Much evidence exists nearby of seasonal use of this part of the island by Coast Salish First Nation peoples stretching over thousands of years. Several of the sandy bays of what is now Active Pass were the sites of summer habitations. No doubt the mountain land was also used for hunting & gathering purposes.
The 1st Europeans to see the area were probably those accompanying the 18th century Spanish explorer & naval officer, Dionisio Alcala-Galiano, while on a coastal mapping expedition for his country. In 1792 the Spanish vessels, Sutil & Mexicana, encountered the English naval ship, HMS Chatham, commanded by Captain George Vancouver, sailing just off the coast of this island, on a similar mapping mission. Later, in commemoration of the Spanish officer’s mapping skills, Capt. Vancouver had both this island and this high peak named in honour of Dionisio Galiano.
The 84 hectares that comprise the Mt Galiano Nature Protection area —- which includes the 314m summit, the island’s highest point of land —- were purchased in 1991, from the MacMillan Bloedel Co, after an energetic and creative fundraising campaign by the island community. Guardianship was granted to the Galiano Club the following year with a Management Plan being drawn-up then.
The vehicle/bike parking area is located on Active Pass Dr. It sits on land that was donated in the late 1990s by neighbour Dave Morgan to create a connection between the newly-acquired Mt Galiano property and Active Pass Dr. A large, beautifully carved wood sign, created in 1995 by two islanders, Douglas Thistlewalker & Robin Lum, stands at the entrance. Here the main hiking trail begins, the approximately hour-long route to the summit almost entirely under a mixed-forest canopy. (While other hiking trails access the Mt Galiano area, these all cross lands privately owned. The only public way to access the Mt Galiano summit remains this hiking trail from Active Pass Dr.) By coincidence, work began on the trail in 1992, the 200th anniversary of that historic encounter of the two competing naval captains. (The trail passes the wreck of a small airplane —- why it is there remains a mystery.) The trail was officially opened in 1993 with a ceremony attended by the Vancouver-based Consul-General of Spain and is named in honour of Dionisio Galiano. The open summit area it accesses provides hikers with stunning southward views over Trincomali Channel, the Southern Gulf Islands & beyond.
Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Arbutus, Big-leaf Maple, Red Alder comprise the mostly second-growth forest growing throughout the NPA.Columbian black-tailed deer frequent the area. A healthy spread of Garry Oak trees exists on the rocky summit, planted in the late 1990s, a gift from the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society.
Overnight parking is not permitted in the Active Pass Dr. area. The use of firearms, hunting, camping and the use of open fires of any kind, is not permitted throughout the Mt Galiano NPA..
Mt Galiano Management Plan May 5, 2023
Mt Galiano Management Plan - May 5 2023 with appendices
