Seal Bay Trails

Seal Bay Nature Trails

The Seal Bay Nature Trails are situated about 10 km North of Courtenay. You can click to find a map. You access the trails by way of Bates Road and the park or reserve is clearly marked. You can view this as two separate trails or as one which happens to be intersected by the road. The trail to the west is the swamp trail. It is the longer of the two. The path is well groomed and undemanding. A lovely walk on a hot midsummer afternoon because in the forest it is so cool and fresh. The Salish name for the reserve is Xwee Xwhwa Luq which means "place with atmosphere of peace and serenity.

When I am given a choice of two trails, if one is an inland trail and the other is a coastal trail, I always assume that the coastal trail will be more interesting. A bad assumption.

The "swamp side" of this hike takes about an hour and a half....I find it hard to make these estimates because there are little branch offs and then I also hike with a dog. Dogless people may be a little faster. It is a lovely walk. There is a pond with wild water lilies. I tried to take a photograph but did not do justice to the subject. I will try again and hopefully will have a picture to add then.

Once you have done the swamp circle you will return to Bates Beach Road. If you cross that road, you will find yourself on another trail. This trail is flat and well groomed. There is a wheel chair accessible entrance to the trail off SeaBank Rd. This trail will take you to an area overlooking the ocean. There are also a number of lookouts over deep ravines cut into the bedrock and clothed in ferns.

Branching off from the wheel chair accessible portion of the trail, is a trail that leads down to the beach. It is just a short path but that few hundred feet was enough to tax my aging joints and leave me puffing on the way up.