brace yourself for your first exposure to a lot of ocean plastic waste. The shore is littered with Styrofoam and plastic, pretty sad.
Leaving Menzies Bay you’re in for a gorgeous, long hike with fantastic, lush forest scenery.
After about 2 hours of hiking, you’ll reach the Ripple Rock Trail Lookout, where you look out upon Seymour Narrows. The irony is, there is no “Rock” to see anymore, because they blew it up in 1958 to make the Narrows safer for ship travel.
Here’s a short video from the lookout, it’s a spectacular view and well worth the hiking effort. So if you are in the Campbell River area, don’t miss this great hike (you hike out the way you came in, round trip about 4 hours).
