Kagan Bay Beach Trail
Oysters on the shore
Camping grounds with fire pits
Water activities
ABOUT
Located west of Daajing Giids, and approximately 3 kilometres along the Honna Forest Service road, is the Kagan Bay Beach Trail. The Kagan Bay Beach recreational site offers six user-maintained campsites, all of which face the beach.
Each site features a picnic table and fire ring (perfect for roasting hotdogs or marshmallows!), and there is a single – very basic – outhouse meant to service all 6 sites.
At low tide, it’s not uncommon to see Great Blue Herons on the pebbly beach, or locals harvesting luscious bivalves like oysters and clams. The area is ideal for kayakers and those looking to get out into nature, but not too far into the wild. Right across the beach on any of the campsites, there was a supposed oyster farm that used to operate in the area. It has now since been discontinued, but the chances of anyone finding oysters are not uncommon.
Of interest to hikers and beachcombers, the Haida Gwaii Trails Strategy identifies this area as the informal “Kagan Bay Beach Trail.” This rough, unmaintained route basically follows the shoreline and acts primarily as a link to the six campsites.
In that regard, we wouldn’t really call it a recreational trail – it’s more functional – but one could walk beyond the campsites and explore more of the rugged coastal terrain if they so wished. In fact, on a low tide, if you’re feeling really adventurous, it is possible to hike around the point (the official “end” of the Kagan Beach Trail) for another 770 meters and link up to Tarundl.
We should note that the Kagan Bay Recreation Area basically ends at the Kagan Log Sort. When you arrive at this part of the road, you will see a sign indicating the route for “Public Beach Access.” It is not advisable to drive beyond the Sort without a 4×4 vehicle.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TOTAL DISTANCE : 2.7 kilometres (return)
TIME: 1 hour
TYPE: Out and back
ELEVATION GAIN: None