Mt Erskine Hiking Trail — Attraction in Salt Spring Island Electoral Area

I need to be clear from the start: for the average person this is a hike, not a walk. We started from Collins Rd. The first part is steep and there are loose rocks. Wear proper shoes. The forest is gorgeous, so there are a variety of solid reasons to stop to catch your breath. Once we got into the park proper we took route 1. (The routes are well marked with red markers.) We only saw two faerie doors and did leave some small coinage. The view from the top is no doubt spectacular, but cloud/fog rolled about the time we arrived. A local couple who do the walk 3 times a week (there is a route off Juniper too), advised us to take route 2 down as it I gentler, though longer. We did and enjoyed it immensely. We took about 11/4 hours each way. At this time layers are essential along with water and an energy snack....

This is going to be my unique experience. Please do not listen to me. I went on this hike with my family and my parents friends, mind you none of us are hikers, so when I saw the "easy" label I thought ya we can do this. This was not an easy hike for normal people.. more like intermediate.. anyways we took the #1 route up and it was not too long but kinda steep for our level. The most ridiculous part is when we got lost.. we got LOST. There's literally only one way down and we got lost.. Half way down we realized there was no more path and thought it was weird so went back up to the top. After we reached the top AGAIN, we realized we crossed the one fence we weren't supposed to. Leave it to the two dads to lead us astray. We do not belong in the wild. Other than that the view...

Erskine is one of the nicest hikes to do when the weather is nice. With a clear sky, you'll have an amazing view! You can see everything from Duncan/Crofton all the way to the mountains behind Vancouver. This is the continuation of the view from Mt. Maxwell. The trails can be slippery, but if you're prepared, it's well worth it. Generally, it takes me about an hour and a half to do the full loop from the parking at the trailhead, following 1,3 to the top, and 2 all the way back down (including a photo stop at the summit, of course). There is a nice spot at the top for a quick bite, but make sure you don't leave anything since there are no bins...