Destination: Salt Spring Island

Modes of transportation: Public transit, ferry, cycling and walking
Length of time: Approximately 4.5  hours each way (Vancouver to Tsawwassen to Long Harbour to Ganges and same route reversed)
Transportation cost: $40 per person round-trip (less if you cycle to and from Tsawwassen ferry terminal)

Shortly after I moved to Vancouver my dad sent me the September/October 2006 issue of Canadian Geographic because the cover story* was about the Gulf Islands. My partner and I kept the magazine around for years in our bathroom, which meant that we often read and re-read this feature by Alisa Smith, co-author of The 100-Mile Diet. It made us want to visit most of the islands included in the story and this year we (finally!) made it to Salt Spring Island.

Sailboat Near Scott Road

We travelled to Salt Spring Island on the Labour Day long weekend and used our bicycles as our primary mode of transportation. Over the years I had asked friends travelling to Salt Spring Island to share their impressions of the island as a destination for cycling and they returned to tell us that it was “VERY hilly” and it would take considerable effort to get between Ganges and some other popular destinations on the island (like Ruckle Provincial Park). We can now say that we agree with their assessment but neither of these factors should be considered a deterrent to doing a cycling trip on Salt Spring Island.

We opted for a pretty lazy trip to the island. Since it would be our very first visit and we knew we wanted to spend most of Saturday at the famous Salt Spring Island Saturday Market in Ganges we decided to stay at a hotel in Ganges and use that as our base.

Pedal-Powered Smoothies at the Salt Spring Island Saturday Market

Since we both booked off the Friday of the long weekend we had the luxury of being able to take our time getting to Tsawwassen ferry terminal to catch one of the ferries between Tsawwassen and Long Harbour, which is the closest ferry terminal to Ganges. Our journey began on the Canada Line where we brought our bicycles on board and travelled to Bridgeport Station where we were lucky enough to be first in line for getting our bicycles onto the bike racks of the 620 bus to Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Our ferry ride between Tsawwassen and Long Harbour was direct and uneventful.

Our Bicycles at Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

The bicycle ride between Long Harbour and Ganges was an easy 5.6 km! No big hills yet. When we arrived in Ganges we were happily greeted by one of two cycling information signs on the Island, which included a full size cycling map of Salt Spring Island. This helpful sign informed us that we could purchase a copy of the map at the nearby Visitor Centre and we did just that for $8.50.

Welcome Cyclists Sign in Ganges

Initially we thought $8.50 was a little pricey for a map since we’re spoiled in Vancouver by having access to free cycling maps, but after looking at it more closely and using it for our weekend on Salt Spring Island I can confidently say that the map was a great deal for $8.50 and something we’ll lend to friends or use again for a future trip to the island. The map is officially called The Heritage of Salt Spring Island: a Map of Treasures, and it’s as much a history tour as a cycling map. The map was created by Island Pathways, a non-profit society on Salt Spring Island that promotes non-motorized transportation and recreation. Spending $8.50 means that you get to support Island Pathways and the hard work the society is doing to make Salt Spring Island easy to get around for cyclists, walkers, equestrians and the physically challenged.

Island-Baked Granola Bar and Island Pathways Map

As far as cycling is concerned, the Island Pathways map rates routes for cycling from 1 (Moderate) to 3 (Gonzo Abusive) and qualifies these ratings with A (over 16 km), B (four or more quality hills), C (narrow, winding sections) and D (some gravel road surface). The map also shows locations for drinking water, washrooms, beach access, groceries and more, which we found extremely helpful for both cycling and walking around Salt Spring Island. The only problem we encountered with the map is that there is at least one error where a gravel road surface on Beddis Road isn’t marked. [Update Sept. 27/11: I learned from someone on Salt Spring Island that this isn't an error on the map. This particular section of Beddis Road is just under construction and will return to being paved.]

Bicycles in Ganges

Unless you’re planning only to cycle between Long Harbour and Ganges, cycling on Salt Spring Island can be challenging and requires considerable cycling confidence. The longest route we cycled was from Ganges to Ruckle Provincial Park and back in one day. The map rating of 2 (Challenging) was accurate for this 35 km (round-trip) day trip. We encountered some pretty steep hills and we definitely felt our hearts beating and legs throbbing on parts of this ride. It was a good work out! Due to the Beddis Road error on our map (noted above), we opted to take a different route back to Ganges and we would recommend it to other cyclists. When you reach the end of Stewart Road, take a left onto Cusheon Lake Road and head along there to the busy Fulford-Ganges Road. This route is more direct and smoother than going along Beddis Road, although not quite as scenic.

