Porteau Cove Provincial Park
Highway 99, Squamish, BC
604-986-9371 | Website | Email
An attractive destination for campers and underwater explorers, located just 38 kilometres north of Vancouver.
Category:
Recreation Location
Where:
| Neighbourhood | | Squamish/Whistler |
| Getting There | | Porteau Cove is located just south of Highway 99, 2.5 kilometres east of Squamish. |
When:
| Park is open year round. CAMpground offers full services from March to October. Reduced services in off season. |
Profile Last Updated: September 19, 2008
Trains Rolling Through
Open year-round, the Porteau Cove Provincial Park sits on the most southerly fjord in North America. It is a popular park with campers, who are able to pitch their tents on the beautiful Howe Sound waterfront, and with divers, who enjoy the singular experience exploring the scuttled wrecks offshore. For a trip back in time, during the summer BC Rail’s steam locomotive, the Royal Hudson, makes its way around the park boundary on its way to Squamish.
Paddling in the Sound
The park covers 50 hectares, with the pebble beach and jetty dominating the scene as you approach. The cove reveals itself only in winter when the surrounding forest has lost a lot of its foliage. Views from the campground to the Sea to Sky Highway are spectacular. Howe Sound is flat and calm, so it’s also popular with canoers and kayakers. But paddlers do need to be conscious of the power of outflow winds that build up in summer. When it’s safe to head offshore about two kilometres, there are great views of the Howe Sound Crest and Britannia ranges. Swimming near the beach is pleasant, as the sun-warmed rocks heat the water to a comfortable temperature.
Camping and Diving
Camping spots fill up quickly between May and October. Good amenities like showers, flush toilets and a sani-station make camping here particularly easy and attractive. A sign on Hwy 99 reports when the park is full. Offshore, an artificial reef has been constructed and several ships were scuttled specifically for diver exploration. They include the Nakaya, a former minesweeper, The Granthall, a steel-hulled CPR tugboat, the Centennial III, a dredge tender, and a 15m-ferrocement-sailboat hull.
Open year-round, the Porteau Cove Provincial Park sits on the most southerly fjord in North America. It is a popular park with campers, who are able to pitch their tents on the beautiful Howe Sound waterfront, and with divers, who enjoy the singular experience exploring the scuttled wrecks offshore. For a trip back in time, during the summer BC Rail’s steam locomotive, the Royal Hudson, makes its way around the park boundary on its way to Squamish.
Paddling in the Sound
The park covers 50 hectares, with the pebble beach and jetty dominating the scene as you approach. The cove reveals itself only in winter when the surrounding forest has lost a lot of its foliage. Views from the campground to the Sea to Sky Highway are spectacular. Howe Sound is flat and calm, so it’s also popular with canoers and kayakers. But paddlers do need to be conscious of the power of outflow winds that build up in summer. When it’s safe to head offshore about two kilometres, there are great views of the Howe Sound Crest and Britannia ranges. Swimming near the beach is pleasant, as the sun-warmed rocks heat the water to a comfortable temperature.
Camping and Diving
Camping spots fill up quickly between May and October. Good amenities like showers, flush toilets and a sani-station make camping here particularly easy and attractive. A sign on Hwy 99 reports when the park is full. Offshore, an artificial reef has been constructed and several ships were scuttled specifically for diver exploration. They include the Nakaya, a former minesweeper, The Granthall, a steel-hulled CPR tugboat, the Centennial III, a dredge tender, and a 15m-ferrocement-sailboat hull.
Details
Campsite reservations: Phone 1-800-689-9025
