By Keith and Heather Nicol
Welcome to Denman Island |
On July 6 ten
cyclists from nearby Courtenay- Comox area decided to head to Denman Island to
cycle and walk on the south end of the island. Our group caught the 10 am ferry
from Buckley Bay and were armed with facemasks as one of the BC Ferry
precautions with Covid 19. By 10:15 we were cycling up our first hill on Denman
Island and took Lacon Road south which was a good choice since most of the car
traffic heading to Hornby Island used Denman Road. Lacon Road is a fun rolling
road to cycle since it is elevated above the water of Baynes Sound . You
get periodic ocean and mountain views between the tall trees that line the
road. We turned left at McFarlane Road which connects to the eastern side of
the island and then turned right on East Road toward the Gravelly Bay which is
the ferry terminal for Hornby Island. From there the plan was to carry on East
Road to Boyle Point Provincial Park and walk along the scenic trail to the end
of Denman Island. Allow about 70 -80 minutes to get to this entrance of Boyle Point
Park if you cycle at a leisurely pace.
Viewing the eagle's nest from Boyle Point Provincial Park |
This trail is our
favourite hike on Denman Island since it leads to an elevated view of Chrome
Island Lighthouse. The trail is about 1 km long with a short side trail to Eagle
Rock. Another bonus of this trail is the view of the eagle’s nest which is easy
to find since you simply take a side trail to the right for 10 or so meters
after you reach the end of the trail. The eagle’s nest is below you so you can
look directly down into it to see any eagle chicks or adult birds that might be
using the nest. On this visit there was 1 chick in the nest with some adult
birds coming and going so bring binoculars and a camera! We ate lunch at the end of the trail and then
made our way back to the ferry.
Denman Island roads have no shoulder but little traffic so is a fun place to cycle |
Overall the
distance cycling and walking (1 way) is about 14-15 km from the ferry terminal
to the Chrome Island Lighthouse viewpoint. That includes 1 km of walking, 2 km of cycling on good gravel road and the rest is pavement. Denman Island has
no shoulders for cycling but has limited traffic so it is an enjoyable destination
for cycling. If you want less traffic go
and come on Lacon Road but you can also do a loop which follows East and Denman
Roads . You can also stop in at Fillongley Provincial Park which has a nice
beach and small picnic area and some interesting grounds to explore. Our group
used a mix of road bikes and e bikes. The wider tires of the e bikes performed
better on the gravel and of course made short work of the hills that we did
encounter. Happy and safe cycling.
View of Chrome Island Lighthouse from the viewpoint at Boyle Point |
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