A Great Day-Hiking Adventure to Seymour Narrows and Ripple Rock

Ripple Rock is a fascinating trail, located about 15 minutes north of Campbell River, just off the Island Highway (the trailhead is well marked by highway signs). The Ripple Rock Trail is a fine hike for kids; the terrain is not too rough, and the hike is a good distance even for younger children (approximately 8 kms return). Our son was seven when he went, and he really enjoyed it.

What You'll Experience

The trail winds it's way through the trees parallel to the shoreline of Menzies Bay and finishes at the top of a bluff overlooking Seymour Narrows (this is a great spot to have a picnic lunch).

Seymour Narrows is a narrow (approximately 750 metres) channel that passes between Vancouver Island and Quadra Island. It is the main route for all vessels (including cruise ships) heading south from the north end of Vancouver Island and Queen Charlotte Strait. This restricted waterway has currents that travel at speeds of up to 15 knots during tide changes, which can be more than interesting for the unprepared mariner.

To make matters even more interesting, until 1958 there was a large underwater peak right in the middle of Seymour Narrows that was generally only covered by a few feet of water. This obstruction, known as Ripple Rock, claimed many vessels that tried to navigate Seymour Narrows unawares (approximately 120 of them from 1875 to 1958).

So why the explosion?

Since this waterway was such an important commercial shipping route, in 1958 the Government of Canada decided to fix the problem by tunneling under Seymour Narrows and straight up inside the submerged peak. They packed the peak with 1375 tons of explosives and detonated it. The result was the largest non-nuclear explosion the world has ever seen. Click here to view original CBC News coverage of the blast.


The story of Ripple Rock is outlined on a display at the trailhead and at the Campbell River Museum .

Return to Hiking on Vancouver Island / Ripple Rock