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SATURNA ISLAND
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Boat Passage [370 Kb]
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Saturna Island is the easternmost of B.C.'s Gulf Islands.
With a population barely exceeding 300, it is also the least
developed of the southern Gulf Islands accessible by ferry.
Most of the island has been incorporated into the
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, officially established
on May 9, 2003.
The scenic ferry ride linking Saturna Island to the Swartz Bay
terminal north of Victoria can be as short as one hour, but is
typically much longer with stops or transfers at other islands.
There are no camping facilities on Saturna Island, but a number
of establishments offer overnight accommodation.
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East Point [168 Kb]
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At the northwest corner of the island is Winter Cove, with
a small picnic site, boat ramp, and trails along the shoreline
and through the forest. One short trail leads to Boat Passage,
a narrow water passage separating Saturna Island from Samuel Island.
The current through Boat Passage is swift, running as fast as seven
knots. At the extreme east end of Saturna Island is East Point, with
its time-sculptured sandstone bluffs typical of many of the Gulf Islands.
During flood tides, a back eddy channeled between East Point and
Tumbo Island gives rise to two strong converging currents
at Boiling Reef just off the tip of East Point.
The nutrient rich turbulent waters support a large variety of
wildlife; seals, sea lions, and river otters are almost always
present, and orcas frequent the area as well.
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The view from Cliffside Road [322 Kb]
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A pleasant 15 minute walk from East Point along Cliffside Road is where
our property is located. Building on this site will be a challenge
since there is no water available; rainwater will have to be collected
off the roof and stored in cisterns, a common practice in this area.
The property is technically waterfront, however a 20 meter sheer cliff
separates the building site from the shoreline. There are sweeping vistas
south to the San Juan Islands and to the nearly constant marine traffic
plying the waters of Boundary Pass.
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Near Narvaez Bay [432 Kb]
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Another area worth visiting is Narvaez Bay, located at the end
of Narvaez Bay Road.
A short trail links the parking area with a number of secluded
beaches and rocky shorlines, with views across the water to
East Point and the cliffs below Cliffside Road.
Parks Canada has established a picnic site at Narvaez Bay near
a onetime farm and orchard.
Along the trail back to the parking area, an overgrown side road
leads to some excellent views from precipitous Monarch Head.
Near the centre of Saturna Island is Mount Warburton Pike,
named for an early British settler in the area.
Most sources state the elevation of Mount Warburton Pike
as 497 metres, and claim that it is the second highest mountain in the
Gulf Islands. The true elevation however is much closer to 400 metres,
and there are several points higher on Saltspring Island.
Until I pointed out their error, even Parks Canada was propagating the
wrong elevation; their literature now places the elevation at 397 metres,
but it still mistakingly states that it is the second highest point
of land in the Gulf Islands.
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Brown Ridge [421 Kb]
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Mount Warburton Pike is reached
either by walking or driving up a dirt road. A trail runs east from the
summit along Brown Ridge, offering some of the most fantastic hiking in the
Gulf Islands. The trail weaves through a stand of oldgrowth Douglas-fir,
never out of site of the expansive views over the San Juan and Gulf Islands,
and extending south to the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. Feral goats roam
the ridge, adding to the eeriness of the mountain when it is enshrouded
in cloud. About three kilometers along Brown Ridge, the trail descends
to Taylor point, where another trail can be walked westward along the shoreline
to Saturna Beach.
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Evening at Winter Cove [222 Kb]
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Departing Saturna Island [372 Kb]
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Other stuff:
Panoramic pictures
Other pictures
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