Land Route #1
East & South Coast

 

Leaves Montague Harbour, travels up Clanton Road to Porlier Pass Road. Turning right takes you to Galiano Way and eventually to Sticks Allison Road.

There are three shore access points on Sticks Allison Road (#53, #55 and #69) which lead down to a sandstone rock shelf facing Vancouver to the East.

 

Returning to Porlier Pass Road and turning left takes you to the intersection with Sturdies Bay Road. Here you may wish to stock up on provisions, visit a craft shop, use the ATM, purchase a bottle of wine, or enjoy a lunch at the very unique FLYING BLACK DOG CAFE.

 

Travelling south to Sturdies Bay a visitor may wish to pick up smoked salmon from Baines Smoked Salmon or stop for a mid day meal at GALIANO INN PIZZA on the PATIO, MAX AND MORICZ, BABES IN THE WOODS, OXEYE CAFE and the STURDIES BAY BAKERY, or make reservations for fine dining at the ATRAVIDA RESTAURANT (Galiano Inn) or PILGRIMME (chosen #3 out of Top 10 new Restaurants in Canada by AIR CANDA'S Enroute magazine). A short trip along Cain Road ends with a stop at Cain Beach (known by many as ‘Bakerview’ Beach) for Mount Baker looms on the horizon.

 

Travelling back along Sturdies Bay Road and turning left onto Burrill Road and then shortly a left onto Jack Road brings the visitor to Bellhouse Park. This park is a grassy knoll overlooking Active Pass, a body of water that is well named because of a 9 knot current, whirlpools and eddies, and it is one of the prime whale watching spots in the Southern Gulf Islands. J pod, comprised of 24 Orcas, is often viewed from this site as they travel through every 1-2 days feeding on the Chinook salmon that migrate through Active Pass.

 

Mopeding back to Burrill Road the rider turns left and travels along a quiet country road to Bluff Park. A short ride up onto the bluff and the rider is treated to a magnificent view, south as far a Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island, across to Mayne Island and westward to Prevost Island, here eagles and turkey vultures may be seen catching the wind currents rising up from Active Pass, or a deer browsing on the side of the hill and closer to the water seal and sea otters.

 

Riding off the bluff the rider turns left on Bluff Road, carefully navigating the gravel road until it intersects with Active Pass Drive. A turn to the left takes the rider down to the Cemetary, the last resting place for many of Galiano’s early settlers. Here the visitor may view the many seals that bask on Collinson Reef that marks the entrance to Georgeson Bay.

 

Riding back along Active Pass Drive the road soon becomes Georgeson Bay Road; turning left onto Montague Road the rider is travelling down a long 1 kilometre descent back to Montague Marina... Total time 2 hours