Travel to Nootka Island
There are a number of ways to get to Nootka Island from Vancouver Island:
- Gold River to Nootka Island ...
- by plane
- by ferry
- by small boat
- Tahsis to Nootka Island ...
Check them all to see which works for you
Many hikers fly in to the Trailhead at Louie Lagoon & catch the ferry back from Yuquot (Friendly Cove) to Gold River.
- Travel to Nootka Island
- Flying Gold River — Nootka Island
You can fly from
- Gold River (less expensive) or ...
- Tofino (more expensive)
Flying out of Gold River on Air Nootka is a good option. This is a great company & a good source of recent information on Trail conditions.
Air Nootka has 3 different planes you can hire depending on how many hikers you have in your group. Air Nootka costs.
A float plan will drop you in the Louie Lagoon trailhead, about a 45 minute scenic flight over the very coast you’ll be hiking.
Air Nookta is not normally able to take fully loaded aircraft out of Louie Lagoon due to the rising terrain, shortness of the take off area and very unpredictable winds. This works well for hikers in that it keeps people travelling the same direction so we see fewer people en route.
Air Nootka’s been accident free since start-up in 1981, in case you’re nervous about flying in a small plane.
You could fly in LATE in the day if necessary as it’s less than 1 hour to the campsite at Third Beach.
Air Nootka plane.
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- Travel to Nootka Island
- Ferry Gold River — Nootka Island
Summer only (e.g. June 19 to September 14, 2002), the Uchuck III freighter / passenger ferry (a converted WWII mine-sweeper) travels twice / week between Gold River and Yuquot (Friendly Cove). This is a marvellous, scenic, noisy trip. The chilli, sandwiches & cookies are great too — especially when you’ve just come off the Nootka Trail!
If you are flying in during high season it is recommended that you reserve your Ferry tickets out as the Uchuck may be full of day passengers.
If you do want to travel by ferry, you must schedule your trip around the ferry connection. Why? The Uchuck only trips to Friendly Cove on Wednesdays & Saturdays:
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you want to be off the Nootka by Saturday, July 15th. You’d like to have 6 nights on the Trail. This would allow you 1 or 2 rest days & time to investigate Friendly Cove.
Day 1 = 9th
Day 2 = 10th
Day 3 = 11th
Day 4 = 12th
Day 5 = 13th
Day 6 = 14th
Day 7 = Saturday, July 15th
Therefore you’d need to book your flight in to the Louie Bay trailhead for Sunday, July 9th.
Still confused? Check Uchuck costs & details.
Uchuck III picking up kayaker.
- Travel to Nootka Island
- Boat Tahsis — Nootka Island, or
- Boat Gold River — Nootka Island
If the ferry schedule doesn't work for you, go by boat.
Contributor Peter Gumplinger prefers boating from Tahsis to Louie Bay. (There is no way a power boat can go into Louie Lagoon where the float plane lands. Be sure you get dropped in Louie Bay, not Louie Lagoon if you go by boat.)
Lost bushwhacking on this route in 1999, Peter and crew got it right in 2002. Photos.
Peter was dropped near Tongue Point, hiked along the north-west side of Louie Bay to the isthmus, staying close to the side not to get stuck in the mud, then through a steep and narrow corridor (only possible at low tide) until a blue rope up the south cliffs showed the easiest exit. (The rope was handy but not actually needed.)
From there it was a relatively easy walk to Third Beach on a more scenic, much less traveled, and hence much less muddy trail than the Air Nootka route.
Peter feels this approach is superior in every respect (tidal mud flats, rusted metal junk to investigate, an isthmus, coves and sea caves) — and it adds a nice hiking day to the start of the trip rather than the hour slog day 1 on the Air Nootka route.
Peter boated in and out of Tahsis with a private boat working for Esperanza Shantymen Ministries. It is not a taxi service but they sometimes run people to the Nootka when the boat is available. Contact them at:
- Telephone (250) 934-7792
- FAX (250) 934-7792
- Esperanza via Box 398 Tahsis BC V0P 1X0 Canada
- info@esperanza.ca
Tatchu Adventures is no longer providing transport for hikers, we understand.
Tatchu Adventure boat
Boat transport to the Nootka Trail has sometimes been considered less safe, but weather permitting, we recommend it.
There are other boat charters out of Tahsis:
You might try to hire a water taxi (small boat) to carry you Gold River - Friendly Cove. Check at the dock or call Max at Maxie's Water Taxi — 250 283-2282 — or fax 250 283-2335 — about C$270 one way Gold River - Friendly Cove.
Or try Ray Williams Water Taxi (Yuquot) on VHG radio Channel 66, call My Sandy.
Some have even kayaked from Vancouver Island to Nootka Island.
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This page last revised Thursday, July 6, 2006
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