Cape Scott Provincial Park

January 24, 2012 A land slide has occurred on the trail between Nels Bight and Experiment Bight on the Cape Scott Trail, making passage dangerous. As a result, the trail to Experiment Bight and the Cape Scott Lighthouse is closed until further notice.

The website will be updated when the trail is repaired, so please check back. Thank you for your understanding.

New! BC Parks Backcountry Registration System allows you to pre-pay your overnight fees for backcountry and/or marine site usage, where designated. This system will not be used for vehicle accessible (ie front country) campgrounds or controlled back country permits (ie Bowron Lakes canoe circuit and Berg Lake Trail).

Know Before You Go

Access

Logging trucks are present on the gravel access road from Port Hardy to the Cape Scott Trail Head. Drive with caution and lights on at all times. Always yield to logging trucks, it is best to pull to the side of the road and let trucks pass.

Wildlife Safety

Visitors should be prepared to encounter bears and wolves throughout Cape Scott.

Read the bear safety guidelines and the wolf safety guidelines.

Ensure your vehicle is locked and windows are closed. Food and other attractants must be secured in the trunk of the vehicle. Bears have broken into vehicles parked in the Cape Scott Provincial Park.
Dogs must be on a leash to minimise interaction with wildlife.
During low tide, bears frequent the shoreline turning over rocks in search of food on the North Coast Trail, Nahwitti River area. Camp only within the developed campsite area, avoid camping along in close proximity to shoreline areas.

Hiking and camping notices

School hiking groups please register here

Read the detailed hiking and trail information

All campers and hikers should be prepared for extremely cold and wet conditions year round.
The boardwalk is extremely slippery when wet. Please avoid hiking beside the boardwalk and off the established trail as this increases sediment flow and will damage the sensitive riparian habitat.
Water sources are very limited. Carry an adequate supply of drinking water or be prepared to boil or treat water.
Please pack out what you pack in and use "No Trace" ethics while visiting the park.

About This Park

Cape Scott Provincial Park is a truly magnificent area of rugged coastal wilderness that is located at the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, 563 kilometers from Victoria.

Established in 1973 and named after the site of a lighthouse that has guided mariners since 1960, Cape Scott is characterized by more than 115 kilometers of scenic ocean frontage, including about 30 kilometers of spectacular remote beaches.

The park stretches from Shushartie Bay in the east, then westward around Cape Scott and south to San Josef Bay. Rocky promontories, salt marshes and jagged headlands punctuate the fine-textured, white-sand beaches. The most impressive of these beaches, Nels Bight, stretches more than 2,400 meters long and 210 meters wide at low tide, and is one of the Park’s most popular camping destinations. Other significant beaches include San Josef Bay, Guise Bay, Experiment Bight, Lowrie Bay and Nissen Bight.

Visitors can choose between a day hike or a backpacking excursion to explore the sandy beaches, rainforests and lowland bogs and muskeg of this wilderness park. For information about hiking trails, click here.

Special Features:
Cape Scott Provincial Park is home to sea stacks, which visitors can access at low tide. The eastern portion of the park contains a number of estuaries that are accessible only by boat. Cape Scott is also fortunate to have some excellent examples of old-growth forest, including Sitka Spruce in excess of 3 meters in diameter, and Western Red Cedar of similar sizes. Examples of these trees can be found throughout the park, including on the easy hike to San Josef Beach. About 20 minutes north of the Eric Lake campsite is a Sitka Spruce that measures more than 7 meters in circumference. This is a popular spot for hikers to stop and absorb their surroundings, as well as take photographs.

Park Size: 22,294 hectares

Cape Scott Lighthouse

The lighthouse and the Cape are outside the provincial park boundary and are private property belonging to the Department of National Defence. The old trail and foghorn were built during World War 2 by DND staff to give access to the beach, etc. but as the old structures, boardwalk and suspension bridges deteriorated, they became dangerous and were removed by the Federal Government. BC Parks is not responsible for this trail and not allowed to trespass on this private property.

Tourist Facilities and Information

Even though Cape Scott is a wilderness park, a variety of tourist facilities are located nearby in Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Holberg and Port Alice. Accommodation in these communities is limited, so reservations are recommended. Consult the Accommodation and Campground Directory published by Tourism British Columbia for names, addresses and other pertinent information. Some links that may be helpful:

Location and Maps

Location Map

National Topographic Series maps, scale 1:50,000, Index No. 102, Sheets 1/9 and 1/16 cover the Cape Scott area. These maps are available from most map retailers in British Columbia.

