Home Top Day Trips from Vancouver BC’s Southern Gulf Islands, Bowen Island and Gambier Parks Canada’s Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in British Columbia

Parks Canada’s Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in British Columbia

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is arguably one of the best places in BC to go camping, hiking and see wildlife of all kinds. It’s a Parks Canada park.

To learn about the region and its camping and interpretive programs, see the Parks Canada website or continue reading this article.

Below we have information about the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, how to get there, the camping opportunities you’ll find, and some of the interpretive programs you can experience.

 

BC’s Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is one of three national park reserves on the west coast of BC. It’s also the closest national park to the Lower Mainland which makes it a great place to explore! The park is located in and around the Southern Gulf Islands between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

One of the main differences between a “national park” and “national park reserve” is that a reserve means the area is subject to at least one Indigenous land claim. They’re pretty much the same, though, in terms of how they’re managed by the government. (To learn more about the country’s various national parks and national park reserves, visit the Parks Canada website.)

In Canada there are 37 national parks as well as 11 national park reserves. BC has the most national parks of any province in Canada, with seven. It’s called Beautiful British Columbia for a reason!

The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is indeed beautiful. The park covers around 30 square kilometres of land and water in the Southern Gulf Islands. That includes some or all of 16 islands, including Pender Island, Mayne Island, Saturna Island, and plenty more.

What makes the park such a great place to visit is how untouched much of it is. The area is protected land which means all sorts of wildlife are able to flourish. That includes orcas (a.k.a. killer whales)! They’re an endangered species and one of the many types of animals that can be spotted in the park. Others include seals, otters, eagles, minks and many more.

 


Visit Parks.Canada.ca for full details about the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.


 

BC Ferry by the Gulf Islands

 

Getting to the Gulf Islands

Unless you happen to live on one of the islands that’s part of the park, the only ways to get to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve are by boat or by plane.

For those who don’t own their own boat, BC Ferries offers daily sailings to and from all of the major Gulf Islands. The main departure points are Tsawwassen on the mainland and Swartz Bay in Victoria. There are also daily flights offered by Seair Seaplanes to six of the Gulf Islands from Vancouver International Airport.

Going from Tsawwassen to one of the Gulf Islands by ferry can take anywhere from one to four hours, depending on which island and which specific ferry route it is. So while a Day Trip isn’t impossible, most people prefer to do overnight trips and camp in the parks (or else stay in a bed & breakfast somewhere nearby).

For information on how to get to each island within the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, see the Parks Canada website pages about Frontcountry Camping and Backcountry Camping.

 

Camping on the Southern Gulf Islands
Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

 

Camping Facilities

There are two kinds of Camping Facilities in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve: frontcountry and backcountry. The frontcountry sites are a little nicer, and meant for those who either don’t have much experience camping or prefer a spot with more amenities.

There are three frontcountry campgrounds within the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. One is on Pender Island, one is on Sidney Island, and one is on Vancouver Island close to the Swartz Bay Terminal (which is just an hour or less by boat from some of the Gulf Islands).

For most people, the most accessible park in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is SMONEĆTEN Campground. It’s located at 10740 McDonald Park Road in North Saanich which is a municipality in Greater Victoria. Located just off the highway, SMONEĆTEN is halfway between Swartz Bay and the town of Sidney. It’s five minutes south of the former and seven minutes north of the latter. It’s also just 31 kilometres north of downtown Victoria.

In addition to its three frontcountry locations, the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is where you’ll also find seven designated backcountry campgrounds spread across different islands. They are on Pender, Saturna, Prevost, D’Arcy, Portland, Isle-De-Lis and Cabbage islands. These backcountry locations are a bit more out of the way, but they’re still close to the shore and include picnic tables and pit toilets.

The frontcountry campgrounds are only open from May 15th to September 30th each year. The backcountry campgrounds are open year-round, but they’re not regularly maintained during the offseason (which is from October 1st to May 14th).

 

Camping at SMONEĆTEN Park
Camping at SMONEĆTEN Park Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

 


FRONTCOUNTRY VS. BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING

What’s the difference between frontcountry and backcountry camping? The short answer is that you can usually drive to your campsite with the former and expect running water somewhere not too far away, plus a few other modest amenities, ranging from outhouses to hot showers depending on where you go. With the latter, you can expect just the basics, plus a hike to get there. Both are fun in their own ways.

Frontcountry campgrounds tend to be more accessible and offer amenities like running water and toilets (which can be of the flushing kind or outhouses). They can usually be accessed easily by car, although in the case of the Parks Canada campground on Sidney Island it’s by seasonal ferry.

Backcountry campgrounds, on the other hand, are in more remote locations. They tend to be harder to get to and offer just the basics (like a cleared spot for your tent, plus maybe a picnic table and/or firepit if you’re lucky). With all Gulf Islands National Park Reserve campgrounds, you’ll get all three of those amenities. At even more rustic backcountry locations elsewhere in the province, however, you might not.

