Salmon Memekay Horse Camp & Trail Corridor

Trail Network
There are two developed horse camps, one at each end of the Salmon Brewster non-motorized approximately 40 km trail corridor. Plus one more remote recreation site. The main trail corridor is ‘fresh’ and needs hoof prints as we continue to develop it, go slow and be aware of your footing. The riding around the Memekay camp site offers several shorter and longer options as well as various levels of skills. Riders from all over the island are planning their holidays around a week of camping with their horses. These are forestry ‘recreation sites and trails’ and there is currently no fee, maximum stay is 14 days. The Back Country Horsemen of BC –North Vancouver Island chapter has a 10 year agreement to manage. Donations are greatly appreciated!
Campbell River, Sayward Valley Junction
Brewster Horse Camp ; Memekay Horse Camp and Pine Martin Horse camp - all are Recreation Sites
Approx 40km
Rides from each Horse camp/recreation site vary between 2 to 4 hours. If you want to ride from one end to the other, you need to plan in advance for shuttle of your rig, the ride is between 8 to 11 hours depending on stops, experience, etc.
50.218157
-125.778075
Memekay horse camp has two 900 gallon cisterns, the NVI chapter raises money to fill the water tanks each year. There is also a hand pump for water from the river and can be low in the late summer. non-potable water. We recommend you bring some with you. Pine Martin rec site - water is from a nearby stream. Brewster horse camp/rec site is from nearby lake.
Yes
Memekay horse camp is located at the north end of the trail corridor and offers, eleven designated camp sites (70 ft in length to fit your rig with trailer), all eleven sites have horse corrals. and if by chance it was completely full, there is lots of room to set up alternate containment area, such as highlining. We are finding that people come and go and we haven’t been completely full yet!
These are remote sites within a working forest. there is no cell coverage. Be bear aware and respect wildlife. We ask that you sign the visitor book each time you visit to ensure we keep our user stats up to date. It is critical for the right to ride. Agreement: BCHBC – North Island Chapter has entered into a 10 year agreement to manage and maintain the Salmon Brewster horse camps/trail corridor - help us by using, keeping it clean, making a donation towards maintenance. Much appreciated. UPDATE: 2019 Brochure available for Salmon Brewster Trail and Horse Camps. May be found under RSTBC under Trail and Salmon Brewster or HCBC trail database 'Knowledge Base'
Note: Also check under Upload/Download tab to see if there are more maps available. If the map below shows red lines, these indicate ridable trails which can be downloaded to your GPS (see Upload/Download tab)
Memekay Horse Camp Recreation Site From Campbell River: Drive north from Campbell River towards Sayward (Hwy No 19). Drive past Roberts Lake Resort (or stop and grab fresh cinnamon buns at the restaurant!). The Roberts Lake Provincial rest stop is next on your right and a good place to stop (lots of room for your rig). Keep driving north from the rest stop and be aware of the highway km markers on the right hand side of the road. From the rest stop it is approximately 13 km to ‘Big Tree Main’, (the gravel forestry road). This is the forestry road that you turn, it is the next LEFT after the 215 km hwy marker sign. (approximately 1hr from Campbell River to the turn off) Once you have turned left onto Big Tree Main gravel forestry road, follow this main forestry road, you will pass a few spurs, keep following the main forestry road and go over the Salmon River on a single lane bridge, after the bridge, travel a few kms and you will reach a main intersection. You should see the ‘Horse Camp’ sign pointing to the right, turn RIGHT at this intersection (do not go up the hill)! From the intersection (you are now on the Salmon River Main forestry road), drive approximately 1 km, you will go over a single lane bridge (Memekay river), keep driving, a short ways, till you see the ‘Truck Stop’ sign/pull out area on your right. You have arrived at the driveway and green entrance gate to the Memekay horse camp (recreation site). Come on in through the gate, check out the site layout at the Kiosk just inside the gate and make your way into a camp site. If it is your first time and you are travelling with horses, some people park inside the gate and do a walk about to determine where you want to camp. The horse camp road is a loop road, see the site layout map at the entrance kiosk. From the highway into camp is approximately 10 minutes (6 kms). From Port Hardy: Drive south towards Campbell River (Hwy No 19). Once you pass the Sayward Junction (corner of the highway and road into Sayward), you will travel a ways, watch for signs that indicate major forestry roads, you are looking for Big Tree Main gravel forestry road (this road crosses the highway). You will be turning right if your travelling south from Port Hardy. Once on Big Tree Main gravel forestry road, follow directions above.

