Description
Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook!
Known for its beautiful landscapes, abundant wildlife and laid-back atmosphere, Vancouver Island is just a short ferry ride away from the bustling Lower Mainland but often feels like an entirely different world. Though the city of Victoria in the south of the Island offers every modern convenience (and plenty of colonial charm), as you move north and west along the Island the cities get smaller and further apart, the trees get bigger and your opportunities for outdoor adventure grow exponentially. From surfing and whale-watching in Tofino to viewing some of the world’s largest trees in Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island’s natural treasures have to be seen to be believed. Get away from it all on a multi-day hike along the West Coast Trail, reel in the catch of a lifetime in Campbell River, the “Salmon Capital of the World,” or explore the many charming Gulf Islands – Vancouver Island is yours to discover.
The 8th edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook features extensive updates and upgrades from our last publication. These include the addition of private land, fish species, higher resolution for wildlife management units, enhanced and updated resource roads, cartographic symbol updates, multi-use trail and fish stocking charts and four new maps at 1:150,000 base scale, as well as an inset map of the Sayward Canoe Route. As usual, we have also expanded and refined our written Adventure listings to get you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible for your adventure of choice.
VANCOUVER ISLAND MAP BOOK FEATURES:
Topographic Maps
In your durable, heavy-duty, spiral-bound 21.5 cm x 28 cm (8.5″ x 11″) Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find 63 detailed topographic maps spanning the region, complete with labeled recreation sites, amenities, highways, backcountry roads, trails and other points-of-interest. Not only are these maps user-friendly, but they boast a level of cartographic sophistication unparalleled even by government resources – making them the maps of choice for search-and-rescue.
Service Directory
In addition to our maps, we list Vancouver Island accommodations, services, tours, and amenities, including information on the top Vancouver Island outfitters and whale-watching tours.
Adventures
Our detailed adventure section is one of the features that makes your Backroad Mapbook so much more than a map of Vancouver Island. From hiking to hunting, ATVing, paddling, wildlife viewing and beyond, our team of writers and researchers have come up with the most comprehensive adventure information you will find anywhere.
Index
New to this edition, our Index is divided into Map and Adventure sections to make it even easier to use. You will find page numbers and map coordinates for each activity and location, plus important numbers, distance charts and an advertiser list for easy referencing.
Backroad Adventures
In the latest edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find close to 100 listings for the best things to see and do while travelling along the Island’s highways, backroads and city roads. From the towering old-growth trees of Cathedral Grove to Victoria’s many heritage buildings, Vancouver Island has a unique adventure around every corner.
Fishing Adventures
Vancouver Island is famous for its fishing, including all types of salmon (most notably sockeye salmon), steelhead, cutthroat and rainbow trout, dollies, kokanee and smallmouth bass. In your Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find close to 400 listings for the best river, lake and ocean fishing locations on the Island, as well as stocking charts for the many stocked fish species on the Island.
Hunting Adventures
Vancouver Island offers plenty of hunting opportunities, most notably for black-tailed deer. In the latest edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find detailed listings for all 15 of the Island’s (and surrounding) WMUs (Wildlife Management Units), along with information on the Island’s main hunting species as well as tips and important resources.
Paddling Adventures
BC Ferries are not the only way of touring the waters around Vancouver Island. Ocean kayaking here Island is second to none, with plenty of bays coves, beaches and smaller islands to explore. With a little luck, you may just catch a glimpse of the Island’s most famous residents, orca (killer) whales. Along with lake and river paddling routes, the newest edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook has 80 detailed listings for the best places to paddle on and around the Island.
Park Adventures
Vancouver Island is home to some of the world’s most stunning parks, including the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and Strathcona Provincial Park. In the latest edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find over 250 detailed listings for Provincial, National and Regional Parks, complete with easy-to-read activity symbols, information on camping reservations, access and more.
Rec Site Adventures
Your Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook is your ultimate guide to remote and rustic day-use and camp sites. With over 150 Rec Site listings, we cover the best off-the-grid sites on the Island, from Alice Lake to Victoria Lake.
Trail Adventures
From long-distance, multi-day treks along the West Coast Trail or to the Cape Scott Lighthouse, to leisurely strolls through regional parks and to easy-access scenic lookouts, we tell you everything you need to know including trail difficulty, access, distance, elevation gain, highlights and more. In your Vancouver Island Backroads Mapbook you will find close to 300 multi-use trail listings, along with trail charts for several long distance trails and parks.
ATV Adventures
As you explore Vancouver Island’s sprawling network of logging roads and ATV trails, enjoy unparalleled views of the Georgia Strait and Coast Mountains. The latest edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook gives you dozens of detailed listings for the best places to ride your ATV or dirt bike on the Island.
Snowmobile Adventures
With elevations as high as 2,000 m (6,562 ft), the Island offers many months of great snowmobiling. While there are not many formal designated areas, there are thousands of kilometres of logging roads and remote forests and mountain ranges open for riding. In the latest edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find dozens of detailed listings for the best places to snowmobile on the Island.
Wildlife Adventures
While Vancouver Island is most famous for its orca whales, there are plenty of other species of both aquatic and land animals to see on the Island, from seals and otters to black bears and various songbirds. In your Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find over 100 detailed listings for the best places to see the Island’s wild inhabitants.
Winter Adventures
With bountiful snow packs throughout the Island’s mountains and world-class skiing and snowboarding at Mount Washington Resort, there is no shortage of places to play on the Island once winter hits and the snow falls. In the latest edition of our Vancouver Island Backroad Mapbook you will find dozens of listings for winter recreation on the Island.
Regional Cities/Parks: Alert Bay, Campbell River, Chemainus, Comox, Courtenay, Duncan, Gulf Islands, Gold River, Lake Cowichan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Qualicum Beach, Sayward, Sidney, Sooke, Telegraph Cove, Tofino, Ucluelet, Victoria & more
