Camping & Hiking · Scenic Views · British Columbia
A small marine provincial park on Keats Island near Gibsons, BC, reached by boat, kayak or passenger ferry and a short hike. Sheltered moorage, a sand-and-stone beach, trails and simple campsites.
Plumper Cove Marine Provincial Park is on Keats Island, a short hop from Gibsons in Howe Sound. Most visitors arrive by boat, but it is also reachable by kayak or by the on-demand passenger ferry to Keats Landing, followed by a 30 to 45 minute hike over a moderate hill. One camper advised calling ahead for the ferry and bringing cash.
Boaters rate the moorage. There are eight mooring buoys spaced for boats up to about 40 feet, plus a dock and slips for around a dozen boats, and the bay is well sheltered when the strait is blowing. Buoys go quickly on weekends, and the bay fills up in the evening, but there is good anchoring south of the buoys. You will need a dinghy or kayak to reach shore from a buoy.
On land, reviewers describe clean, well-maintained campsites, a beach of sand and stone with clear water, and a grassy orchard with picnic tables. A network of mostly well-marked trails weaves across the island with some good viewpoints, and there are even a few geocaches.
Facilities are basic: pit toilets and a hand-pump well whose water must be boiled. Arrive early on weekends if you want a buoy, and check ferry arrangements before you go if you are coming on foot.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 103 Google reviews. Details change — confirm hours, prices and bookings with Plumper Cove Marine Provincial Park directly.
