The hike to “The Abyss” is about 15 minutes along Extension Ridge Trail from the trailhead at Harewood Mines Rd, but the trail continues much farther. Climb up the stairs, over exposed bedrock and through a clear-cut area.
The Abyss is a large crack in the ground (about 16”) caused by an earthquake.
Continue on the trail past the Abyss and walk through an Arbutus forest. From the ridge there are gorgeous views of Nanaimo and Sunshine Coast on one side and dense forest and mountains on the other side. There are also petroglyphs somewhere along this trail, but I haven’t found them yet.
