Thinking about hiking Maple Mountain on Vancouver Island? Come with us from Maple Bay to Osborne Bay along the Blue and Yellow Trails, then use our firsthand tips, route details and map to plan your own hike.
Thinking about hiking Maple Mountain?
Come with us from Maple Bay to Osborne Bay Park as we follow the Blue and Yellow Trails past ocean views and changing forests, with everything you need to plan your own hike.
Maple Mountain surprised us.
We’ve hiked here before, but never from this direction. Starting from the Maple Bay side took us along a route that seemed to change personalities as we went. From dry summer forest and beautiful ocean views to a completely different world of lush green ferns and towering trees.
And after more than 17 years exploring Vancouver Island, we also had a hiking encounter we had somehow never experienced before! 😂
But what we really wanted to know was whether hiking Maple Mountain was worth it.
Our answer? Read on – or just watch the YouTube video to find out.
Come Hike Maple Mountain With Us
Want to see what this hike actually looks like before you decide?
We’ll show you the actual trail, ocean views, changing terrain, coloured trail markers and what surprised us along the way.
And yes, you’ll also see what happened when our hike took a rather unexpected turn. 😂
Then use the guide below to plan your own adventure.
Maple Mountain Hike at a Glance
Location: Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island
Route we hiked: Maple Bay toward Osborne Bay Park
Trails: Blue → Yellow → Blue
Difficulty: Moderate
Terrain: Forest trail with roots, rocks, leaves and regular elevation changes
Best part: Ocean views along the Yellow Trail and the changing forest
Footwear: Good hiking shoes
Hiking poles: Helpful if you like extra stability
Dogs: We brought our Golden Retriever and she loved it and we loved having her.
Our verdict: A beautiful, varied Cowichan Valley hike that’s especially good if you want ocean scenery without driving all the way to Vancouver Island’s west coast.
Where Do You Start the Maple Mountain Hike?
This is something worth figuring out before you get in the car.
Maple Mountain has several trails and more than one way onto the mountain. If you simply search “Maple Mountain” and start driving, you may not end up where you expect.
For this hike, we started from the Maple Bay side at the Maple Mountain Road trailhead.
Make your way toward Maple Bay and then to Maple Mountain Road, following it toward the Maple Mountain trail entrance located on the dead end road.
📍 Our Maple Mountain Trail Starting Point
We recommend saving the map on your phone before you start.
You’ll encounter colour-coded trail signs along the way, and knowing roughly where you’re headed makes the hike much more relaxing.
Which Maple Mountain Trail Should You Take?
Here’s one of the things we like about Maple Mountain:
You can make your own adventure.
For the hike you see in our video, we followed:
BLUE → YELLOW → BLUE
If you’re coming for the ocean, we’d definitely include the Yellow Trail.
But you don’t have to follow our entire route.
Use the trail network to create a loop that brings you back to your starting point.
Or make things even easier.
Hike as far as you want, enjoy the views, and turn around and follow the same route back to your car.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple.
The Hike Starts by Going Up
Don’t let all our talk about ocean views convince you that this is a flat seaside walk.
You’re hiking Maple Mountain.
We started gaining elevation almost immediately.
The good news is that this isn’t one relentless climb toward a summit. You’re traversing the mountain, so the trail rises and falls as you go.
Before long, you start working your way toward the ocean.
And that’s where this hike really gets good.
The Yellow Trail Is Where the Ocean Shows Up
If we were recommending one part of this route not to miss, this would be it.
The Yellow Trail brings you alongside Sansum Narrows with clear views towards Salt Spring Island.
You can’t always walk right down and touch the water, but for long stretches you can see it through the trees.
Boats pass below.
The trail ducks back into the forest.
Then another opening appears and there’s the ocean again.
On a beautiful Vancouver Island day, it’s gorgeous.
And here’s our advice:
Don’t rush this section.
Stop at one of the viewpoints.
Have some water.
Eat a snack.
Watch the boats.
You could certainly hike Maple Mountain faster than we did.
But why?
Sometimes the whole point is being out there.
How Difficult Is the Maple Mountain Hike?
We’d describe this route as moderate for reasonably active hikers.
But the climbing isn’t necessarily the part we’d be most concerned about.
Watch your feet.
There are roots everywhere, along with rocks, uneven ground and plenty of opportunities to trip if you’re busy staring at the ocean.
We hiked in late August and fallen leaves were already covering parts of the trail. In a few places they made the ground surprisingly slippery when hiking downhill.
Wear good hiking shoes.
This isn’t an extreme wilderness expedition, but proper footwear will make the hike considerably more enjoyable.
If you normally use a hiking pole, bring it. The extra stability can be helpful, particularly when the trail is slippery.
Then Maple Mountain Completely Changes
This might have been our favourite surprise.
The first portion of our hike had the colours of a dry Vancouver Island summer.
Brown.
Yellow.
Rock.
Evergreens.
And lots of blue ocean.
Then, well into the second half of the hike, everything changed.
Ferns.
Green everywhere.
As you move around to the north side of the mountain, there’s less direct sunlight and the forest becomes noticeably damper and greener.
It genuinely feels like you’ve walked onto a different hike.
That’s what makes this route interesting.
There isn’t necessarily one enormous viewpoint at the end that makes everything before it worthwhile.
The journey is the attraction.
The forest changes.
The ocean comes and goes.
The trail rises and falls.
And around the next corner, Maple Mountain can suddenly look completely different.
Don’t Just Follow Any Colour
The colour-coded trail signs make navigating Maple Mountain easier, but pay attention to where those colours are taking you.
