A campfire ban is currently in effect for this park. For more information about campfire bans and about provincial parks with park closures and campfire bans in effect, visit the BC Parks campfire ban webpage.
Park access and closures:
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.
Bear Guidelines: There are many bears throughout Cape Scott park. Make sure your dog is on a leash at all times. When camping in this area to make sure food and other attractants are stored in the provided bear caches and that your site is very clean.
Visitors should be well prepared to encounter a bear, or bears. Please be bear aware and check out the Bear and Cougar Guide. “A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR”
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.
Please use caution when travelling along the trail into that area. If you encounter a bear on the trail, let it know you are there by talking aloud. If the bear continues to walk towards you, back up and find a section of trail where you can get well off the trail and let the bear pass you. Keep pets on a leash!
North Coast Trail, Nahwitti River - Camp only within the developed campsite area, avoid camping along in close proximity to shoreline areas. During low tide, bears frequent the shoreline turning over rocks in search of food.
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.
All campers and hikers should be prepared for extremely cold and wet conditions year round.
Please note: Water sources and availability are very limited. Ensure you carry an adequate supply of water.
Park Info
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.
Anyone contemplating a visit to Cape Scott Provincial Park should be prepared for such adverse weather conditions as high winds and heavy rain, which are common at all times of the year.
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
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.
People contemplating a visit to Cape Scott Provincial Park
are reminded that the park is a wilderness area without supplies
or equipment of any kind. Parts of the trail are very muddy. Holberg,
located 16 km from the trailhead, is the nearest settlement. Visitors
should be in possession of suitable maps.
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:
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.
There is no longer a campsite, hut or pit toilet at Donaldson
Farm.
There are now pit toilets at Guise Bay and Fisherman
River.
General Visitor Information
Lock all vehicles and remove valuables.
Use care on the access road and watch for logging trucks. Logging
trucks have the right of way; yield to trucks and use
pullouts when possible.
Please pack out what you pack in and use "No
Trace" ethics while visiting the park.
Use your bear and wildlife sense; see wildlife safety below.
Keep pets on a leash. Utilize food caches where provided.
Water sources and availability are very limited. Ensure you carry
an adequate supply of water. Any surface water must be
boiled for a minimum of 20 minutes or treated with a chemical water
purification kit prior to human consumption.
Beyond Mt. St. Patrick, visitors should be equipped with a
topographical map and compass and be totally self-sufficient. The
route beyond this point receives minimal maintenance.
The Park Facility Operator’s residence is situated at
the western end of Nels Bight beach and is staffed during
the summer months. Although the staff is usually hiking the trails
during the day, park visitors should be able to contact them in
the evening in case of emergency. The Cape Scott Lighthouse is staffed
year-round and could also be contacted in an emergency.
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.
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 anAnyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
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.
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 it as you have.
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. A backcountry fee for overnight camping is in place from May to September. Self-registration vaults are located at the San Josef River boat launch and trailhead. 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.
Backcountry Camping Fee: $5.00 per person / night, for all persons 13 years of age or older
Wheelchair Access
There is wheelchair access along the boarded walkway in the park.