Cape Scott is a hike-in park, located at the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. A parking lot at the Cape Scott and San Josef Bay trailhead near the southeast corner of the park is on Western Forest Products land and is provided by the company for the convenience of park users. The lot, which is located 64 kilometers west of Port Hardy, can be reached by driving on a combination of public highways and private, active logging roads.

Port Hardy is the northern terminus of Highway 19, which connects with Vancouver Island communities south to Victoria; it is also the southern terminus of the British Columbia Ferries service to Prince Rupert. Port Hardy is also served by regularly scheduled air and bus lines. The community of Winter Harbour is another settlement southwest of the park that offers tourist amenities, RV campsites, fuel and a general store.

Click here to view a non-government web link, for additional information on transportation options to the park.

Maps and Brochures

Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

Park Map (PDF - updated June 2008)
Brochure (PDF)
Brochure Map (PDF)

Nature and Culture

Management Planning

Management Planning Information

Approved Management Plan.

Activities Available at this Park

Canoeing

Canoeing/kayaking is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in San Josef Bay, where there is a BC Parks boat launch. More experienced kayakers can make the trip from Port Hardy and around the Cape, finishing in Winter Harbour or Coal Harbour. San Josef Bay has also become a popular spot for surf kayaking, particularly in the spring and fall when waves are larger.

Fishing

Fishing is permitted as per provincial and federal fishing regulations. All anglers should check the current regulations issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada prior to fishing. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.

Hiking

Get detailed hiking trail information and descriptions.

For your own safety and preservation of the park obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting, switchbacking, skirting mud holes and trampling across meadows and boggy ground destroy the plant life and soil structure, thus increasing erosion and deterioration of the trails.

Hunting

Portions of the park are open to hunting for specific species. Please refer to the current annual Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis for closures and regulations. All hunters must have valid licences and tags.

Pets on Leash

Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash and under control all times. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.

Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears. Pet owners should ensure their dogs do not enter streams used for drinking water as they can be carriers of Giardia. Please water your pet well away from drinking water sources.

Swimming

There are no designated swimming areas at Cape Scott Provincial Park, however the beaches at Nels Bight and San Josef Bay are popular destinations for swimmers. Please be aware of sometimes intense surf conditions and possible riptides. There are NO LIFEGUARDS on duty at provincial parks.

Wildlife Viewing

The scenery in this park is incredible no matter where you are. The view from the top of Mt. St. Patrick offers spectacular panoramic views of San Josef Bay and down into Sea Otter Cove and the unspoiled wilderness of Cape Scott Park.

Winter Recreation

This park is open year-round. The camping rules noted above apply, however there is no winter camping fee.

Facilities Available at this Park

Boat Launch

BC Parks' boat launch is accessed via San Josef Heritage Park, but it is a BC Parks facility. It is for canoes/kayaks and small car-toppers only. The San Josef River is tidal at this spot so don't plan on using the launch at low tide or you may be hauling over gravel bars.

Campfires

While fires are allowed, we encourage visitors to conserve the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using stoves instead. Two communal fire rings are provided at Eric Lake and three at Nels Bight. Campers are requested to NOT bury their beach campfires. Several visitors have been burned where fires have been buried. Please practice “Leave No Trace” camping ethics.

Pit or Flush Toilets

There are 10 pit toilets available throughout the park. There are no flush toilets at this park.

Walk-In/Wilderness Camping

There are 11 designated camp pads located at Eric Lake, available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no longer a campsite at Donaldson Farm.

Random wilderness camping is also allowed in this park, though no facilities other than food caches (at Guise Bay, Nels Bight, San Josef, Nissen Bight and Eric Lake) and pit toilets are provided. Please camp on the beach whenever possible. If you should choose to erect a temporary shelter from the elements, please dismantle it entirely when you are through with it and return the site to its natural state so that others may enjoy the surroundings as you have. Please practice “Leave No Trace” camping ethics.

A backcountry fee for overnight camping maybe in place year round. Self-registration vaults are located at the San Josef River boat launch and trailhead.

Fees in Cape Scott will be collected from April 1 through September 30.

Backcountry Camping Fee: $10.00 per person / night (persons 16 years of age and older)

Backcountry Camping Fee: $5.00 per child / night (persons 6 - 15 years of age)

Wheelchair Access

The trail to San Josef Bay has been re-surfaced with crushed material, and an existing section of boardwalk has been extended. The trail is now accessible for high clearance "BOB" style strollers and assisted wheel chairs as it is a rough gravel backcountry trail with some slopes that are steeper then the optimal grades for special needs access.