Amor Lake - Section 12 of the Canoe Route

The B.C Forest Service has constructed a number of portage trails that link a series of lakes to form the Sayward Forest Forest Canoe Route, and one of the most extensive canoeing opportunities on the island.

The Great Campbell River Fire that burst into life in July 1938 sadly destroyed much of the Sayward Forest. The devastating blaze raged for over a month before finally being extinguished by firefighters. Over 30,000 hectares of forest were razed to the ground, inspiring a massive replanting effort the following year during which almost 800,000 Douglas-fir trees were planted in one month - an incredible accomplishment for those days! Since then, hemlock, cedar and white pine have all regenerated naturally.

Twin Lake - Section 10 of the Canoe Route

The Sayward Forest was named after William P. Sayward, a pioneer logger and sawmill operator in the area.

The undulating topography of the region incorporates many lakes and creeks, and is largely covered with immature second-growth timber.

Today, this is the most extensively managed forest in British Columbia, and canoers should be aware of the presence of logging trucks.

Although most of the lakes within the Sayward Forest Canoe Route remain ice-free for most of the year, the preferred time to do the route would be summer or early fall. The recommended direction to circumnavigate the route is counterclockwise, commencing at any one of the numerous available starting points.

Good road access to most of the lakes within the route allows one to canoe the whole route or only part of the route. The entire route requires about 3 to 4 days to complete and covers nearly 50 km. Numerous Recreation Campsites are located on the lakes on the canoe route, providing adequate overnight camping facilities at Campbell Lake, Gosling Lake, Mohun Lake, Twin Lake, Amor Lake, Brewster Lake, Gray Lake, Fry Lake (Fry Peninsula).

Gosling Bay on Campbell Lake and Morton Lake are preferred put-in spots, with other popular locations being Strathcona Dam, Loveland Bay, Forbes Landing, and McIvor Lake.

Circuit Description