Monday 16 January 2012

Hiking the Cape Fife Trail

The Cape Fife Trail (10km one way), located in Naikoon Provincial Park, at the north end of Graham Island, is an old settler's road. Look carefully and you may see remains of a few cabins.






Photo credit: BCeh.com British Columbia Travel Guide


What a fantastic weekend! Cool, clear weather and a hike on the Cape Fife Trail to the east coast of the Islands.


 Photo credit: BCeh.com British Columbia Travel Guide



BC Parks and the Council of the Haida Nation built a new cabin at the end of this trail a few years ago, providing an excellent shelter with a woodstove, table and bunkbeds for those wanting to spend a night or two beside Hecate Strait.

The trail was long (10 km) but with the cool temperatures any muddy ground was kept solid and we made good time getting to the cabin in just over two hours. The trail is level all the way mostly following the old settlers road that supplied the many homesteads in the area in the early 1900’s. Some remnants of old cabins and the major projects the settlers undertook to drain the land are still visible along the trail and the endless rows of driftwood stretching down the beach from the cabin were amazing.
Photo credit: BCeh.com British Columbia Travel Guide

We spent most of our time beachcombing, which unveiled many treasures but no glass balls that had drifted across from Japan. Maybe next time. I can’t wait to get back!

Photo Credits: Ryan Conroy, Club Tread.com


How to find the Cape Fife Trail:

Drive toward North Beach along Hwy 16 (northeast of Masset) entering the
Naikoon Provincial Park. The paved road soon turns to gravel and becomes Tow Hill Road. Continue driving past Agate Beach
Campground until you reach the Tow Hill Parking Lot at the Hiellen River bridge. Cross the bridge and on the right is the Cape Fife trailhead sign.


Note: The Cape Fife Trail can be extended to a 2-3 day hike from the Cape Fife trail north to East Beach, Rose Spit and then North Beach back to the trail head. For the seasoned hiker it can take the form of a 5-7 day hike from Tlell up East Beach to the Cape Fife Trail or around Rose Spit and end at the trail head by Tow Hill.








Photo map credit: BCeh.com British Columbia Travel Guide

No comments:

Post a Comment