[6]
Here at Queen Charlotte Safaris, we aren’t just known for our great fishing. But we’re also known for our touring! One of the fun and beautiful touring opportunities is to hike the Sleeping Beauty Trail. The Sleeping Beauty Trail is another name for the Tarundl Trail and is a two-part trail. The first part that is more commonly known and hiked takes you to the top of Mt. Raymond near Queen Charlotte City. The second part of this trail takes you along the ridge walk from Mt. Raymond to Mt. Slatechuk [1]. The trail from the trailhead to the summit of Mt. Raymond and back is about 3 miles (5 km) and has a 2,100 ft (640 meters) elevation gain [2].
Mt. Raymond and the surrounding mountains create the shape of a woman lying down, which coined the common name of the trail, Sleeping Beauty. The Sleeping Beauty Trail forms the nose and Mt. Raymond is the tip of her nose [3]. This trail is part of a rainforest climate zone and is filled with luscious green trees and unique greenery. But the hike isn’t just a pretty face! Filled with bridges, wooden steps, and many large roots to climb over, it is impossible to get bored hiking this fun trail [4]. You will enjoy the entire hike from trail head to summit with stunning views throughout.
Although we love to recommend this trail to anyone staying at Queen Charlotte Safaris, this trail is not for everyone. The trail is fairly steep for the majority of the hike, and can be difficult on your knees and ankles when coming back down due to loose rocks and dirt [5]. This is the trail for regular hikers looking for a little extra challenge and fun on their trip!
[1] “An Awakening Hike Up Sleeping Beauty,” GoHaidaGwaii (blog), May 10, 2021, https://gohaidagwaii.ca/an-awakening-hike/.
[2] “Sleeping Beauty Trails – Tarundl Mountain,” AllTrails.com, accessed February 21, 2022, https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/sleeping-beauty-trails-tarundl-mountain.
[3] “An Awakening Hike Up Sleeping Beauty.”
[4] “Sleeping Beauty Hiking Trail,” eh Canada Travel, accessed February 21, 2022, https://www.ehcanadatravel.com/british-columbia/haidagwaii/parks-trails/4722-sleeping-beauty-hiking-trail.html.
[5] “Sleeping Beauty Hiking Trail.”
[6] “Mount Tarundl Overlooking Haida Gwaii (The Sleeping Beauty),” Mon Amie (blog), accessed March 17, 2022, https://www.monamie.ca/adventures/mount-tarundl-haida-gwaii.
