Vancouver Island has many Bays that dot the coastline. Some are small, others Bays are quite large; some are occupied, while others are wild & pristine – all are incredible!
Botany Bay
The west coast of Vancouver Island and in particular, Botanical Beach and the adjoining Botany Bay brought Dr. Josephine Tildon to this Vancouver Island area, it was a perfect location for the University of Minnesota’s marine station that she had built in 1900. To me, it still is one of the prettiest places on the coast of Vancouver Island. Read More….
Brentwood Bay
I have always liked going to Brentwood Bay, we would sometimes take a drive up the Saanich Peninsula to the bay instead of driving over the Malahat. We would have some lunch here, hike around a bit and then take the ferry that runs between Brentwood and Mill Bay. This was an awesome trip with great scenery and there was always a chance to see some marine life. Read More….
Browns Bay
Just north of Campbell River on the Sayward highway, you will reach the Browns Bay turn-off, you should consider a short side trip to visit this beautiful little spot. You feel a very real connection to nature when you are at the bay. You are surrounded by a vast forest of big trees on three sides and an awesome view of the ocean on the fourth. Read More….
Cowichan Bay
Cowichan Bay, with its bed and breakfast lodgings that are built right out over the water on stilts, its wonderful shops and restaurants, its float house community, and its historic wharf/ museum is something everyone should see. Read More….
Departure Bay
The earliest settlers in the Departure Bay, Vancouver Island area were a First Nations group known as the Snuneymuxw, and it has been shown that for at least 2000 years the bay has been inhabited by them. The area was first explored by the Spanish from 1770 to about 1790. The area was known as “Stil’ilup”. Read More….
Denham Bay
This Bay is part of the traditional land of the Holmalco People, Coast Salish. Who have been living on their territories in Bute Inlet on the west coast of BC since the beginning. They have always stewarded these lands and waters and cared for their brothers and sisters in the animal world. Please respect their lands while you visit. Read More….
Elk Bay
When I was a young man, l logged for an outfit that had their camp in Elk Bay, which was quite a busy logging spot, Now it’s a campsite, and the camping is free, it’s located on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island north of browns bay but south of rock bay, just a bit south of the Chatham point lighthouse. There are 11 campsites here, and it’s easily reached with two-wheel drive. Read More….
Fanny Bay
The little village community of Fanny Bay is situated on southeast Vancouver Island, on Baynes Sound, which separates Vancouver Island and Denman Island. The bay overlooks the Strait of Georgia and the Gulf Islands, with the Coastal Mountains as a backdrop. The harbour is a beautiful little spot, always very active with boats coming in or going out, lots of oyster boats work in the area. Read More….
Gonzales Bay
This bay is named for Spanish explorer Gonzalo Lopez de Haro, first mate of the Spanish ship Princesa Real, who helped chart the waters around Vancouver Island in 1790. It’s now an upscale neighbourhood with some very nice homes that surround the bay, quite fetching. The bay itself is very pretty, great for sunbathing and swimming. Read More….
Grant Bay
Grant Bay is located on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. It is one of the nicest beaches on Vancouver Island, it’s all-white sand from one end to the other and from the forest to the sea. It’s quite a drive to reach it and this means fewer people. Most of the time, you will find that you are the only one there. Read More….
Kelsey Bay
Located where the Sayward Valley joins the ocean on North Vancouver Island in British Columbia, is the small coastal settlement of Kelsey Bay. Kelsey Bay is accessed by a 12 km paved road off the Island Highway. Read More….
Kye Bay
Kye Bay is a beautiful place, backed by a forested hillside and filled with a bounty of fish, seafood, forest creatures, and plants, the bay is all part of the traditional territory of the Pentlatch People. A Salish-speaking First Nations who inhabited the east coast of Vancouver Island from Kye Bay to the Parksville area. Read More….
Little Bear Bay
You will find 15 nice spots to camp at Little Bear Bay, this site is on the ocean at the estuary of the stream that flows out of Stella and Pye Lake. The sites are for tent or trailer camping. You can head over to the private Rock Bay campsite or the Free Elk Bay campgrounds easily from here as well, all great places to camp. Read More….
Maple Bay
Maple Bay is a wonderful little community located in the Cowichan Valley on southern Vancouver Island. The Bay is home to marine activity all year round. The sheltered haven of the Bay is situated in Sansum Narrows, which separates Vancouver Island from Saltspring Island. Read More….
Menzies Bay
There still is some logging going on that uses the bay to boom but not like in the old days. Now there are great trails and places to picnic. Mohun Creek flows in on the south side of the bay and Menzies Creek flows in on the north side. You can walk to the Menzies Creek estuary where you can cross a small bridge with spawning salmon below if you go in the fall. Read More….
Mill Bay
Mill Bay was established in the early 1860s, twenty years after Victoria was founded. Many of the settlers arrived on the HMS Hecate that came to the Cowichan Bay area from England. The Bay was the location of a power generating station for Henry Shepard’s sawmill. An American industrialist named W. Sayward turned the mill into one of the major industries in the area. Read More….
Nanoose Bay
The first man to settle in the Nanoose area was John Enos. He was a young man who was living in Boston, it was 1858, John had been living there for 6 years but became bored with life there, so he sailed for British Columbia. After some incredible sea adventures, John arrived in BC. Read More….
Nesook Bay
If you’re driving to Nesook Bay, you might enjoy going into the town of Gold River before heading out on the Tahsis rd, it’s a great place to have a meal. After your visit to the town, you are ready to head to Nesook Bay, please drive with your headlights on for the safety of both yourself and other drivers. Read More….
Pachena Bay
Pachena Bay is located 13 km south of Bamfield. It is in the Pacific Rim National Park on the southwest end of Vancouver Island, BC. It was the location of a First Nation village Pachena Bay is home to the Huu-ay-aht First Nations village of Anacla, “which aboriginal oral history says was devastated when an ancient earthquake convulsed the West Coast of North America that sent a tsunami onshore in the 1700s destroying the original village. Read More….
Rock Bay
There are no camping facilities at Rock Bay Park, but a private campsite is located near the boat launch. There are other campgrounds in the area including the pretty bay and camp area at Bear Bay and campgrounds at Elk Bay, Stella Lake and Pye Lake to the south of Rock Bay. Read More….
San Josef Bay
The Cape Scott Provincial Park is located at the northwest end of Vancouver Island and contains many fascinating bays and beaches. One of the more noticeable bays is San Josef Bay with its sea stacks. Many people visit the bay just to see these formations. Read More….
Smelt Bay
Smelt Bay is located on the southern end of Cortes Island, the park is named for the fish that spawn ashore by the tens of thousands. They are a fish that spawns under the moonlight, they roll in the waves and cover the beaches. Read More….
Union Bay
Union Bay is part of the traditional territory of the Pentlatch People. A Salish-speaking First Nations who inhabited the east coast of Vancouver Island from Cortes Island to Nanaimo, the Pentlatch people had permanent and seasonal villages that they used for fishing, hunting and food gathering in Union Bay. Read More….
Some of these bays were once logging camps, but have now turned into recreational sites for fishing & camping, like Elk Bay, Little Bear Bay, and Rock Bay. Other Bays are in parks, like Lowrie Bay, Hansen Bay, Grouse Bay, and San Josef Bay with its sea stacks.
Not to be missed, are bays that rivers flow into, like Kelsey Bay and Cowichan Bay and some are a starting point for awesome hiking adventures. Vancouver Island is a great place for a journey into the wilderness! Take a hike on one of our seaside trails or put a kayak in and have an adventure. The island has many bays just waiting for you to explore.
