The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Stuart Island Marine State Park

This short, easy loop trail follows a narrow wooden boardwalk through forest and wetland before opening up onto the rocky shoreline. From there, you can explore the beach at low tide, walk out along the point for beautiful views of Drummond Bay, Boundary Pass, and the San Juan Islands. The whole loop takes less than an hour, but there are plenty of picturesque places to stop and take it all in along the way.

From this spot, you can see a small automated lighthouse on the shoreline, and from here the views across Boundary Pass to Washington State's San Juan Islands are well worth the walk. You can see the surrounding Southern Gulf Islands, and on a clear day, the snow-capped peak of Mount Baker in the distance.

Gowlland Point sits at the western end of Brooks Point Regional Park, where the trail opens onto rocky bluffs with beautiful views of Drummond Bay. It is a popular spot to watch for seals, sea lions, orca pods, and the occasional bald eagle flying overhead, all from right here along the shoreline. On a clear day, you can also see across to Saturna Island and the surrounding Gulf Islands, making it one of several unforgettable viewpoints on South Pender Island.

Brooks Point Regional Park sits at the southern tip of South Pender Island and is one of the last undeveloped headlands in the Southern Gulf Islands. Covering just under 5 hectares of rocky bluffs, coastal forest, a rare Garry Oak ecosystem, grassy meadows, and a sheltered pebble beach, it is home to over 100 species of birds, the endangered sharp-tailed snake. In the spring, the meadows are filled with beautiful native chocolate lilies and camas. It is also one of the best spots on the island to watch for seals, orca, and other marine life passing through the channel.

The Lagoon Trail explores deeper into the Sidney Spit Marine Park in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. This area has an inner lagoon and a WWII-era bomb shelter. There are walk-in campsites as well that must be reserved with Parks Canada.

The northmost end of Sidney Island has a white sandy beach, littered with driftwood and awesome views of the small islands to the north. Since visitors can't drive to Sidney Island, this is the area where the Sidney Spit Ferry will drop off hikers and a great place to start an adventure. The ferry is small and leaves from Sidney, with an opportunity to see orcas and other sea life along the way to Sidney Island.

Just a short spur off Sktamen Trail, the walk to the end of this dock gives way to views of water all around, with mainland mountains off in the distance. There is a large grassy area around the dock, open with great views as well, and a gazebo.

The trail is short and easy, but you’ll notice the transition from salty shoreline to freshwater marsh in just a few steps. Look for the twisted Arbutus trees with their peeling red bark; they only grow in this specific Mediterranean-like climate.