The Fairy Door Trail on Salt Spring Island captivates kids imaginations as they surge to the top of a mountain powered by curiosity and intrigue.
Life can be magical. As adults we often forget this.
That is…until we spend a bit of time with a pre-schooler and see the world through their eyes. Though no longer really young, my kids are still good at imagining. They often remind me how enchanting life is and if I allow myself, I can enter into their imaginary world.
If you’re needing a bit more magic in your life, just hop over to Salt Spring Island and take a hike into the enchanted woods of Mt. Erskine. A fairy door trail hike, to be exact. I’ve never seen my kids so eager to hike up a mountain in all my life. It’s like they had an extra bounce in their step powered by intrigue.
I have to admit, we hiked much longer than I thought we would before finding the first fairy door. In fact, the kids were reaching the end of their hope.
Just as we were all about to give up, I spotted the first door and yelled in delight. Oh the kids were going to love this. And I was right. Their eyes lit up with wonder to see where the fairies live. After a thorough inspection they were off to find the next door.
And by off, I really mean they ran.
Up. Up. Up the steep mountain. Their glee and excitement was even contagious for us adults.
Each fairy door is different. Different in colour, style and the decorations around it. Children leave all sorts of treasures for the fairies and we even found one “homestead” complete with light post and ladder to the roof.
Seriously, it’s quite enchanting.
The kids raced each other, never complaining once about the steepness or length of the trail. Each hidden fairy door only added to the joy of the hike and once we reached the summit, the only complaint was the fact that there would be no more doors to discover.
It was a beautiful thing.
We were rewarded, however, with stunning panoramic views of Vancouver Island and as far as our eyes could see.
Because of its whimsy and effect on my children (and yes, even me), this fairy door trail on Mt. Erskine just may be one of my favourite hikes I’ve ever done with my kids.
Note: While steep in some sections and a little bit of a grind for some, we found the hike quite enjoyable for a young active family.
Directions to the Fairy Door Trail On Salt Spring Island can be a little hard to come by. Not to worry though, everyone knows where the trail starts for this hike so just ask around. People on Salt Spring are very friendly and happy to help. For now, here are some basic driving directions and Google Map of the fairy door trail on Salt Spring
Trailhead: Drive to the end of Rainbow Road and turn left onto Collins Road. Drive .8 km (to where the road stops winding). Look for a red trail marker on the left side of the road opposite some large arbutus trees. There is also access from the end of Juniper Place and on Tonybee.
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