There are plenty of activities (besides hiking!) that you can enjoy while you are on the Sunshine Coast Trail. Here are just a few you should come prepared for:
Geocaching
This popular outdoor treasure hunt activity requires a GPS and a big kid attitude! There are several geocaches hidden along the SCT that you can go searching for! Check out www.geocaching.com for more information about geocaching, and to find registered geocaches along the trail.
Swimming
Going for a summer hike along the SCT? Be sure to bring your swimming shorts! There are lots of great places to stop for a swim — many of them noted in the Sunshine Coast Trail guidebook. There’s nothing like a refreshing swim after a hot day of hiking, after all!
Canoeing
There are several places along the SCT that are suitable for canoeing — like Big Sliammon Lake, Inland Lake, Powell Lake, Goat Lake and more. Furthermore, parts of the SCT intersect with spots on Powell River’s great Powell Forest Canoe Route (which traverses 8 lakes in a chain). Check out the symbols on the SCT maps, or ask at Tourism Powell River for more information on great canoeing spots.
Bird Watching
Sit quietly for a while at any point along the Sunshine Coast Trail and you are bound to see and hear any number of feathered friends. Kingfishers, pileated woodpeckers, marbled murrelets, bald eagles and more. If you’re a bird watching fan, be sure to bring your binoculars! Check out our Wildlife Encounters page for more detailed information.
Plant Identification
Botany buffs will get their thrills along the SCT as wild flowers and interesting plants bloom all around. Check out Eagle Walz’s SCT Guidebook for hints as to times of year and places to find treasures like chocolate lilies, rhododendron groves, and more. Check out our Plants, Berries & Flowers page for more detailed information.
Photography
There are so many great spots for photography along the Sunshine Coast Trail that it would be impossible to recommend a list of spots. Be sure of one thing — don’t forget your camera! Serious amateur photographers would be well advised to bring a tripod along, especially for photos in lower-light wooded areas, and a polarizing filter. Appleton Canyon is a great spot to take wonderful waterfall pictures, particularly when the falls are running high in the spring.
