British Columbia’s busy coastline north of Vancouver – the fabled Sunshine Coast – is peppered with bays, inlets and small communities. The picturesque town of Egmont 73 miles north of Vancouver consists of a marina, a post office, and a general store and not much more but it is also home to the fastest salt water rapids in North America, Skookumchuck Rapids.
Skookumchuck is a Chinook First Nations word for strong water and the convergence of outgoing and incoming tides at Skookumchuck Narrows near the town of Egmont results in very strong waters indeed. These waters can reach a speed of up to 20 miles per hour and Skookumchuck is as much a draw to extreme kayakers as Malibu is to surfers.
The Trail That Leads to the Kayakers
The rapids are part of the Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park, a well appointed campsite easily located off the main highway. There’s plenty of other accomodation in the area too - RV parks, cabins, 2 B&B’s and an upscale resort featuring an elegant dining room specializing in local seafood. Hiking through the forest is the only way to see the rapids and all of these establishments are close to the entry point on Egmont Road. Because there can be as much as a 5 hour break between one cycle and another it’s a good idea to consult the tide tables, available online or on the ferry, before starting the walk. It’s a 40 to 60 minute hike over undulating terrain but the trail is well groomed, most of it covered in bark mulch.
The trail ends at a rocky promontory overlooking the water which in turn leads down to a flatter rocky shelf at the water’s edge but be forewarned it can get quite crowded on these rocks and there are no railings or fences to separate the tourist from the turbulence.
It starts with a ripple. In fact the start of the show is almost imperceptible. So too is the arrival of the kayakers who seem to step out of nowhere donning wet suits or about to change into one. For the most part they're locals who have turned a casual gathering into a daily ritual but Skookumchuck’s notoriety attracts other extreme kayakers too. Their machines are not the sleek kayaks most of us are familiar with but stubby, truncated craft built for stability and maneuvoerrability. Gradually the tides converge and after an hour or so the water turns into a boiling cauldron of churning foam.
Marshaled in a sheltered pool near the shore, each kayaker slips into the current and paddles to its crest. From there it’s a downward freefall making sure the craft doesn’t overturn. Some attempt a 180 degree turn flipping their kayak around in the water and getting doused but most don’t. Getting from the starting point to the end is harrowing enough. 60 minutes later the tides abate and the tempo calms down. The kayakers melt back into the bush, ready to entertain themselves and the public once again.
How to Get to Skookumchuck Rapids
Egmont is a three-hour drive from Vancouver including a 40 minute BC Ferry crossing from the mainland to the Sunshine Coast. While it’s possible to make a day trip out of it, many people make their Skookumchuck visit part of a northerly journey after an overnight stay in the nearby community of Sechelt or in Egmont itself. Accommodations are slightly cheaper than in the city but access to the rapids and the kayakers is free.
John Thomson - I make television programs on a range of topics but specialize in health issues, resource management and urban affairs. I was trained in ...
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