South Island. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Special notes
- This is a very popular park for camping all year-round. Reservations are always highly recommended and are required during the summer months. For more information, see camping, below.
- Alternative camping space may be available at nearby Englishman River Falls Park (13km away) or Little Qualicum Falls Park (24km). Both of these parks accept reservations.
- Rathtrevor Beach Park does not have a boat launch. The closest launch is at French Creek Marina, eight kilometres north on highway 19a.
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
Any maps provided on this page are for information only. They may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.
Getting there
Rathtrevor Beach Park is located three kilometres south of Parksville on highway 19a, in the central Vancouver Island area. Take exit 51 from the Inland Island Highway (highway 19) and follow signs to the park. The closest communities are Parksville, Qualicum, and Nanaimo.
Camping
Frontcountry camping
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers vehicle-accessible campsites, set in the wooded upland. All sites are within a five-minute walk to the two-kilometre stretch of sandy beach.
Facilities include hot showers, flush toilets, an adventure playground, fresh water, and a sani-station.
Campsite reservations are accepted and first come, first served sites are available in the shoulder season.
The park is very busy during the summer months and reservations are required between the last week of June and Labour Day.
Frontcountry campgrounds
Group camping
There are four group campsites in Rathtrevor Beach Park located off Rath Road, just past the administration building, before you reach the day-use parking lots. Sites 1 and 2 have partial treed areas, sites 3 and 4 are situated in large grass areas. Facilities include picnic tables, fire rings, hot showers, flush toilets, changing facilities, and a wash station with fresh water.
Groupsites
Walk-in camping
Rathtrevor Beach Park has 25 walk-in campsites in an open field southeast of the gatehouse. All 25 walk-in sites are reservable. Pit toilets are located nearby, with showers and flush toilets a short walk away. There are five communal fire pits and a wash station with fresh water.
Walk-in campgrounds
Winter camping
This park offers year-round camping, with limited facilities during the off-season.
Things to do
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers 5.5km of easy walking trails, most of which are wheelchair-accessible. Trails meander along the beach and weave through mature forests. Short trails link the campsites to the beach. Another trail loops from just before the main parking lot around a pretty heritage farm field. Detailed trail maps are posted at information shelters in the park. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Taking shortcuts destroys plant life and soil structure.
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers excellent ocean swimming opportunities. At low tide, the ocean recedes almost a kilometre, providing an ideal place for youngsters of all ages to play. When the tide rolls in over the hot sand, the warmed water is perfect for swimming.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
This park can be accessed by canoe or kayak. The tide can be very low. Check the local tide guides for details.
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers limited opportunities for saltwater fishing. Fishing is permitted in line with provincial and federal fishing regulations. All anglers should check the current regulations issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada prior to fishing.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Find fun summer outdoor learning experiences with Discover Parks Ambassadors here all summer long. For specific dates, along with many more seasonal and year-round activities, visit discoverparks.ca.
This park offers spectacular panoramic views of the ocean. From early February to May, visitors can view the impressive Brant geese migration.
Domestic animals must be on a leash and under control at all times. You are responsible for their behavior and must dispose of their excrement. Dogs are not permitted in the day-use or beach areas of the park. Pets are allowed on the beach adjacent to the campground between May 1 and February 14. However, they must be leashed. Please observe posted signs. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to the presence of bears and other wildlife.
Bicycles are allowed in Rathtrevor Beach Park but they must keep to roadways and designated trails. Cycling on the beach is not allowed.
Bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is allowed. The only exception to this policy is for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks. For more information on e-bikes in BC Parks, see the cycling page.
Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
There are opportunities for ocean windsurfing in this park.
Facilities
The campground roads at Rathtrevor Beach Park are paved for easy access. Campsites, shower stalls, flush toilets, beach access, many walking trails, and parking stalls in the day-use area are all wheelchair-accessible.
See more accessibility information for this park:
A children’s bike park is available for the use and enjoyment of visitors staying in the campground. It is located beside the main playground in the campground, near site 75.
Campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite for use by registered camping parties. We encourage visitors to conserve the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using stoves instead. Please conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small.
Firewood can be purchased from the park operator. To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please do not gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Cold water taps are located at the day-use area and throughout the campgrounds. These taps are shut off during the winter season. Taps for filling reservoir tanks in vehicles are located at either end of the sani-station and are available year round.
Rathtrevor Beach group picnic areas
Rathtrevor Beach Park features a large day-use and picnicking area near the beach. This area includes two parking lots, 75 picnic tables, two reservable picnic shelters, pit toilets, two flush toilet buildings, changing faculties, walking trails, and an adventure playground.
Pit toilets are located throughout the park. Flush toilets are available at the day-use area and through the main campground.
Rathtrevor Beach Park features three playgrounds, one in the day-use area, a small one near campsite 149 and a large one with a bike track near campsite 75.
A sani-station is available year round.
There are three shower buildings at the main campground and one in the groupsite area. All of the shower buildings have hot water.
About this park
Rathtrevor takes its name from the Irish family who homesteaded on this land. William Rath, a gold prospector, arrived in 1886 with his young wife and baby daughter. They built a log cabin, cleared the land, and built the barn. William died in 1903, leaving Elizabeth the farm and five children. She proved to be an industrious person, successfully running the farm and eventually operating it as a campground.
The suffix 'trevor' was added to give the campground a more lyrical name. Rathtrevor Campground became Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in 1967 and, though much has changed since William and Elizabeth first arrived, its beauty and importance will be preserved for our continued enjoyment.
Several species of wildlife can be seen in the park, including deer, raccoons, squirrels, otters, mink, eagles, osprey, hawks, vultures, and owls. Many shore and migratory birds also use the park area during their spring and fall migrations.
The most famous migratory shore birds are the Brant geese (Branta bernicla), who use the beaches of Rathtrevor and Craig Bay as staging and feeding areas during their spring migration to northern Canada and Alaska.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
Contact
| Reservations, changes, and cancellations | Our call centre is open from 7 am to 7 pm Pacific Time. There is a $5 fee for reservations, changes, or cancellations made by phone.
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| Park operator | This park is operated by RLC Park Services. |
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
