Plan Smelt Bay Park on Cortes Island with 22 campsites, beach swimming, paddling, gravel boat launch, fishing, capelin spawning, ferry access, and pet rules.
Smelt Bay Park is on the southwest side of Cortes Island, 15 kilometres south of the Whaletown ferry terminal on Sutil Point Road. BC Parks says it is the only provincial campground on remote Cortes Island, with 22 spacious campsites in the woods overlooking Smelt Bay.
The park is named for capelin, small silver fish that spawn on the shore in late September and early October.
Why Visit Smelt Bay Park
Smelt Bay is a beach and camping park with a strong marine setting. The beach extends from the south end of Smelt Bay around the shoreline to Sutil Point and is useful for low-tide marine exploration. Mounds behind the beach are believed to have been built by Coast Salish First Nations for defensive purposes.
BC Parks lists ocean swimming, canoeing, kayaking, saltwater fishing, cycling on roadways, and camping. The beach and capelin spawning also draw marine life and coastal birds.
Things To Do
Camp, swim without lifeguards, paddle from the beach or the gravel boat launch at higher tides, fish for salmon and rockfish under current federal and provincial regulations, cycle on roadways, and explore the beach at low tide.
Planning Notes
Access requires ferries from Campbell River to Quadra Island and from Heriot Bay to Whaletown, unless arriving by boat. BC Parks lists marine charts 3538 and 3539. Pets must be leashed, and e-bikes are not allowed on trails. Check ferry schedules, campground reservations, fishing rules, tides, and weather before travelling. Give spawning capelin and shorebirds room during sensitive shoreline periods.