The Sayward Forest Canoe Route is a loop of about a dozen lakes in the working forest northwest of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. Recreation Sites and Trails BC puts it at about 47 km: 39 km of paddling and 8 km over a dozen portages, the longest a 2.3 km carry from Surprise to Brewster Lake. Most parties take three to four days and travel counter-clockwise, as the province recommends. Logging roads reach many of the lakes, and Morton Lake Provincial Park and the Pacific Yew recreation site on Mohun Lake are convenient starts with launches and parking. Camps range from rustic water-access sites to drive-in recreation sites, which charge fees; the circuit itself is free and needs no registration. Creeks can run shallow by late summer and pushy in high water, and the stretch from Brewster to Fry Lake has short rapids to scout. Logging trucks have the right of way on the access roads.
The difficulty of Sayward Forest Canoe Route varies by section. Whitewater ratings are not exact: grades change with water level and season. Verify current conditions locally before you paddle.
The best time is Summer to early fall.
Sayward Forest Canoe Route is located in the Vancouver Island region of Canada.
Straight-line distance between route centres.
westernadventures.ca · bcparks.ca · sitesandtrailsbc.ca · offtracktravel.ca · en.wikipedia.org
Conditions change with water level and season. Grades and positions are for planning, not navigation. Verify locally before you paddle. Terms of use
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