Wallace Island Marine Provincial Park

About This Park

Wallace Island Marine Provincial Park, located in beautiful Trincomali Channel between the northern ends of Saltspring Island and Galiano Island, is a popular destination for boaters and kayakers exploring the southern Gulf Islands.

The numerous beaches, coves and offshore islets provide plenty of sheltered paddling opportunities in this picturesque park, which is ideal for day trips from Vancouver Island and overnight camping. Bald eagles, black-tailed deer and mink are common in the park, as well as harbour seals, sea lions and river otters, which can often be spotted offshore.

This park has limited development, but offers opportunities for swimming, fishing, kayaking, wildlife viewing and hiking. Walking trails will take you throughout most of the park, providing views of the folded rock formations that compose the island. Facilities are limited to an information shelter, pit toilets, picnic tables and 18 walk-in campsites at the designated camping areas of Conover Point, Chivers Point and Cabin Bay. Campfires are not permitted. A small dock is available at Conover Cove, as well as an octagonal dingy dock at Princess Bay. Sheltered anchorage and stern tie rings are available in Conover Cove and Princess Bay.

Established Date: November 9, 1990
Park Size: 89 hectares (85 hectares upland and 4 hectares foreshore)

Know Before You Go

Park Safety

• The entrance to Conover Cove is shallow at low tide and care must be exercised to avoid grounding. Boaters should approach the park with caution, due to numerous reefs and shoals in the area.
• Potable drinking water is not provided in this park.

Special Notes

• Please do not discharge sewage or grey water while moored here – it is against park regulations.
• Boaters should not tie up at the portion of the dock reserved for BC Parks staff.
• There are two private properties on the island; please respect them.
• Vessels longer than 11 metres (36 feet) are asked not to use the dock for tie-up.
  
  Dock Facilities Use Fee: $2.00 per metre / night
• Reservations are not accepted at this park; all campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Location and Maps

Please note: Any maps listed are for information only – they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

• Location Map

Wallace Island Marine Provincial Park is only accessible by boat. This park lies in Trincomali Channel between Galiano Island and the northern tip of Saltspring Island, off southern Vancouver Island. Boats can enter the sheltered anchorages at Princess Bay and Conover Cove from Houston Channel. Boaters can reference marine chart #3442 and #3463 for more information on this area. Nearby communities include: Galiano Island, Saltspring Island, Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan.

Maps and Brochures

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

• Park Brochure [PDF]
• Park Map [PDF]

Nature and Culture

• History: This island, originally charted as “Narrow Island”, was named after Capt. Wallace Houstoun, who first surveyed the area in the 1850s. Twisted fruit trees mark the remnants of the garden and orchard planted by Jeremiah Chivers, a Scotsman who retired here after unsuccessful adventures in the interior gold rushes. Chivers lived alone on the island, never marrying, and died here in 1927 at the age of 92.

  After the Second World War, David Conover purchased the island and moved here with his wife Jeanne. The couple developed a very successful holiday resort on Wallace Island, and Conover became a successful author, writing four books – “Once Upon An Island”, “One Man’s Island”, “Sitting On A Saltspring” and “Finding Marilyn, A Resource”. In the first two books he described the couple’s struggles and joys after their purchase of the land in 1946. Their resort, the Royal Cedar Cottages, was advertised as having “a modern well-stocked store, cabins, recreation hall and boat rentals.” In the mid to late 1960’s, Conover sold the majority of the island to a group of teachers from Seattle. Disagreements among the owners led to court proceedings and the property was again put up for sale. Wallace Island was purchased through the court ordered sale and became a provincial marine park in 1990 through the cooperative efforts of the provincial government and BC Marine Parks Forever.

• Conservation: The flora of this island is typical of many of the Gulf Islands – with dry summers, many plants are adapted to germinate and grow in the winter, flower in early spring and become dormant by early summer. The best time for botanical viewing is March through May.
• Wildlife: Black-tailed deer are the largest land animals in the park. Sightings of river otters, mink and harbour seals are common. Sea lions can be found in the area in winter, but disappear during the height of the breeding season in July and August. The number of Bald eagles has greatly increased in the area in the last 30 years and are now frequently sighted. Bird watching here is most productive in the spring, winter and fall.

Management Planning

• Management Planning Information
• Online management planning information for this park is not available at this time.

Activities Available at this Park

Canoeing

Fishing

Hiking

Pets on Leash

Swimming

Facilities Available at this Park

Picnic Areas

Pit or Flush Toilets

Walk-In/Wilderness Camping