Park overview
Explorer Captain Cook called Brooks Peninsula, located on northwest Vancouver Island, the “cape of storms”, however this provincial park also offers shelter, sandy beaches and a world-class wilderness experience to visitors.
On July 13, 2009 an agreement was reached between British Columbia and the Che:k’tles7et’h’ peoples to rename Brooks Peninsula Provincia Park to Mquqᷱin / Brooks Peninsula Park. The dual name celebrates the First Nations’ connection with the history and culture of the park. The word Mquqᷱin means “The Queen” in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth language.
Audio Files: Mquqᷱin was recorded by Hereditary Chief of the Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nation Tyee Francis Gillette.
The park also falls within the boundaries of the Quatsino First Nation, who support the renaming plan. This area is spiritually significant to these First Nations, and has long served as the traditional hunting and fishing grounds for the Che:k’tles7et’h’ peoples.
The unique geography of Brooks Peninsula offers everything from inter-tidal marine life to a sub-alpine mountain environment. This peninsula is distinctive in that it is the only part of Vancouver Island unaffected by the last ice age. Today, this coastal glacial refugium is home to a variety of rare plant species and unique geologic formations, providing unparalleled opportunities for scientific study.
Recreational opportunities include hiking, kayaking, boating and wildlife viewing. Visitors can see a variety of marine mammals in the area, including gray whales, sea lions and sea otters. Seabirds, including rhinoceros auklets and marbled murrelets, are found in abundance in this park, which features miles of remote, uninhabited sandy beaches and an old growth coastal rain forest.
Access to the adjacent Ecological Reserve on Solander Island is prohibited.
Advisories
Dates of operation
The park is open year-round
- Facility type
- Wilderness camping
- Main operating season
- 2024: year-round
- Winter season
- Not known
Safety info
- Water for human consumption may be difficult to locate in Mquqᷱin / Brooks Peninsula, therefore It is recommended that you bring enough for your needs. Any surface water you may find must be well-boiled, filtered or treated prior to drinking.
- This park does not have a boat launch. The nearest boat launch is at Fair Harbour. Sheltered anchorages are also available in Nasparti and Ououkinsh Inlet in the southern part of the park. In the northern portion of the park, sheltered anchorages can be found in Brooks Bay and Klaskish Inlet.
Camping
Wilderness camping is allowed, but there are no developed sites and no facilities are provided.
Facilities
While small fires are allowed, we encourage visitors to conserve the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using stoves instead. If you do have a fire, please utilize previously constructed fire rings and use small pieces of wood that will burn completely. If you can’t find a previously used site, try to construct your fire rings below the high tide mark. Never leave your fire unattended and practice “Leave No Trace” camping ethics.
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.
Activities
There is a primitive trail from Columbia Cove to the most easterly beach on the south coast of the peninsula, which takes an average of 20 minutes to hike. From this beach more adventurous explorers can link a series of high tide routes between headlands. These will eventually end up near the westerly tip of the peninsula. An additional hiking route can be found near the top end of Ououkinsh Inlet, up the lower Power River to Power Lake.
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 is no designated swimming area at this park.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
The waters around Mquqᷱin / Brooks Peninsula Park offer world-class kayaking and canoeing. Opportunities for relatively sheltered paddling exist from Columbia Cove east to Nasparti and Ououkinsh Inlets and Johnson Lagoon. Paddlers wishing to explore Johnson Lagoon should be very aware of tidal fluctuations and dangerous currents around the mouth of the lagoon. These areas of the park are more suitable for beginner to intermediate kayakers.
For the more adventurous ocean kayaker, journeys around Brooks Peninsula are possible.
Paddlers should take the ebb and flow of tides into consideration and be prepared for heavy fog at any time. Most kayakers launch from Fair Harbour, though the use of water taxis is becoming more and more popular as a method of quickly reaching the park. These can be found in Kyuquot and Zeballos.
Saltwater fishing is popular in this park, particularly for salmon, rockfish and halibut. Power Lake, accessed via Ououkinsh Inlet, offers opportunities for fresh water 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 and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times. 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.
Portions of this park are open to hunting for specific species. Hunters must have valid licences and tags. Please refer to the current Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis publication for closures and regulations.
The park is located approximately 20 km southwest of Port Alice on northwest Vancouver Island and is accessible primarily by boat, north from Quatsino Sound and south from Kyuquot Sound. Boaters can reference marine chart #3683 (Checleset Bay) and #3680 (Brooks Bay) for more information on this area. The use of water taxis and air charters is becoming more and more popular as a method of quickly reaching the park. These can be found in Kyuquot and Zeballos.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: December 10, 1986
- Size: 39,936 hectares (36,005 ha upland and 3,931 ha foreshore)
Nature and culture
Cultural Heritage
The park is located within the traditional territory of the Kyuquot/Checleset and Quatsino First Nation peoples. Battle Bay in the southern portion of the park is rich in First Nations cultural history. Many battles were fought at this location in order to retain control of this prosperous area.
First Nations reserves located adjacent to the southern portion of Mquqᷱin / Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park are not for recreational use. Visitors are encouraged to contact the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nation office in Kyuquot prior to exploring Brooks Peninsula.
Conservation
As a result of land-use planning for Vancouver Island, this former 28,780 hectare recreation area (established in 1986) was upgraded in 1995 to a Class A Provincial Park. In addition to this upgrade, 22,851 hectares known as the Brooks-Nasparti area, has been added to the park.
The Brooks-Nasparti addition encompasses the entire watershed of the Nasparti River and streams draining into Johnson Lagoon, the west-facing slopes along Nasparti Inlet, the Power River and Battle Creek watersheds and the Mount Seaton area. The park preserves the peninsula’s pristine wilderness landscape, which contains representative natural features of the West Vancouver Island Mountains landscape and Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone.
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.