The best cycling routes in Crown Land Reserve

There are a bunch of seaplanes and other small aircraft that are usually parked along the fence opposite the Riverway Path. You can check them out as you pass by.

This path takes you through Courtenay's urban area, partially sheltered on either side by strips of greenery, between downtown and the riverfront. You share the path with cyclists, but the trail is paved and divided to ease multi-use traffic.

Totem poles by the K’ómoks First Nation have been installed in Courtenay over the past decade to bring greater recognition to indigenous culture. This one overlooks the salt marsh and the banks of the Courtenay River.

Comox Harbour is a sheltered inlet on the east coast of Vancouver Island, opening into the Strait of Georgia. The water is generally calm, shaped by tides that expose mudflats and sandbars along the shoreline. Backed by distant mountains and coastal communities, it forms a wide, open marine landscape that changes noticeably throughout the day.

Royston Seaside Trail follows the shoreline of Comox Harbour, and is a flat, gravel path between the water and a narrow strip of coastal vegetation. The trail is short, with driftwood, tidal flats, and small beaches lining the edge of the harbour. With constant ocean views and minimal elevation change, it's a great route for a quick scenic stroll along the waterfront.

Shingle Spit is a pebbly gravel-bar beach and Hornby Island’s main ferry landing for visitors. The spit is a year‑round wildlife haven, where you’ll likely see plenty of seals, sea lions, cormorants, and dozens of bald eagles during the herring spawn. Just steps from the ferry dock sits Thatch Pub and Restaurant, the island’s only full-service pub with a waterfront deck, making it the perfect lunch spot to enjoy some local fare and take in the scenery during a day of hiking in this beautiful area.

The Ford Cove to Shingle Spit Trail winds through forested terrain from Ford Cove to the ferry-landing area at Shingle Spit, following the coastline and staying mostly level, making it suitable for hiking or casual cycling. Along the way, you pass wooded hillsides, small bridges over gullies and streams, and near the halfway point, a seasonal waterfall. There are plenty of breathtaking views of the channel and surrounding islands, making this path the perfect mix of forest and coastal scenery.

Ford's Cove Marina is a small, sheltered harbour on Hornby Island’s southwest shore, beside a sandstone-and-gravel beach, popular for swimming, tide-pool exploring, and watching winter storms, sunsets, and passing wildlife such as sea lions, orcas, and seabirds. It’s a community hub and a gateway for boaters, with restrooms, picnic tables and a general store that also serves fish and chips, making it a perfect scenic lunch spot. The dock pilings are a nesting habitat for purple martins, so keep an eye out for them while you’re here.