Trip 340 - June 10, 2026 (Wednesday).

Maude Island Trail Hike

Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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Trailhead Location: Quadra Island (off Vancouver Island across from Campbell River via a 10 minute ferry ride), about 20 km from Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal, via Quathiaski Cove Road, Harper Road, Heriot Bay Road, West Road, Hyacinthe Bay Road, Walcan Road (3.8 km), and Q80/Q81 FSRs (3.0km).

Liked: Seymour Narrows viewpoint, a shack near the trail, a swing along the trail, mini-harbour along the trail, moss on the ground, fern along the trail, shade in the forest, no bugs, numerous fine forest scenes foxgloves flowers (warning - toxic, don't touch or inhale).

Of note: A fairly rough last 3 km to the trailhead (via FSRs) - 2WD ok, easy-to-moderately difficult trail, uneven ground, rocks and roots, several unbarricaded dropoffs along the trail, very steep and extensive unbarricaded dropoff at Seymour Narrows viewpoint (end of the trail), some encroaching vegetation. Hiking poles and boots are highly recommended.

Vancouver Island, Victoria & Gulf Islands Backroad Mapbook (9th edition) trailhead location: Page 42 (Campbell River) E4.

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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Maude Island Trail (5.3 km one way, easy with some short moderately difficult stretches) is the most difficult trail to get to on Quadra Island due to a maze of Forest Service Roads one has to navigate, but has so many things (little and big) going for it that it was by far our favourite Quadra trail. From moss on the ground, to fern along the trail, to numerous fine forest scenes, to a very cool old busted SUV (International Harvester Scout II, circa 1974 model year) deep in the woods, to a fine shack just standing there for anyone to use, to a pleasant mini-harbour, to a swing right by the trail, to pretty (albeit toxic) foxgloves plants in many places, to, finally, very fine Seymour Narrows views, Maude Island Trail kept things interesting all the time.

To avoid (potentially) getting lost off Walcan Road once you turn onto Q80 forest service road at the 3.8 km mark (there are three more kilometers to the trail after that), there in an option of parking at Morte Lake Trailhead Parking Lot (it has a porta potty, unlike Maude Island trailhead) at the 700 meter mark of Walcan Road, and then hiking for several kilometers to Maude Island Trailhead. It would extend your hike by about 4-5 km roundtrip, but it's an easy hike in the woods.

Despite being called a Maude ISLAND Trail, it is not a separate island, as a short causeway right by the mini-harbour connects Quadra Island to what is, technically, a Maude Peninsula. The island became a peninsula in 1942 (the causeway was built to control tidal currents), and in 1950s this peninsula was used to prepare for an enormous explosion (the largest planned non-nuclear explosion in the history of mankind at the time) to remove underwater hazardous obstacle in Seymour Narrows. The miners used the causeway to get to and from Maude Island. The explosion took place in 1958 and was quite a big deal, broadcast live by CBC.

It must be mentioned that, at some point of the trail, there is an option to proceed either via bluffs (with a viewpoint) or via a saltwater lagoon, with both trails rejoining later. Avoid the bluffs trail, as it adds unnecessary and rather treacherous up-and-down stretches, and there is no good viewpoint there, anyway (overgrown?). Take saltwater lagoon path both ways, unless you want to check out the bluffs.

Considering that not too many tourists visit Quadra, not too many people live on Quadra, and that the trailhead is pretty far, chances are very good that this trail would be all yours. Low elevation also makes it an all-season trail.

* All trail distances are based on a GPS odometer and are approximate.

And this is an Overview of Maude Island Trail Hike.

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60. Turning left at the split seen in photo #53 leads in 500 meters to the end of the trail at Seymour Narrows viewpoint. You first walk along a mini-harbour, which has a newt new dock.

61. Looking left.

62-63. The dock is located 80 meters from the split.

64. Harbour view from the dock.

65. Looking back.

Here is our video of the dock.

66. Continuing on Maude Island Trail, 90 meters from the split.

67. And here is a causeway connecting Quadra Island with Maude Island (technically, a peninsula). It was built in 1942 to somewhat tame tidal currents in Seymour Narrows, and was used to transport workers and explosives to Maude Island in 1950s in preparation for the famous 1958 explosion that removed much of Ripple Rock, and made navigation safe in Seymour Narrows.

68. Looking left from the causeway (130 meters from the split).

69. Looking right.

70-71. Right on the causeway, at 160 meters from the split, there is this neat swing. If you would want to use it, make sure the ropes are in good shape, as you would likely be badly hurt should you be launched downhill, as the swing is located by a pretty good drop-off.

72. We are now hiking on the actual Maude Island, 340 meters from the split. The path goes uphill at this point.

73-74. At 380 meters, there is one last split. Seymour Narrows is to the right, 150 meters away.

75. If you go left, there are a bunch of antennas 130 meters away.

76. But Maude Island Trail continues to the right. There is a lot of encroaching vegetation on this last stretch.

77-78. At 150 meters from the last split, at 530 meters from the split by Clay's shack, and 5.3 km from the trailhead, we reached the end of Maude Island Trail at Seymour Narrows viewpoint. Coordinates: N 50⁰07.761' W 125⁰20.879'. Elevation: 60 meters. Vancouver Island is in the background. There is a bit of industrial noise from remote mills.