Stage 10 - Port Alice to San Josef Bay

Overview

Stage 10 will take you to Cape Scott Provincial Park where you can hike to Jan Josef Bay and see one of the most beautiful beaches on Vancouver Island. Along the way, you'll catch views of the Coal Harbour inlet, and ride well groomed forest service roads where you pick up the speed and kick up some dust.

Special Note

Recommend fueling up in Coal Harbour, as it will be 140km until you can get fuel again in Port Hardy.

Meetup Location

The grocery store in Port Alice is a good starting point where you can buy some water and snacks to bring with you for the hike to San Josef Bay.

Food and Coffee

In Holberg before you set out for the final stretch to Cape Scott, the Scarlet Ibis is a common place for hikers to grab a bite to eat and swap stories.

Scenery: 5/5

View of the Coal Harbour inlet are nice and most of the roads will offer a balance between clear-cut expanses of trees and hills, and encroaching forest covered winding roads. The beach at San Josef is reward in itself.

Traffic: 4/5

The road from Holberg to Cape Scott will be have the most traffic, however this will only include a dozen or so cars and trucks filled with hikers travelling to and from Cape Scott.

Difficulty: 3/5

Relatively low difficulty in terms of road conditions and navigation. It can be easy to miss the CH200 road turnoff from Port Hardy Road, however it won't lead you too astray from the main VIGL route.

Road Conditions: 3/5

Dusty, gravel roads in the summer months will kick up a lot of dirt, so it's best to leave plenty of space between motorcycles unless you want a mouth full of dirt at the end of the day.

Photos & Videos

Dockside in Coal Harbour

Road just outside Holberg

Coal Harbour inlet along Wanokano Road

Hiking to San Josef Bay

San Josef Bay

Download .kmz File