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Trip 251 - May 23, 2022 (Monday)

Mayne Island Visit

British Columbia, Canada

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Mayne Island Location: Southern Gulf islands of British Columbia. About 1 hour 10 minutes ferry ride from Tsawwassen.

Liked: Mount Parke Regional Park, Campbell Point Trail, Horton Bay.

Of Note: A small island with very limited services, roads have no shoulders. Traffic on the roads near the ferry terminal can be substantial.

Vancouver Island, Victoria & Gulf Islands Backroad Mapbook (9th edition) Mayne Island Coordinates: Page 11 (Saturna Island) B2.

Related Websites: Wiki - Mayne Island, Mayne Island Community Website, BC Ferries Southern Gulf Islands Schedule.

Other Trips on Mayne Island: Halliday Ridge Trail, Campbell Point Trail.

 

Mayne Island is one of British Columbia's Southern Gulf islands, located just to the South of Galiano Island, which we have previously explored. The visit to Mayne Island took less than a day, so we did not see everything there was to see, but saw enough to make it a very worthwhile trip.

A ferry from Tsawassen or Swartz Bay goes to Mayne Island. Also, inter-island ferries connect some Southern Gulf islands with each other. Today, we took a bicycle on a ferry heading from Galiano Island to Mayne Island, and returned the same way.

This trip report has random Mayne Island photos, and also covers Horton Bay and nearby Saint John Point Regional Park Reserve with its two short trails. Two following trips are dedicated to Mount Parke Regional Park, and Campbell Point Trail Hike. 

All distances in this trip report are based on a GPS odometer and are approximate.


34. Just 140 meters past Horton Bay Dock is the entrance to Saint John Point Regional Park Reserve - on the right side. The main road becomes private past the park entrance.


Mayne Island British Columbia Canada

35. It's a pretty secluded area, and we have not seen a single person in the park. Also, there are no facilities here.


Saint John Point Regional Park Reserve Entrance - Mayne Island BC

36. Saint John Point Regional Park Reserve parking area a few hundred meters past the park entrance.


Mayne Island BC - Saint John Point Regional Park - Parking Lot

37. First, we hiked Tawen Trail to the left of the parking lot.


Tawen Trailhead - Mayne Island BC Canada

38. It's an easy trail of 1.2 km, leading to a stony beach. At 45 meters here.


Tawen Trail - Saint John Point Regional Park - Mayne Island BC Canada

39. The main attraction of Tawen Trail is this arbutus tree. A view at 630 meters.


Tawen Trail - Hiking on Mayne Island BC

40. And now at 680 meters. There are many arbutus trees on Southern Gulf islands, and these are unusual, easily identifiable trees, as they lack half the bark most of the time, and the trunk has a very pleasant light brown to dark red (in rare cases, in some spots) colour.


Arbutus Tree

41. Tawen Trail in Saint John Point Regional Park Reserve on Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada. At 1.04 km from the start of the park off Horton Bay Road.


Mayne Island Trail - Tawen Trail Hike

42. Approaching the water.


Saint John Point Regional Park Reserve Tawen Trail Mayne Island BC Canada

43-44. And here is the beach, at 1.2 km. Nothing great views-wise, but decent enough. Left to right.


Mayne Island BC Canada

Mayne Island British Columbia

45. And now a much shorter Sasaki Trail, which starts just past the parking lot.


Sasaki Trail - Saint John Point Regional Park Reserve - Mayne Island BC Canada

46. It only takes about 270 meters to get to pretty much the same view as after hiking Tawen Trail for 1.2 kilometers.


Mayne Island BC

47. After about 6 hours, it's time to head back to Galiano Island. Here is a ticket booth at Village Bay BC Ferry Terminal on Mayne Island.


Village Bay Ferry Terminal Ticket Booth - Mayne Island BC

48. A fine flower arrangement at the terminal.


Mayne Island Village Bay Ferry Terminal

49. Vehicles waiting to board. Unlike terminals on Galiano and Pender islands, Mayne's terminal has two berths, so two ferries may dock at the same time, and simultaneous ferry transfers may thus take place.


Vehicles at Village Bay Ferry Terminal

50. We will be sailing back to Galiano Island on Queen of Cumberland. Here it comes.


BC Ferry Queen of Cumberland approaching Village Bay Ferry Terminal on Mayne Island BC

51. Almost there.


Queen of Cumberland docking at Mayne Island Village Bay Ferry Terminal

52. Foot passengers (and cyclists) always exit first, followed by vehicles.


Foot passengers disembarking BC Ferry Queen of Cumberland at Village Bay Ferry Terminal on Mayne Island

53. BC Ferry Queen of Cumberland docked at Village Bay Terminal on Mayne Island.


BC Ferry Queen of Cumberland Docked at Mayne Island Village Bay Ferry Terminal

54. Boarding is also done first by foot passengers and cyclists, followed by vehicles.


Foot passengers board BC Ferry Queen of Cumberland

55. A quick look inside Queen of Cumberland.


Inside Queen of Cumberland BC Ferry

66. Built in 1992 in North Vancouver.


Queen of Cumberland Built in 1992 in North Vancouver

67. Vehicles boarding Queen of Cumberland.


Vehicles Boarding BC Ferry Queen of Cumberland

68. Salish Eagle came too and docked next door.


BC Ferry Salish Eagle docked at Village Bay Ferry Terminal on Mayne Island BC Canada

69. The bridge of Queen of Cumberland.


Bridge of BC Ferry Queen of Cumberland

70. Good-bye, Mayne Island. It's been a short but pleasant visit.


Leaving Mayne Island on a Ferry

Here is our video of leaving Mayne Island.

More ihikebc videos are on our YouTube Channel.

71. BC Ferries flag flapping in the wind.


BC Ferries Flag Flapping in the Wind

72. And, 20 minutes later, we are back at Sturdies Bay Ferry Terminal on Galiano Island.


Sturdies Bay Ferry Terminal Galiano Island BC

Aside from those shoulder-less roads with too much traffic (for cyclists) near the ferry terminal, there was nothing but positive feelings about the trip to Mayne Island. Highly recommended.


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