Getting to Hollyhock

Getting to Hollyhock is half the fun! Cortes Island is in a beautiful wilderness location. You get to see magnificant BC coast line along the way. There are many travel options listed below. Feel free to contact [email protected] if you need any clarification.

Plan to arrive around 5:30pm on Wed, Sept 5. Dinner is served at 6:30pm so that gives you time to check in to your room and unpack. Plan to leave after lunch, which is at 12:30pm, on Sun, Sept 9.

Scroll down to the section that applies to where you are travelling from:

From Western Canada and USA

There are several travel options. Listed from least to most expensive:

Option 1:
Drive. See Driving Directions Details below. It is about a 7 hour drive from Vancouver including time spent on ferries. Especially if you car pool this is the lowest carbon output option. Find passengers on the rideshare board.

Option 2:
Fly into Vancouver by 1pm on Sept 5th and catch a connecting flight to Campbell River, then a water taxi to Hollyhock.

Option 3:
Fly Corilair Seaplanes from Vancouver to Cortes Island.

Note: There are no direct flights from Victoria to Campbell River.

From Eastern Canada

There are several travel options. Listed from least to most expensive:

Option 1:
Fly into Vancouver on Sept 4th, stay the night in Vancouver and then drive to Hollyhock on Sept 5th. See Driving Directions Details below. It is about a 7 hour drive from Vancouver including time spent on ferries. Find drivers on the rideshare board (will be set up in July).

Option 2:
Fly into Vancouver by 1pm on Sept 5 and catch a connecting flight to Campbell River, then a water taxi to Hollyhock.

Option 3:
Fly into Vancouver by 2pm on Sept 5th, then fly Corilair Seaplanes from Vancouver to Cortes Island.

From Eastern US

There are several travel options.  Listed from least to most expensive:

Option 1:
Fly into Seattle on the evening of Sept 4th and then carpool or vanpool from there very early the next day. It is about a 10 hour drive.

Option 2:
Fly into Seattle by 8:30am on Sept 5th, catch a connecting Kenmore Air flight to Campbell River, then a water taxi to Cortes Island.

Option 3:
Fly into Seattle by 11am on Sept 21st and catch a Kenmore Air seaplane to Cortes Island.

Option 4:
Fly into Vancouver on Sept 4th stay in Vancouver and then carpool or vanpool to Hollyhock on Sept 5th. It is about a 7 hour drive.

Option 5:
Fly into Vancouver by 1pm on Sept 5th and catch a connecting flight to Campbell River, then a water taxi to Hollyhock.

Option 6:
Fly into Vancouver by 2pm on Sept 5th and catch a Corilair Seaplane from Vancouver to Cortes Island.

International

Please plan to fly into Vancouver International the night of Sept 4th. See From Western Canada and USA section for next steps.

Air Travel Details

Vancouver to Campbell River

There are two airlines which fly from Vancouver (YVR) to Campbell River (YBL).

1. Pacific Coastal Airlines flies to Campbell River from Vancouver’s south terminal which you can connect to from the main terminal via free shuttle bus. Pacific Coastal flights are not listed in travel sites like travelocity or expedia - you need to look at their site for the schedule. 800-663-2872 www.pacific-coastal.com
2. Central Mountain Air flies to Campbell River from Vancouver’s main Terminal. 888-865-8585 www.flycma.com

Vancouver to Cortes island

Corilair Seaplanes fly direct from Vancouver's Coal Harbour downtown to Cortes Island. There is a 4pm flight to Cortes Island on Sept 5th and a 1pm flight on Sept 9th to Vancouver. 888-287-8366 or 250-287-8371, www.corilair.com. Call Hollyhock to book your complimentary shuttle pick up from the dock once you know your arrival time. 800-933-6339.

Seattle to Campbell River

Kenmore Air offers flights from Sea-Tac (SEA) to Campbell River (YBL).  866-435-9524 www.kenmoreair.com.