Our Blue and Yellow combination gave us exactly the kind of hike we wanted.
Then there’s the Pink Trail.
Let’s just say you shouldn’t see the colour pink and assume:
That sounds pleasant. 😂
That’s a much more difficult climbing option.
If that’s the adventure you’re looking for, great.
If you came for the kind of forest-and-ocean hike we’re showing you here, you don’t need to turn your afternoon into a major summit climb.
Know your route before following the signs.
Hiking Maple Mountain With a Dog
We brought our daughter’s one-year-old Golden Retriever, and she had a fantastic time.
If your dog is comfortable hiking on uneven forest trails, this can be a great adventure to share.
Just remember to bring enough water, particularly on warm summer days.
Actually, bring more than you think you’ll need.
Our Golden helped us establish a new scientific fact during this hike:
🐾 Traveling Islanders Fun Fact
A one-year-old Golden Retriever requires approximately one litre of water per hike.
Source: our Golden Retriever.
Research is ongoing.
Well, That Was a Vancouver Island First
More than 17 years living on Vancouver Island.
Countless hikes.
And somehow thankfully this had never happened.
Until Maple Mountain.
Coming toward us through the forest was a completely nude hiker.
Not someone changing.
Not someone heading for a swim.
Hiking.
He was very friendly.
We exchanged hellos, had a brief discussion about what a great temperature it was for his particular hiking style and continued in opposite directions.
He was carrying considerably less hiking gear than we were. 😂
There really is always something new to experience on Vancouver Island.
If you want our rather surprised reaction shortly afterward, it’s in the YouTube Video.
Think You’re Finished at Osborne Bay Park? Don’t Leave Yet
Eventually you’ll emerge from the forest at Osborne Bay Park.
There’s access to the ocean.
There’s a trail sign.
And it feels very much like:
We made it. Time to go home.
You certainly can.
But we have a better idea.
If you’ve still got some energy, keep walking toward Crofton down the road.
Our Favourite Tip: Finish at the Crofton Beach Waterfront
Give yourself roughly another 10 minutes of walking and continue down toward the Crofton boardwalk and beach.
This is such a nice way to finish the adventure.
After spending hours in the forest, suddenly you’re back beside the ocean.
Walk the boardwalk.
Head down to the beach.
Sit beside the water.
You may see kayaks and paddleboards along the waterfront.
And if you still have some energy, keep going toward the town of Crofton and the BC Ferries terminal at the end of the boardwalk.
Grab an ice cream.
Find a coffee.
Cool your feet near the beach.
Watch the Salt Spring Island ferry.
You’re already here. Why race back to the car?
That’s one of our favourite ways to explore Vancouver Island.
Don’t just check off the hike.
Make a day of it.
Is Maple Mountain Worth Hiking?
Yes. We’d hike it again.
But we also want to put Maple Mountain in perspective.
This isn’t the greatest coastal hike on Vancouver Island.
There are hikes on the Island’s west coast with dramatically bigger scenery.
And that’s okay.
Maple Mountain doesn’t need to be Vancouver Island’s “BEST HIDDEN GEM!” to be worth doing.
What you get here is a beautiful Cowichan Valley hike with good exercise, ocean views, changing forest and enough route options to make the experience your own.
If you’re staying around Duncan, Maple Bay, Crofton or the Cowichan Valley, it’s an easy hike for us to recommend.
If you have an entire day and your only priority is finding the most dramatic coastal scenery possible, we’d probably send you farther west.
That’s the difference.
Before You Go
Here’s what we’d want a friend to know before hiking Maple Mountain:
- Start from the correct Maple Mountain trail access for the route you want or start at Osborn Bay Park and go the reverse.
- Save the map before you begin or take a picture of one at the trail head.
- Include the Yellow Trail if ocean views are your priority.
- Wear good hiking shoes.
- Expect roots, rocks and uneven footing in some sections.
- Bring plenty of water and snacks.
- Don’t rush the ocean section.
- Make a loop, or simply turn around and retrace your route.
- Pay attention before taking one of the more difficult trails.
- If you reach Osborne Bay Park, consider continuing to the Crofton Boardwalk
- And apparently…be prepared for just about anything. 😂
See What Maple Mountain Is Really Like
A written guide can tell you where to start, which trail we’d choose and what to bring.
But it can’t really show you what it feels like when the ocean suddenly appears through the trees or when the dry forest gives way to a carpet of green ferns.
That’s why we brought you along.
Watch our Maple Mountain adventure from Maple Bay toward Osborne Bay and see whether you’d like to hike it yourself.
▶ We’ve Hiked Maple Mountain Before… But Not Like This | Vancouver Island
Then save this guide and map for when you’re ready to go.
Explore More of Vancouver Island With Us
We’re Jay & Gretta, and Vancouver Island is home.
We love the famous places, but some of our favourite Island adventures happen when we keep going… beyond the places most visitors ever reach.
Do you like getting away from the crowds and discovering the places most tourists miss?
Then come with us north.
Way north.
We drove Vancouver Island all the way to Port Hardy, where the highway gets quieter, the communities get smaller, and the Island starts to feel very different.
▶ What’s Waiting at the End of the Road? Explore More of Vancouver Island With Us
We’re Jay & Gretta, and Vancouver Island is home.
We love the famous places, but some of our favourite Island adventures happen when we keep going — beyond the places most visitors ever reach.
Do you like getting away from the crowds and discovering the places most tourists miss?
Then come with us north.
Way north.
We drove Vancouver Island all the way to Port Hardy, where the highway gets quieter, the communities get smaller, and the Island starts to feel very different.
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