Trip 334 - June 2-11, 2026

Quadra Island, BC Visit

Off Vancouver Island - across from Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada.

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Distance from Vancouver: 260 km via 2 ferries (Tsawwassen to Duke Point, and Campbell River to Quadra Island).

Liked: Cape Mudge, Granite Bay, Rebecca Spit Provincial Park, several fine hikes (especially Maude Island and Beech's Mountain), walk-in coin shower at Heriot Bay Inn, uncrowded environment, frequent ferries to Campbell Island (a 10 minute ride).

Of note: Limited services on Quadra Island, numerous steep unbarricaded drop-offs along the hiking trails, most roads have no shoulders - watch for pedestrians, cyclists, and wildlife.

Related Websites: Quadra Island Visitor Guide, Wiki - Quadra Island, BC, Heriot Bay Inn (walk-in coin shower).

Other British Columbia Islands We Have Visited: Bowen Island, Galiano Island, Gambier Island, Mayne Island, Newcastle Island, Pender Island, Salt Spring Island, Saturna Island, Sidney Island, Texada Island.

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Quadra Island is home to about 2,500 residents, and is the second-largest Gulf Island of British Columbia after Texada Island. A 10 minute ferry ride from Campbell River on Vancouver Island (North of Nanaimo) gets you to Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal on Quadra Island. A ferry to Cortes Island can be taken from Quadra Island's Heriot Bay Terminal.

There is a strip mall by Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal featuring a grocery store and a library with 24/7 free Wi-Fi access. Another grocery store is by the Heriot Bay Terminal. Also near that terminal is Heriot Bay Inn, with very handy (for car campers among us) walk-in coin showers ($1 for 3 minutes as of the time of writing).

Aside from just chilling on a fine large island with relatively few people, there are also several good hiking trails, Cape Mudge Lighthouse, and a very fine Rebecca Spit Provincial Park.

Our trip to Quadra Island went as follows:

June 1 (Monday) - ferry ride from Vancouver (Tsawwassen) to Nanaimo (Duke Point), then overnight in Nanaimo.

June 2 (Tuesday) - drive to Campbell River, ferry to Quadra Island, visit Cape Mudge, Cape Mudge Lighthouse (trip report), and Rebecca Spit Provincial Park (trip report).

June 3 (Wednesday) - Mount Seymour hike (trip report).

June 4 (Thursday) - Nugedzi Lakes hike (trip report).

June 6 (Saturday) - Chinese Mountain and Beech's Mountain hike (trip report).

June 10 (Wednesday) - Maude Island hike (trip report).

June 11 (Thursday) - Waiatt Bay hike (trip report) and ferry back to Campbell River.

1. Here is a Google Maps location of Quadra Island, BC.

June 2, 2026 (Tuesday)

2. We are at the BC Ferries Terminal in the town of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. A 10-minute ferry ride takes you to Quadra Island.

3. BC Ferry "Island K'ulut'a" at the Campbell River terminal.

4. Boarding the ferry.

5. "Island K'ulut'a" vehicle deck.

6-7. Leaving Campbell River.

8. Looking at the lower vehicle deck from the upper vehicle deck.

9. BC Ferry "Island K'ulut'a" inside passenger seating area.

10. Approaching Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal on Quadra Island, BC. To board a ferry to Cortes Island, drive to Heriot Bay Ferry Terminal also on Quadra Island.

11. Disembarking from the ferry.

Here is Our Video of driving on Quadra Island for 15 km from Quathiaski Cove ferry terminal to Walcan Rd via the only gas station on the island and community centre (garbage/recycling bins and pit toilets).

More ihikebc videos are on our YouTube Channel.

12. We then headed to Cape Mudge to check out the lighthouse and the nearby campground (trip report pending).

13. Here is a Google Maps location of Cape Mudge lighthouse.

14. The lighthouse looked fine, and there is an option of hiking on a somewhat rough stone shoreline along the lighthouse.

15. Fine views from a nearby Cape Mudge RV park.

16. Then we headed to Kate Dubois trail.

17. Kate Dubois Trail is a fairly short walk in a fine forest, with a rather interesting shoreline nearby.

18. We then headed to a very fine Rebecca Spit Provincial Park (trip report pending).

19. Here is a Google Maps location of Rebecca Spit Provincial Park.

20. There is a pleasant easy short trail in the park, with good ocean views.

21. At the end of the day, thanks to a tip from a gas station attendant, we headed to Heriot Bay Inn, located right by the ferry terminal with service to Cortes Island.

22. Here is a Google Maps location of Heriot Bay Inn.

23-24. Go to the back of the building, where an RV park is located, and there is a walk-in shower there inside the washroom.

25. No need to check-in with anyone, just walk right in, and enjoy.

26. As of the time of writing, the shower is $1 for 3 minutes. The water is rather cold for the first 30-40 seconds, but then warms up. Have an extra loonie ready, lest you be stuck with soap all over you when the water flow abruptly cuts off when the time expires.