Heading north from the trailhead, it is 17 km to Nels Bight, where nearly 2 km of flat white sand and pounding surf awaits you. On the way, hikers can camp at Eric Lake (3 km) or near a hiker's shelter at 11 km.

Walk through to Guise Bay for another beautiful surf beach and from there go north through sand dunes to the jeep road leading for about 2 km through lush vegetation to the lighthouse at Cape Scott.

Boil, filter or treat all drinking water before consuming. Water for human consumption can be found in the many streams at Cape Scott Provincial Park and is suitable for drinking if well-boiled, treated or filtered. Please note that drinking water is not available at the Cape Scott Lighthouse. At Nels Bight, a water pipe has been installed by the Parks staff in order to prevent pollution of the water supply.

Click for companies that offer Hiking & Backpacking services, or visit our Recreation section for more information on Hiking and Backpacking in British Columbia.

Trail information for Vancouver Island is provided in three superb Hiking Trails guides by the Vancouver Island Trails Information Society.