Penrose Island Marine Park

Highlights in this park

This park’s land includes an attractive archipelago of small coves and narrow channels, excellent for kayak and dinghy exploration. The excellent anchorages and interesting beaches provide ideal conditions for nature viewing, diving and fishing.

There is a network of narrow channels and sand and white shell beaches along the southwest shoreline. Scuba diving, kayaking, and fishing are popular pursuits.

Know before you go

Advisories

Safety information

Parts of this park are exposed to the winds and weather of the Pacific Ocean, especially when the wind is blowing from the southwest. Listen to broadcasts of marine weather forecasts and warnings, and do not venture onto the outer coast in small boats, dinghies or kayaks during stormy weather or after storms when swells can remain high for days.
Do not harvest clams or other bivalves. The entire coastal area including this park is closed to harvest of bivalves due to the presence of red tide, which can lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Special notes

This park is used by the Owikeeno Nation for traditional shellfish gathering. Mariners must use their own holding tanks while visiting the park.

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

Penrose Island Marine Park is 86 km north of Port Hardy at the entrance to Rivers Inlet and the south end of Fitz Hugh Sound. Refer to Canadian Hydrographic Chart 3921. Enter from Klaquek Channel into sheltered anchorages on the east side of the island. Access is by boat only. Rivers Inlet is the nearest supply centre. There you can purchase gas, diesel and supplies.

Camping

Marine-accessible camping

Wilderness camping is allowed; no facilities are provided Camping is permitted, but it is preferable to sleep aboard your boat if possible, as this has less impact on the environment. Suitable sites above the high tide line can be difficult to find because of the thick undergrowth of the coastal forest and rocky shore. If people camp, they usually tent on the beach at Clam Bay.

Things to do

Canoeing

There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking in this park.

Kayaking

There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking in this park.

Fishing

This area is prized by sports fishermen for salmon and rockfish.

The entire coast is closed to bivalve (such as mussel and clam) harvest due to the risk of red tide, which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.

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. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.

Facilities

Campfires

Campfires are allowed but firewood is not provided. Be prepared to bring a portable stove for cooking. If you must have a fire, please burn only dead and down wood, and be sure to extinguish the fire fully. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil so please use it conservatively, if at all. You can conserve firewood and air quality by keeping your campfire small.

About this park

Cultural Heritage

The park is in the traditional territory of Oweekeno First Nation.

History

This park was designated in 1982.

Wildlife

As you cruise through the waters near the park, watch for orcas, humpback whales, Pacific white sided dolphins, sea lions and other marine mammals.

Enjoy identifying the weird and wonderful creatures of the intertidal zone when the tide is low. There are sea cucumbers, nudibranchs, chitons, sea stars, mollusks, urchins and multicoloured algae. Please look, but do not disturb them or move rocks.

On shore, watch for Columbia black-tailed deer, mink and wolves. The beaches and rocky shores offer excellent bird watching opportunities for oyster catchers, sandpipers, pigeon guillemots, scoters and of course bald eagles.

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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