Gabriola Sands Park

Highlights in this park

Picturesque Gabriola Sands, one of three provincial parks on Gabriola Island, features two sandy beaches and large manicured grassy lawns. This small day-use only park is a very popular local destination for swimming, picnicking, organized sporting activities and special events, including an annual fireworks display on Halloween.

The park’s two sandy beaches form an isthmus that divides Taylor Bay and Pilot Bay. This isthmus and sandy beach are relatively uncommon in the rocky Gulf Islands, and provide important ecosystems for migratory and breeding shorebirds and many marine invertebrates that live in the sand.

Visitors to Gabriola Island will not want to miss a stop at pretty Gabriola Sands park.

Know before you go

Advisories

Special notes

Please bring your own drinking water as there is no potable water available at the park.
The park does not have a boat launch. The nearest boat launch is located at Silva Bay Marina on Gabriola Island.

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

Getting there

Gabriola Sands Park is located on the northwest side of Gabriola Island on an isthmus dividing Taylor Bay and Pilot Bay. Access to Gabriola Island is via BC Ferries from Nanaimo on southern Vancouver Island, a 20 minute ferry ride. From the ferry terminal on Gabriola, turn left on Taylor Bay Road and follow until you see signs for Gabriola Sands Park, located on Decourcy Drive. The park is also accessible by boat. Boaters can reference marine chart #3458 for more information on this area.

Things to do

Swimming

Designated swimming areas can be found Taylor Bay and Pilot Bay. The lovely sandy beaches and shallow water make for excellent salt water swimming.

There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.

Canoeing

There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking in this park.

Fishing

Rockfish Conservation Areas occur within this park. Fishing activities are limited in Rockfish Conservation Areas. Before you go fishing please refer to the Rockfish Conservation Area descriptions available from Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO.

Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.

Pets on leash

Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.

Cycling

Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.

Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Gabriola Sands Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.

Facilities

Accessibility information

Accessibility information is available for this park.

Picnic areas

Gabriola Sands Park has a day-use and picnic area with picnic tables, pit toilets, two sandy beaches, a parking lot and a playing field. There is also a cold-water hand pump (water must be boiled, filtered or treated prior to consumption).

Pit or flush toilets

This park has two pit toilets. One on Taylor Bay beach and the other on Pilot Bay beach.

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.

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