Turkeys, Ruckle Provincial Park

The Bicycle Working Group of Island Pathways conducted a cycling survey in 2010 (funded by the Salt Spring Island Transportation Commission) of Salt Spring Island residents and visitors to help determine how to increase cycling safety and participation on the island. The survey uncovered that cycling safety on Salt Spring Island is a major concern for residents and visitors alike and I agree with this finding. For the most part we enjoyed cycling on Salt Spring Island but there were times and routes where we felt unsafe. Roads can be narrow and winding and road surfaces, particularly on or next to the shoulder where we were riding, need improvement. At present, I would never consider cycling or walking on Salt Spring Island roads in the dark.

Lower Ganges Road

I agree with most of the survey respondents that bike pathways would greatly improve cycling on Salt Spring Island, but would add that these pathways must be designed with considerable input from cyclists. There are some multi-use pathways on the island (such as the ones on Atkins and Lower Ganges Roads, which are part of the Ganges Pathway Network) that are separated from the road but the gravel surface isn’t suitable for seasoned cyclists because it is too cumbersome to navigate. When we walked along these pathways one day of our trip we only saw cyclists on the roads adjacent to them.

Ganges Pathway Network on Lower Ganges Road

The gravel pathways being installed around Salt Spring Island are, however, a dream for walkers! One day we ventured out of Ganges and walked a loop between Ganges and the point where Lower and Upper Ganges Roads meet and our favourite parts of this walk were the pathways where we munched on blackberries along the way and the quieter roads (like Upper Ganges Road) where we felt fairly safe walking on the shoulder in the daylight.

What makes Salt Spring Island a wonderful destination for car-free travellers is the bounty of food you encounter as you journey around the island if you happen to be travelling during the summer or fall. Some Islanders have self-serve stands at the ends of their driveways where you can purchase fresh fruit, vegetables and even baked goods. Always bring change and small bills with you! Our favourite purchases were plums (Upper Ganges Road), beans (Ruckle Farm Stand) and amazing granola bars and strawberry scones (Beaver Point Road, courtesy of Barbara Slater and her daughter). Ganges was also a great source for local food as we picked up strawberries and apples at the Saturday Market and freshly-picked figs at the main grocery store.

We thoroughly enjoyed our car-free trip to Salt Spring Island and would highly recommend it as a destination to other car-free travellers. It’s great for confident cyclists, people who enjoy long walks and even folks who don’t fall into either of these categories thanks to the Salt Spring Island Transit System that operates every day of the year except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. We didn’t take transit on Salt Spring Island but it was comforting to know it was available and that the buses have racks that can carry up to two bicycles.

Salt Spring Island Transit System Bus in Ganges

Finally, I think it’s worth noting that Salt Spring Island is only going to become even easier to navigate without a car thanks to the very hardworking Island Pathways society. The Islanders in this society have already produced helpful resources to support and encourage non-motorized transportation on the island, but they also continue to build new pathways and advocate for improvements for all non-motorized transportation, and particularly to cycling routes, that will surely make Salt Spring Island one of the best destinations in British Columbia for car-free travel. I know I’ll be back and next time I plan to camp at the stunning Ruckle Provincial Park.

If you have travelled to Salt Spring Island without a car please share your travel tips by posting a comment.

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*Since I’m a librarian I feel compelled to let my readers know how you can find this article online since it isn’t freely available directly from Canadian Geographic. If you have a library card you may be able to access this article online if the library you’re affiliated with subscribes to a database that includes Canadian Geographic. Ask a librarian for assistance if you aren’t sure how to search for this. If you have a Vancouver Public Library card just go here, then click one of the links under “Electronic Resource” on the left side of the page, which will take you to a page where you will need to enter your library card number and PIN. Once you’ve done this you can continue to the database where you should be able to navigate to the September/October 2006 issue of Canadian Geographic. Alternatively, you can try searching within this magazine for the author (Alisa Smith) or the name of the article (‘Treasure Islands’).