Burgoyne Bay is a BC Parks Provincial Park on the west side of Salt Spring. It is along a bumpy road that ends in a parking area with views across to Vancouver Island. There are a number of different paths that you can follow from the car park. On this trip we followed the right hand path – it heads west straight out of the end of the lower parking area. It was very icy at the end of the road, and I decided that I should turn round and park slightly higher off the ice. Unfortunately I was just too late and despite having my winter tyres on I could not get any traction back up the hill. In the end I had to reverse down to the lower car park and gun it back up the hill, which wasn't pretty, but it did the trick. I would say it was a lesson learnt but given I got stuck in the same place two years ago, maybe not. Check back in 2012 to see if its third time lucky…
Anyway we headed off down the trail on the right, which winds through some lush forest and takes you to a rocky outcrop with a lovely little (very little) beach and some low rocks right down on the water – a great place for a lunch with fantastic views out over the ocean. Its not a very long hike but its great for some fresh air and scenery, and you can always combine it with some of the other trails in the park. I have heard that you can hike to the top of Mount Maxwell from here, but I have never tried and don't know where the trail is. To get to the park turn off the Fulford-Ganges road on the bend just south of Salt Spring and Gary Oaks wineries, and follow the road to the end. And watch out for the ice if its been snowing!
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