If you go backcountry camping it likely requires a bit of hiking to get to (plus possibly some paddling or motoring in your boat to get there if it’s on an island).

Again, both frontcountry and backcountry camping are tons of fun, but they aren’t both for everyone. It depends how close to nature you want to be, and how comfortable you are with just the basics.


 

Parks Canada on Saturna Island
Parks Canada Activities on Saturna Island Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

 

Parks Canada Interpretative Programs

Parks Canada runs various activities in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve during the summer months. They’re led by “park interpreters,” and are both fun and usually free. Below is the schedule for the summer of 2024. Unless stated otherwise, there is no charge for the activity and all are welcome.

For full details about the various programs, see the Parks Canada website.

 

Mayne Island

  • Art in the Park – participants create their own piece of art while learning about the natural environment around them. This program happens at Georgina Point at 12:30 pm on July 14th, July 28th and August 18th in 2024.

 

Pender Island

  • Tiny Creatures – learn about crabs and other wildlife in Otter Bay. In 2024 this program is held every Friday in July and August at 9:00 am at Roesland Dock.
  • Our Plant Relatives – Parks Canada hosts an educational program about plants and Indigenous knowledge in front of the Pender Islands Museum. It happens Fridays from July 5th to August 23rd at 12:30 pm.
  • World Orca Day – on Friday July 12th in 2024. Head to Thieves Bay at 1:00 pm to learn about orcas and the fight to save them. You can likely enjoy some live music there too.

 


For details about all the interpretive programs at the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, see the Parks Canada website.


 

Family Fun on Saturna Island
Saturna Island Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

 

Saturna Island

  • Sunset Wildlife Watch – meet at East Point at 8:00 pm to enjoy the sunset accompanied by local musicians and storytellers. The program runs on Fridays from July 12th to August 30th in 2024.
  • Saturday Market – Parks Canada interpreters are at the weekly market in the Saturna General Store parking lot from July 6th to August 31st. The market runs from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
  • East Point Quest – a self-guided treasure hunt open to the public from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on weekends in 2024. The quest for treasure is on this year from July 6th to August 31st.

 

Sidney Island

  • Our Plant Relatives – the same as the workshop on Pender Island. It’s held at the Sidney Spit day-use area on Sundays from July 7th to August 25th at 11:00 am.
  • Roving Interpreters – in 2024 there are Parks Canada interpreters at Sidney Spit on weekends from June 29th to August 25th between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. The interpreters are available to answer any questions and lead short guides tours of the area.

 


For details about all the interpretive programs at the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, see the Parks Canada website.


 

Parks Canada Activities on Sidney Island
Activities on Sidney Island Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

 

Town of Sidney

  • Coast Salish Campfire Program – a Coast Salish storytelling and Parks Canada interpreter team lead an educational and fun campfire gathering. Held at SMONEĆTEN Campground on Saturdays at 7:00 pm from July 6th to August 24th.
  • Parks Canada Under the Salish Sea – there are Parks Canada interpreters running regular activities at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea from Thursdays to Mondays between June 29th and August 25th in 2024. As of the last time we checked, admission to the aquarium cost $18 for adults, $13 for teenagers and $9 for children.

Notes:

  • Sidney is a town on Vancouver Island. It’s about 30 minutes north of Victoria. It’s different from Sidney Island which is one of the Gulf Islands (and just off the coast of Sidney). The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve has parkland and camping facilities on Sidney Island, but also on Vancouver Island just outside the town of Sidney. The interpretive activities mentioned above take place in the town and at SMONEĆTEN which is just a short drive away.
  • SMONEĆTEN is pronounced like “Smonichton.” It’s almost the same as Saanichton (which is also a municipality in Greater Victoria), but with “mawn” instead of “an” after the “s” at the start. SMONEĆTEN used to be called MacDonald Park. It’s a convenient and pretty place for camping as well as exploring. It’s not a large park, but it’s nice and with lots of trees.

To learn about camping at the park, see the Parks Canada web page about Frontcountry Camping in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

 

Park Canada's SMONEĆTEN Campground
SMONEĆTEN Campground Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

 

National Parks in BC

As stated above, BC has the most national parks of any province in the country. Four of them are in the Kootenay region in the interior of the British Columbia. Three of them are on the coast.

Along with the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve there’s also the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Pacific Rim is located on the southwest end of Vancouver Island. It’s where you’ll find Tofino and Long Beach. Gwaii Haanas, on the other hand, is further up the coast on the southern end of Haida Gwaii.

 

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve on Saturna Island
Saturna Island Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

 

Other Information

For more information about the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, visit the Parks Canada website.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

To learn about camping opportunities on Vancouver Island near British Columbia’s capital city, see the website VictoriasBestPlaces.com.