Legend

Deb Oakman

2022 Salmon Brewster Trail Corridor - trail status - things to know posted on: 06 / 02 / 2022

Update on Salmon Brewster trail system 2022 riding season - there has been significant winter snow bringing a lot of trees down, please remember to carry a saw. Be ready to turn around or find an alternate route. Best to plan to ride sections of the trail, versus all the way through. Grazing lease trails should be good. New trail opened by volunteers that you don't have to open/close gates to get to north crossing of the Salmon River. Note: fresh trail, still needs a little tlc and watch for old barb wire by fence line. North Loop Trail, we have opened an alternate route to avoid the Bog, but you have to ride either upstream or downstream, through the river or along the edge, crossing where it is safe. Please be safe savvy, ride in a group have one or two scout it out first before taking the larger group. once you've got it figured, it is very doable. South Loop Trail, should be ok to the swimming hole but...could be more trees down. Swimming hole to Pine Marten, has not been checked and we still need to open a trail to avoid the bog close to Pine Marten, not recommended section at the moment. Pine Marten to Miriam Creek crossing trail section of the corridor has some issues that need to be addressed for safety. some of the trail is amazing but some sections I would not cross, Please be very trail safe savvy if you decide to explore. The goal is to have this section upgraded by 2023. Miriam Creek south to Bodil Lake there will be some harvesting expected in the Brewster Lake along Memekay main road/Miraim Creek spur - I would avoid this trail section in 2022. Bodil Lake to Brewster Lake, we have opened up some of this trail, need another day or two but really nice area all around Brewster to explore. 2022 is NOT the year to plan riding the full 40km trail corridor. Deb, Chair, BCHBC NVI 250 337 8377


Deb Oakman

Pine Marten horse camp recreation site posted on: 06 / 15 / 2021

this site is undevelopment, there is fencing however would need to be checked/repaired to ensure containment of your horses. there is a highline area. NOTE: trail north to memekay, near Pine 100 has a significant bog area and extreme caution or best to avoid until this section can be rehabilitated.


Sharon Pickthorne

New Map of camp area trails posted on: 02 / 19 / 2021

There is a map available on Avenza and on this trail record that shows the trails located on the lease area.


Sharon Pickthorne

trail map posted on: 07 / 25 / 2018

The geo-ref trail map is now available on the Avenza phone App - this is the full corridor map from Brewster to Pine Martin to Salmon Memekay. Look under the Directions/Map tab for information about how to get the map on Avenza.


Sharon Pickthorne

Summer activity Brewster, Pine Marten, Salmon Memekay trail posted on: 06 / 01 / 2018

June 14th to 17th – group travelling into Brewster to camp and ride parts of the trail towards Pine Marten; likely travel across on Memekay main (saturday 16th) to memekay horse camp; June 21st/22nd to 24/25 – large group heading into memekay horse camp on 21st/22nd ; then saturday early am travelling with horse trailers on memekay main to Brewster horse camp to drop off riders and travel back with horse trailers to memekay horse camp. The riders (approx 10) will be riding from brewster through to memekay on saturday, june 23rd. - WFP is on a 7 days/week hauling. Most hauling is completed by 4:00pm so this would be the ideal time to be traveling. - The main roads (Memekay, Big Tree and Salmon River Main) will be active during the dates you mentioned. BT500 will likely be active all of June and into Mid July. - I would recommend avoiding BT500 with trailers if possible (use BT600). Riders on the BT500 section of trail where it gets close to the road should expect log trucks and dismount for this short section. June 28/29 to July 2/3 – large group heading into memekay horse camp to camp/ride in the area;


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