Seattle to Cortes Island

Kenmore Air offers flights out of the Seattle area. They fly from Lake Washington, north of Seattle, direct to Cortes Island. 866-435-9524 www.kenmoreair.com. Call Hollyhock to book your complimentary shuttle pick up from the dock once you know your arrival time. 800-933-6339.

San Juan Airlines offers charter flights to Campbell River out of the Seattle area too, so another option may be for 5 people to join together and fly that way.

Water Taxi Details

If you fly to Campbell River, you will need to arrange for a connecting water taxi to Cortes Island and shuttle to Hollyhock.

The Discovery Launch Water Taxi offers service from the dock in Campbell River, straight to Cortes Island (30 minute trip). It is faster and easier than taking the ferries, and the cost is comparable when shared among a full boat ($30 pp).

Reserve your spot on a water taxi in advance of arrival in Campbell River. Call Discovery Launch to book, and to inquire about sharing water taxis to reduce costs.
250-287-7577 www.discoverylaunch.com

Airport Shuttle Details

If you fly into Campbell River, take the Airporter Shuttle to the Discovery Launch water taxi. The Airporter Shuttle waits outside the Campbell River airport for every incoming flight. Ask them to take you to the Discovery Launch water taxi – $15. No need to reserve.

Hollyhock Shuttle Details

Hollyhock offers shuttle service from the boat dock to the Centre. Call Hollyhock at least 48 hours before you plan to arrive, to arrange shuttle service from the water taxi dock. 1-800-933-6339.

Driving Directions

Rideshare Board & Van Pool

We have rideshare board to help you fill your car or find a ride. If you are a registered participant and have not received your wiki invite link please contact [email protected].

We also have vans rented for a van pool caravan. A great way to meet fellow partipants before you even arrive!

From Vancouver or Seattle

10 hour drive from Seattle.
7 hour drive from Vancouver.

To drive to Hollyhock, leave fairly early in the morning (especially from Seattle!), and consider making advance reservations for the ferries to save time and delays. www.bcferries.com. They do not accept reservations for the small island ferries – only from the mainland to Vancouver Island.

From Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay, take the ferry to Nanaimo (Departure Bay). From Seattle, drive to Tsawwassen and then take the ferry to Duke Point (just south of Nanaimo).

Once off the ferry, take Hwy 19 north to Campbell River. (1 hour and 45 minutes) Turn right at Hwy 19A Exit, at North Campbell River and follow this road South for approximately five minutes. Ferry terminal entrance is on your left.

Decide in advance whether you want to leave your car in Campbell River and take the water taxi, or whether you want to drive all the way to Hollyhock. It's often less hassle to leave the car – you likely won't need it on island.

From Campbell River

Take the ferry first to Quadra Island (they run every hour and it's a ten minute crossing). Then, drive across Quadra Island, following signs to Cortes ferry at Heriot Bay. Take the ferry to Cortes island. It's a 45-minute crossing and the ferry arrives in Whaletown. You then drive south down the island, following signs to Manson's Landing (there are also signs for Hollyhock – but watch out for them, they are kind of small!) You go through Manson's (don't blink or you might miss it) – there's a store, a restaurant, a community hall. Keep going along that road for another three minutes, and then take a left at the sign pointing you to Hollyhock. Total driving time from the ferry is 25 minutes.

Vancouver Accommodation

If you are travelling from afar you may need to stay overnight in Vancouver on your way to and from Cortes Island.  Here are some options:

$129/night to stay in the Sylvia Hotel
100/night to stay in the Kingston Hotel. (Near the van pool meeting point)
$30/night to say in a Vancouver Hostel
$0/night to stay with a fellow WOC participant.  

More travel information including contact details found on the Hollyhock website.

Click here to download a detailed travel flyer.

Participants can sign up for a van pool from Vancouver on the wiki.

Feel free to contact [email protected] for travel support