We’re still a few years away from backcountry camping with our daughter, but we got a little taste of it this year with a car-free, public transit camping trip to Saysutshun (Newcastle Island). It wasn’t as intense as hiking up a mountain, but there was enough walking that we needed to ensure we could comfortably carry all of our food and supplies.
Before our trip, we went through all of our gear and carefully decided what to bring and what to leave behind. The big Coleman stove was dumped in favour of a small backcountry burner. The tarps were left behind as there wasn’t any rain in the forecast. The hardest decision was choosing if we would bring our small thermarests or our double air mattress. It was contentious but I insisted on carrying the air mattress, which isn’t that heavy but does take up a lot of space. I slept great, so I don’t regret the decision at all.
Getting to Sayshutshun from Vancouver by public transit was relatively straightforward. It only involved a bus, a SkyTrain, another bus to get to Horseshoe Bay, a BC Ferry ride over to Nanaimo, another bus to different Nanaimo harbour, and finally a private ferry over to the island. Honestly, it’s easier than it sounds.
The new Hullo ferry would make things simpler and faster (getting rid of two bus rides), but it only started operating a week after our trip. Next time we’ll definitely try it out.
We stopped at the grocery store in Nanaimo and bought our food for the weekend. There’s a little cafe on Saysutshun that serves veggie burgers and french fries (among other meaty options). We didn’t try it, but it was nice to know we had a backup if we ran low on food.
The campsites are all walk-in, with a tent pad, picnic table, and a large bin to store your food in overnight safe from animals. Our site (16) was nicely shaded and had lots of privacy from the neighbouring sites.
There are wagons available on the island to help carry your gear from the dock to your campsite.
The island has lots of hiking trails and an interesting coastline to explore. With the tide coming up and down there is always something new to see.
The water around the island is surprisingly warm and swimmable.
And the patterns on the sandstone rocks are beautiful.
The island was heavily industrialized a hundred years ago and you can find signs of the old coal mines and sandstone quarries scattered around.
There is also a rich indigenous history. We really appreciated reading about it in the guidebook and learning the legend of the white raccoon. The local Snuneymuxw First Nation offers interpretive walks, but you need to book them in advance and there weren’t any the weekend we visited.
There’s a little rental shop on the island with kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards, and bikes to help you explore. The highlight of our weekend was renting a canoe and paddling to Midden Bay on the northwest corner of the island.
Along the shore, we spotted sea stars, a playful family of river otters, and a raccoon who was scavenging for sea creatures to eat. At the time we thought it was the rare white raccoon and it really made our day, but it wasn’t.
In our 3 days camping on the island, we saw an abundance of wildlife. Every night our campsite was visited by a deer and a little mouse who enjoyed scurrying up the outside of our tent. We made sure all of our food was safely locked away when we weren’t eating. We also saw a seal, rabbits, woodpeckers, and crabs.
If you’re looking for a car-free camping trip from Vancouver, I think Saysutshun is the best option available. The island is beautiful with lots of areas to explore by foot, bike, or kayak; it’s easy to get to if you’re ready to carry all of your gear for short distances; and the campground is blissfully quiet without the noise of automobiles or RV generators. Reservations can be booked four months in advance on the BC Parks website.
Canadian Veggie 