Pender Island is one of the most populous of BC’s Gulf Islands, with opportunities for hiking, kayaking and plenty of other activities.

PARKS CANADA ON PENDER ISLAND

Note: Pender Island is one of several islands with camping and recreational facilities within the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. It’s an amazing place to explore! Prior Centennial Campground is a great place to pitch your tent! For backcountry camping, there is also the Shingle Bay Campground.

Another option close to Pender Island is SMONEĆTEN Campground, located right next to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal in Victoria. The campground is also part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

For details about the campground and things to do on this island and others in the region, see the Parks Canada website.

BC’s Pender Island

Pender Island is part of the Southern Gulf Islands chain which is located between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Actually, Pender is made up of two islands! There’s North Pender and South Pender. They are connected to each other by a short, single-lane bridge. Combined, the islands are about 34 square kilometres in size, or around 13 square miles.

Pender Island is home to more than 2,500 people, which isn’t a lot compared to the Lower Mainland, but that’s the second-highest population of any of the Southern Gulf Islands. Pender is a popular spot to visit on both day trips as well as overnight visits.

Getting to Pender Island

The most common way that people travel to Pender Island is by using BC Ferries. Around half a dozen sailings are made daily to Pender from the Tsawwassen terminal on the mainland. Even more are made from Victoria via the Swartz Bay. The ferry terminal on Pender is Otter Bay.

A ferry from Tsawwassen takes anywhere from just over one to five hours depending on how many stops it makes on other islands. On average though, the trip usually takes just over two hours.

Pender is one of the islands that’s furthest to the southeast (close to touching the United States border and not far from the American San Juan Islands). As a result of the geographic location, its ferry routes are sometimes more circuitous.

When travelling from Vancouver via Tsawwassen to Victoria, Pender is the second large island you’ll pass on your left. You’ll see it after going through Active Pass (where you’ll see Galiano Island on your right and Mayne Island on your left).

Another, and more pricey travel option, is to catch a flight to the island. Seair Seaplanes offers daily flights between Pender Island and Vancouver International Airport. It’s definitely a quicker way to get there, but it cost around $180 per person the last time we checked. The ferry, meanwhile, as of the summer of 2024, costs about $20 per person (plus an extra $75 or so per vehicle).

Pender Island BC Ferries Terminal — Otter Bay Ferry Terminal

What to Do on Pender Island

Most of the people who live on Pender Island are in North Pender. So, if you want to check out the more built-up communities on the island, stay in the north. If you want to explore the less-populated areas, then head to South Pender. Both islands, however, are very rural.

Up in the north, the busiest spot is around Magic Lake. The area has places to hike, kayak and check out the local wildlife. There’s also a fantastic disc golf course through the woods.

For those who want to experience nature, but with fewer people around, there are a number of great sites on Pender that are part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. They include Mt. Norman and Beaumont parks on South Pender, and Roesland up in the north. If you ever get the chance to explore the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, you should do it. There are some beautiful spots, not only on Pender Island, but on other nearby islands too, as well as near Victoria on Vancouver Island. For full details, see the Parks Canada website.

The summer is an especially good time to visit the national park because Parks Canada offers what they call “interpretation programs” on various Gulf Islands. Pender Island is home to multiple educational and fun activities every week in July and August that are free to drop in and enjoy.

Other things to check out on the island include the Pender Island Museum (with admission by donation), and the weekly Saturday Market at the Community Hall right in the middle of North Pender.

Camping on Pender Island

There are two Parks Canada campgrounds on Pender Island. They are Prior Centennial and Shingle Bay.

Prior Centennial Campground is one of several campgrounds in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. It’s the larger and more accessible of the two on Pender. It’s also very popular and often fills up (so Reserving Your Spot in advance is recommended).

Open from mid-May until the end of September, Prior Centennial Campground has 17 campsites that come with picnic tables and fire pits. There are also both pit toilets and drinkable water nearby. Unlike Shingle Bay, the campground is fully accessible by car. There is even firewood for sale (at least at times when the province doesn’t have a fire ban).

The other Parks Canada campground on Pender Island is Shingle Bay. It’s smaller and a bit more remote and primitive, but also beautiful. It’s where you’ll head if you want to do backcountry camping.

The Shingle Bay Campground is accessible by water or via a walk-in trail. The campground has 10 very basic reservable campsites. The place has pit toilets, but no potable water, so you’ll need to bring your own (or boil what you find there). There is overnight parking at the end of Shingle Bay Road. From there, to get to your campsite, you have to climb down a 240-metre slope. It’s a bit more challenging to get to, but also a beautiful spot!

Other Information

To learn more about the surrounding area, see our article about the Southern Gulf Islands. For full details about the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve on Pender Island and elsewhere in the Southern Gulf Islands region, see the Parks Canada website.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following: