Plan Smuggler Cove Marine Park near Sechelt with 4 km hiking access, protected anchorage, kayaking, swimming, fishing, diving, sewage rules, and low-tide entry.
Smuggler Cove Marine Park is on the south side of the Sechelt Peninsula near Secret Cove, 16 kilometres west of Sechelt. BC Parks describes it as a small, picturesque all-weather anchorage that can also be reached by a four-kilometre hike from a parking lot off Highway 101.
The park is popular with hikers, paddlers, swimmers, and boaters.
Why Visit Smuggler Cove Marine Park
Smuggler Cove is valued for sheltered water and easy Sunshine Coast access. BC Parks lists hiking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, scuba diving, and picnicking. By land, visitors use Brooks Road between Secret Cove and Halfmoon Bay, then hike four kilometres to the cove.
For boaters, the cove offers excellent protected anchorage, stern pins, and many eye bolts along the shoreline for stern lines. Entry from Welcome Passage is best at low tide, when reef and rock projections are visible.
Things To Do
Hike in from the road, swim without lifeguards, kayak or canoe in sheltered water, fish only after checking Rockfish Conservation Area limits and licences, dive if equipped and trained, picnic, and anchor with careful reef awareness.
Planning Notes
Smuggler Cove is closed to sewage discharge by federal regulation, so vessels must keep sewage in holding tanks while anchored. Watch for drying and projecting reefs when entering or leaving the cove. Pets must be leashed and kept out of beach areas and park buildings. Backcountry areas are not suitable for pets because of wildlife concerns. Time boat entry carefully and carry enough water for the four-kilometre hike.