Manzanita Cove Conservancy is on the east side of Wales Island at the mouth of Portland Canal, about 50 kilometres north of Prince Rupert. BC Parks says the conservancy protects an anchorage, upland, foreshore, and intertidal areas within 200 metres of the high-tide line.
The protected area includes 27 hectares of upland and 35 hectares of foreshore.
Manzanita Cove has a distinctive mix of marine shelter, cultural values, and north coast history. BC Parks says the conservancy protects the viewscape around an 1896 United States Army Corps of Engineers stone house connected to the Canada-United States boundary dispute in the late nineteenth century.
The cove and surrounding upland also hold strong Coast Tsimshian cultural interests. BC Parks notes that the area has been, and continues to be, an important source of natural resources for food, medicines, cultural materials, and economic goods. Wildlife recorded in or near the conservancy includes gray whales, harbour porpoises, humpback whales, killer whales, marbled murrelets, and Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Use the anchorage as a careful marine stop, observe the historic viewscape from a respectful distance, photograph north coast shoreline, watch for marine wildlife, and hunt during open seasons where permitted by regulation.
This is a remote marine conservancy with limited visitor infrastructure. Carry charts, communications, cold-water safety gear, and all supplies. Avoid disturbing cultural sites, intertidal areas, marine mammals, and the historic stone house setting. Plan landings carefully because the protected foreshore and intertidal areas are part of the conservancy's purpose.
