Shearwater Hot Springs (also known as Europa Hot Springs) Conservancy is located along the north side of Alan Reach in Gardner Canal, on the north side of a small bay between Shearwater Point and Europa Point. It protects a popular marine hot springs and sheltered boat anchorage site along Gardner Canal. Local boaters and fishermen commonly stop at Shearwater hot springs for hot springs soaking, safe anchorage, picnics and camping.
There are no roads or trails in this conservancy.
In April 2010, BC Parks with the help of Canada Coast Guard, installed two mooring buoys in the bay.
A bath house (13’ x 14’) is provided so that park visitors may enjoy soaking in the warm and odorless hot springs water. The hot springs water comes out of the ground from cracks in the bedrock at the bottom of the hot springs pool. It flows out at a rate of about 7.1 litres per minute. Water temperature at the source and in the bath house pool is about 40.6 degrees Celsius. The hot springs and bath house are located along the north shore of the bay. UTM coordinates are: Zone 09U; 5922456 m North; 0529202 m East.
The water in the hot springs is not suitable for drinking.
Established Date: May 31, 2007
Conservancy Size:33 hectares (18 ha upland, 15 ha foreshore)
Wilderness camping is allowed. Reservations are not accepted at this conservancy and all sites and facilities are on a first-come, first-served basis.
There are opportunities to fish for trout and salmon in the creek that enters the bay inside the conservancy. Please consult the appropriate non-tidal fishing regulations for more information. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate license.
This Conservancy is open to hunting during lawful hunting seasons. Please check the BC Hunting and Trapping Regulations for more information.
Shearwater Hot Springs Conservancy is only accessible by boat or floatplane and is located about 45 km east of Hartley Bay and 65 km south of Kitimat. It is located along the north side of Alan Reach in Gardner Canal, on the north side of a small bay between Shearwater Point and Europa Point.
Kitimat Visitor Information Centre:
PO Box 214
2109 Forest Avenue
Kitimat, BC, Canada V8C 2G7
http://www.tourismkitimat.ca/
e-mail: info@tourismkitimat.ca
ph: 250-632-6294 or 1-800-664-6554
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.