Five Mile Beach Trail Features
– Five Mile Island view
-Conehead view
NOTE: Rennell Sound is subject to variable weather conditions, heavy rainfall, and landslide risk, particularly from September thru May. Be prepared for emergencies and road closures during weather events.
ABOUT
The Five Mile Beach Trail is located in Rennell Sound, just outside the Duu Guusd Conservancy. To reach this trail, and others in the area, one requires a good deal of patience and a high clearance vehicle because the old logging road out to Rennell is in poor shape and rife with large potholes. Once you make it, however, you will be rewarded with some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world.
If traveling from Daajing Giids, drive approximately 22 kilometers along the QC Mainline (use appropriate caution as these are active logging roads). You will come upon a blue sign with white text pointing you WEST towards the Duu Guusd Conservancy and Rennell Sound. You are now on the Rennell Sound Forest Service Road. From here, it is a 15 kilometer drive towards the Sound. Along the way, you will drive through Rennell Pass, including Rennell Hill with its steep 25% grade. While there is no longer active logging in this area, it is strongly recommended that you still drive with caution because the Rennell FSR is narrow and filled with significant potholes. For this reason, a high clearance vehicle is suggested.
LOCATING THE TRAILHEAD
Once at the bottom of Rennell Hill, you will come upon the Rennell Sound Recreation Site, which is rustic but features a boat launch, camping sites, and outhouses (no potable water). There are also beautiful views of the surrounding mountainscape. From here, drive approximately 3.7 kilometers north along the Rennell FSR. Once past the former dryland sort, you should spy the “5 Mile Beach BC Forest Recreation Trail” sign to your LEFT. A small pullout with space for two or three vehicles is immediately behind the trailhead marker. Welcome to the Five Mile Beach Trail!
HIKING THE TRAIL
The Five Mile Beach Trail is short and straightforward. Clocking in at just 180 meters, it should take no more than a few minutes to reach the rocky beach. The trail, while not formally maintained, is clear. Step with caution as you near the beach, however, because there are some minor tree roots to watch out for. Once at the beach, take some time to admire the rocky shore, the surrounding mountains, and the eye-catching Five Mile Island. For those wishing to camp, there is space to set up a small tent just off the trail, adjacent the beach.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TOTAL DISTANCE: 180 meters (one-way)
TIME: Less than 5 minutes
TYPE: Out-and-Back
ELEVATION GAIN: None