While the actual distance from Vancouver to Powell River on BC’s Sunshine Coast is only about 125 km (78 miles), it’s a 4 to 5 hour trip by car because it involves two ferry crossings of 40 to 50 minutes each.

I was born in Powell River and spent the first ten years of my life there. We made the trip back and forth many times for everything from medical appointments to visiting family in the city. Later, after moving to Vancouver, we returned to Powell River to visit my grandparents who continued to live there. Never during all those years did we ever stop to explore the peninsula between the Langdale and Earls Cove ferry terminals. To me, the trip always seemed like a mad dash along the narrow, winding highway to get from one ferry to the next. More than once, we arrived just as the ferry pulled away and had to wait for the next one!

It’s been about 20 years since I last returned to PR and this time I decided to make it a more leisurely trip. Instead of rushing from one ferry to the next, we spent 24 hours exploring the peninsula and spent the night with a good friend at Sechelt. We also enjoyed a hike to Smuggler Cove.

After the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 ex-Royal Navy seaman, Larry Kelly, used the tranquil waters of Smuggler Cove to collect cargoes of unemployed Chinese labourers who each paid him $100 to smuggle them into the United States where they hoped to find work. Later, during Prohibition (1920-1933) rum-runners used Smuggler Cove as a safe haven.

The hike to Smuggler Cove is a fairly easy one. The first part is a well-maintained trail and includes sections of boardwalk that pass through a wetland area, largely the work of resident beavers.

Further on, the trail becomes slightly more challenging but it’s still not difficult. Hiking through the coastal rainforest, life beneath the canopy is lush with numerous kinds of ferns and fungi.

Without question, though, the highlight of the hike is the cove itself. So beautiful and so serene! Hubby was curious about the building in the second photo that would only be accessible by water. 

At the end of the in and out hike, before beginning the trek back to our vehicle, we sat for awhile in this beautiful spot. After experiencing the destructive power of an “atmospheric river” that caused serious damage and claimed at least three lives just a few days earlier while we were staying in North Vancouver, these peaceful ocean waters were a boon to my soul!