Guide to the Sunshine Coast in the fall
The Sunshine Coast is one of our favourite places to visit year round, but when the leaves start changing colour and the temperature drops, it’s one of the first places we think of for an autumn weekend away. And with our current van build under way we were looking for an opportunity to get away for a couple of days and test a few features on the van.
One of the main reasons we often head to the coast is how easily accessible it is from Whistler, (and from Vancouver too). Horseshoe bay, where the ferries depart from is less than an hour and a half drive from Whistler with the ferry itself taking only forty minutes. Check out the most up to date ferry schedule here.
Fall on the Sunshine Coast BC
The ferry is crossing is beautiful, and the Sunshine Coast feels worlds away from the busyness of Vancouver. With sleepy towns and picturesque beaches, it’s the perfect place to take a few days and completely escape from it all.
Find a beach and watch the sunset
One of our first stops off the ferry is Persephone Brewing Company, a farm style brewery serving local craft beers. Persephones is in Gibsons, close to the ferry but there are so many great breweries and ciders located on the coast you could make an entire weekend itinerary based around them. Some of our favourites are the Bricker Cider Company in Sechelt and Tapworks in Gibsons.
Top Tip: go for a tasting flight to sample the local beers
If you’re feeling like a fall hike, the Sunshine Coast has plenty of beautiful ones. Langdale falls in Gibsons is an easy hike to a stunning waterfall, and a perfect one for a rainy day given that its mostly in the trees. On a sunny day give Soames Hill a try, for views all across the bay, or further up the coast, Skookumchuck narrows to watch the standing wave across the inlet.
Views from the top of Soames Hill
If mountain biking is more your style, fall is a great time to ride on the coast. The trails are generally pretty quiet this time of year. The forest feels fresh and green and rain helps the trails become loamy and soft. The trails off BNK forest service road are great on a fall weekend, with iTrail and Mach Chicken being some of the more popular ones. Sprockids trail centre in Gibsons is great for some climbing trails and flowy descents through the woods, and if you want to ride some big jump trails (or just get an uplift) make sure you head to Coast Gravity Park.
A little off-roading adventure on a rainy fall day
After a day of activities on the Coast there are some amazing places to camp and watch the sun go down. The coast has two provincial campgrounds, Porpoise Bay and Roberts Creek, and there are also tons of spots where you can stay on Crown land. (in Canada you can camp on Crown Land for free for up to 21 days in one spot). We’ve found some beautiful spots to stay on the Sunshine Coast, and although we’re not ready to share our regular spots with the world, with a little bit of exploring you can find some truly amazing places.
