Lower Mainland. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
Bring your own drinking water as potable water is not available in the park.
There are no windsurfing opportunities at the park, but the area called “The Spit” at the head of Howe Sounds near Squamish provides good windsailing.
Waterskiing is not recommended. Floating debris such as logs in the water and changing tides, may create hazards.
Special notes
Bottom-contact fishing is prohibited. To protect glass sponge reefs, no commercial, recreational or Indigenous bottom-contact fishing activities are allowed in the area of Halkett Point, within Halkett Bay Marine Park. This includes fishing for prawns, shrimp, crab and groundfish, including halibut.
Tying up to the float permitted only for dinghys.
Tying up at any log booms in the bay is not recommended as the booms can be towed away at any time.
No fires permitted within the park.
No garbage facilities in the park, so always pack out what you pack in.
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
Halkett Bay Park is located on the southeastern shore of Gambier Island, 15km from Horseshoe Bay. Located 40km from marinas in Vancouver and 10km from Lions Bay, it is well within day-use range of most boaters.
Camping
Marine-accessible camping
Marine backcountry camping is allowed. There are three developed boat-access campsites with picnic tables and one pit toilet. These sites are open year-round.
Registration and camping fees
- Backcountry camping fee: $5 per person per night (age 6+)
The BC Parks backcountry permit registration service allows you to purchase a backcountry camping permit before leaving home. Although this does not reserve a campsite, it provides the convenience of prepaying for your trip and not having to carry cash. We encourage all visitors to register online so we can reduce the need to collect fees in the field.
Camp responsibly
- No campfires are permitted anywhere within the park
- No camping permitted on islands
- Be sensitive to shoreline vegetation
- Use only established campsites
- There are no garbage pick-up services, so pack out what you pack in
- There is a small pocket of private property and development adjacent to the park. Respect their property, including their mooring facilities.
Marine conditions and hazards
- Good anchorage is available without stern ties.
- The bay is open to the south.
- Keep in mind that there are a number of rocks that protrude above the water in the middle of the bay.
- Chief marine hazards are a series of unmarked drying rocks and reefs in the bay’s northwest corner, and an unmarked rock at a depth of less than six feet in mid-fairway near the head.
- The favoured approach is to the steep eastern shoreline.
- Nearest marinas are located at Lions Bay and Horseshoe Bay.
Marine-accessible campgrounds
Winter camping
The park is open year-round and winter camping is permitted, but campsites have limited services. See marine-accessible camping for details.
Things to do
For your own safety and preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
This park has hiking and walking trails. There is a moderately strenuous 10km (approximately six hours) day hike to Mount Artaban through the Georgia Strait lowland forest with an elevation gain of 610 metres. At the top of Mount Artaban you can view out 360 degrees over Howe Sound and see such features as Black Mountain, Deeks Peak, the Tantalus and Garibaldi Ranges, Bowen Island and the San Juan Islands just to name a few.
Also located on this site are the remnants of an old forest service lookout. A rough trail also leads to Brigade Bay on Gambier Island’s eastern shore.
There is cold water ocean swimming at this park. The beach area is pebbles and cobbles.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
There are opportunities for canoeing and kayaking in this park. Pebble Beach provides good access. Kayak rentals are available in Vancouver. There are three developed boat access only campsites with picnic tables and one pit toilet.
Please note:
- No campfires are permitted anywhere within the park.
- No camping permitted on islands.
- Be sensitive to shoreline vegetation. Utilize only established campsites.
- There are no garbage services. You are responsible to pack out your garbage.
- There is a small pocket of private property and development adjacent to the park. Respect their property including their mooring facilities.
Tidal water fishing is available. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must follow DFO Area 28 fishing regulations.
Glass Sponge Reef Protection
No commercial, recreational or Indigenous bottom-contact fishing activities are allowed in the area of Halkett Point, within Halkett Bay Marine Park. This includes fishing for:
- prawn
- shrimp
- crab
- groundfish (including halibut)
The use of downrigger gear in recreational salmon trolling is also prohibited in these areas due to the potential risk of damage to shallow reefs. Click here for further information, including maps of the closure area.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times. You are responsible for their behaviour, and must pack out and dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
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 Halkett Bay 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
This park has pit toilets, no flush toilets. There is one pit toilet available near the information kiosk.
About this park
Gambier Island is named after the Admiral of the Fleet James, Lord Gambier (1756–1833). Halkett Bay Park on its southeastern shore was established in June of 1988.
This park protects a rocky tidal coastline, a small islet and beaches. It also protects the Halkett Point glass sponge reef. In 2016, a 136 hectare marine foreshore addition was established to protect the rare glass sponge reef southeast of Gambier Island. This glass sponge reef is unique in that it is located in only 30 metres of water, making the park one of the few locations in the world where these reefs are accessible to both scientists and scuba divers.
Bald eagle, western red-backed salamander, northern flying squirrel, black-tailed deer, marten, mink, raccoon, seals, and waterfowl can all be found in the park. The Annapolis artificial reef in the park not only provides habitat opportunities for marine life but also serves as a unique scuba diving opportunity.
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
| Park operator | This park is operated by Swens Contracting. |
|---|---|
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
