Park overview
Located north of Sechelt and the village of Tuwanek, this park offers views of Sechelt Inlet, the Sechelt Peninsula, and town of Sechelt. Access is by four-wheel drive to the mountaintop hiking area and Richardson Lake with its rustic campsites. Its shoreline includes three of the boat-accessible camping sites within Sechelt Inlet, at Oyster Beach, Nine Mile Point and Tuwanek.
Advisories
Safety info
- Bring your own drinking water as potable water is not available in the park. There is an intermittent stream that runs through the Tuwanek camping area, which may be dry during the summer. There is a boil water advisory for all streams.
Camping
This park offers vehicle-accessible campsites on a first come, first served basis. Campsite reservations are not accepted. These sites can only be accessed by four-wheel drive vehicles and available on a year-round basis.
Backcountry camping is allowed, but limited facilities are provided. Anchorage is poor when there is a Southeaster, Westerly or a “small craft advisory.” Monitor the Coast Guard radio weather channel, listening for the Merry Island Light station report. Beware of local daily winds picking up in the Inlet.
There are three areas to camp:
| Tuwanek | This area is generally used as a day-use area as it is the closest to the community of Tuwanek. It has one wooden tent pad, plus three other hard packed ground camping areas. It has a pit toilet. A stream runs through the campsite area, however as the summer progresses it can become intermittent. Bring your own water. There is a “boil water advisory.” Beach is gravel, with barnacle covered rocks. Water is relatively warm to swim in. |
| Oyster Beach | Is a small camping area two to three sites of hard packed gravel. The beach is gravel with barnacle covered rocks. It has a pit toilet and a group fire ring. Firewood is not provided. Water is not available at this site. |
| Nine Mile Point | Is the largest of the three marine sites, and can be easily reached in a day. It has two group fire rings. Firewood is not provided. It has one pit toilet. Water is available, however there is a “boil water advisory.” The beach is gravel with barnacle covered rocks. This is an excellent site to watch the sunset. |
Facilities
Campfires are permitted. Fires must be kept to campfire rings if provided, or below the high tide line on the beach. We encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t 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.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
This park has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
Activities
For the Mount Richardson west side trail follow the driving directions as far as the “west road,” then, about 800 metres after this junction, an old grown-in logging road off to the left leads in the direction of the peak. This road ends in a forest plantation and from there it is a bush whack to the ridge leading to the summit. You can also reach the summit from the lake by bush wacking through the timber to the summit.
For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking in this park. There are rentals available in Tillicum Bay and Sechelt.
Charts of the area are #3512 Strait of Georgia Central Portion and #3514 Jervis Inlet including Sechelt Rapids.
The Topographic Map for this area is Sechelt Inlet 92G12.
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 and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must 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.
There are scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities in this park. Rentals are available in Sechelt.
Hunting is permitted only during lawful game hunting season. Check the BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis for regulations.
From Sechelt, take Wharf Road. Then, turn right onto East Porpoise Bay Road (turns into Sechelt Inlet Road) for 8.6 km. Turn right onto the Sechelt-Dakota Forest Service Road (across from Peddles & Paddles). After 1.1 km, turn left onto Sechelt-Gray Forest Service Road Branch 9. Follow this for 5.2 km, then turn left on Branch 300 (near the 7 km marker). Using four-wheel drive, follow this very rough road staying left for 7 km to the park boundary. The last portion of the road has a very steep, difficult section.
Please read all signs, watch for logging trucks and drive with extreme caution.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: June 29, 1999
- Size: 1,000 hectares
Nature and culture
History
This area was never logged but parts of the park were swept over by a forest fire several ago and the two different age classes (trees older than the fire and trees that grew after the fire) are immediately apparent when viewing the mountain.
Conservation
This park represents a rich functioning ecosystem containing ocean shoreline, intertidal zone, foreshore and mountain, providing habitat for a wide diversity of life forms.
Wildlife
This unique rain-forest type microclimate is home to many different species such as black-tailed deer, turkey buzzards, osprey, flying squirrels, eagles, doves, owls, pileated woodpeckers, coyotes, bobcats, martens, cougars, black bear, loons and snowshoe hare.
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.