EAST BEACH TRAIL FEATURES:
Miles of remote beach
White Cliffs
Wild Cows
ABOUT
Often described as “Haida Gwaii’s version of the West Coast Trail,” the East Beach Trail wilderness hike is a multi-day trek that will take you from the Tlell Day Use area all the way up towards Cape Fife and, if you’re feeling up to it, Rose Spit and Tow Hill. The total length of the hike depends on your desired exit point. If you choose to conclude your adventure at Cape Fife, you’ll have hiked approximately 78 kilometres when it’s all said and done; or, if you choose to do the Rose Spit loop, the total length of the trail is about 89 kilometres. Either way, it’s a long sojourn and Parks Canada recommends 4 to 8 days to complete the hike; however, the happy medium seems to be anywhere between 3 to 5 days, depending upon one’s fitness level and ambition.
Because this hike is multi-day, it is different from others on Haida Gwaii (the majority of which are day hikes or shorter). In brief, East Beach demands much greater preparation. In order to do this hike, and do it safely, we’d recommend some pre-planning by considering the following:
- It is suggested that you hike SOUTH to NORTH so that prevailing winds will be at your back. Hiking in this direction should also shield you from being directly hit by torrential rains.
- Bring enough supplies to last the length of your hike (in days).
- Ensure you bring enough water OR a good quality water filter (we suggest LifeStraw). Fresh water is surprisingly difficult to come by along East Beach. If using a water filter, don’t be alarmed by the “brown” colour of your water – it’s perfectly safe to drink!
- Have knowledge of – and be able to read – a tide table. Sections of East Beach should be completed on a low or receding tide.
- Plan to cross rivers on a receding tide; the 3 major rivers along this route cannot be safely navigated on a high tide. We’ve seen unprepared hikers who started their adventure “whenever” and had to wait 5+ hours to cross a river!
- The area known as “White Cliffs” is approximately 20 kilometres long and MUST be completed on a receding tide. If you get caught here on a rising tide, that could spell trouble!
- There are 2 recognized shelters along the route: The first is at Cape Ball and the second is at Cape Fife. Older maps of East Beach indicate another shelter near the Oeanda River; however, we didn’t notice it (didn’t take the time to look!). There are other informal shelters along the way, too, signified by buoys and floats on driftwood.
The East Beach Trail, while long and somewhat arduous, can be a fun adventure with the above points
kept in mind.
Once you cross the Cape Ball River, you’ll encounter the White Cliffs. Again, do this on a receding tide because the cliffs go on for some 20 kilometres and you don’t want to get stuck here! Nevertheless, this area of East Beach is extremely photogenic and, for us, represented one of the highlights. Once you clear the White Cliffs, there is “some interesting landscape but [it gets] mostly monotonous,” to quote another write-up. In short, it’s miles and miles of sand, interspersed with dunes and – in one area called the junk pile – a lot of debris from overseas.
Despite the length of the East Beach hike, there’s really not much to say in terms of narrative. Hiking from the Tlell River Day Use area, you’ll begin in a lovely and lush forest, which runs for about 2 kilometres. From here, you’ll emerge along the banks of the Tlell River and trek for the better part of 4 kilometres towards the Pesuta Shipwreck. Along the way, you might spy river otters frolicking in the Tlell and you’ll most definitely come across a couple of abandoned cabins – the perfect place to rest and have a snack!
As you approach the Pesuta, the sand dunes will undoubtedly grab your attention. From Pesuta, you’ll cross the Mayer River and make your way toward Cape Ball, which is approximately 6 kilometres down East Beach. While the sand is mostly firm, we found that comfortable footwear, i.e.: crocs are ideal here as it gives your feet a bit of a break . . . something you’ll need because you’ll be walking on a LOT of sand!
Anyway, the Cape Ball Shelter represents a nice place to stop depending upon your time of arrival. The shelter, restored in 2017, is small and rustic, but beats staying out in the elements! Speaking of which, did you know Cape Ball may have historically been a watering hole for mammoths? Research conducted in 2015 discovered a large abundance of dung-eating fungi under a layer of peat.
After crossing the Oeanda (the largest river along East Beach), you have the option of hiking along the beach OR exploring the grasslands and wild strawberry fields. For us, the grasslands were a welcomed change of pace, if only because they offered different scenery… . for a while. Seriously, you’d almost think you were transported over to the prairies – not the “edge of the world!” After a time, Cape Fife will come into view and this can be an early exit point or a rest stop before continuing on to Rose Spit and Tow Hill. The Cape Fife Shelter is large and luxurious in comparison to Cape Ball. You may find it difficult to leave 😉
We explored the Rose Spit loop and enjoyed the salty air and seeing Hecate Strait and Dixon Entrance meet. It’s so cool to observe East Beach and North Beach on opposite piles of driftwood! On the other hand, this area is kind of funny, too, because you get passed by many a local and tourists on their vehicles, either food gathering or checking out the culturally significant Rose Spit. Still, it’s fun because you encounter another (small) shipwreck – the Kelly Ruth – and get the pleasure of seeing Tow Hill from a unique perspective.
We did not encounter much wildlife on our East Beach explorations: Some eagles, ravens, beach crabs, a few deer, and a small herd of the fabled wild cows. We came across some bear paw prints, but no bears. Interestingly, as we got further north, we did observe a few carcasses on the beach. It was difficult to tell what they were, due to their states of decomposition, but I’d guess small whales. They smelled lovely 😉
At day’s end, is East Beach worth the time? Absolutely, if you want to partake in an epic hike; however, we wouldn’t say it’s essential. There are plenty of worthy day trips at either end of East Beach (Pesuta, Tow Hill and Rose Spit) – just drive the highway in between! And, if you really want to see the enormous White Cliffs, you can do so as part of a day hike that includes Pesuta because it’s entirely possible to hike out to the start of the Cliffs near Cape Ball and return to the Tlell Day Use site within the span of a day.
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TOTAL DISTANCE: 89 kilometers
TIME: Multi-day
TYPE: Point-to-Point
ELEVATION GAIN: None