Portland Island (British Columbia)
Portland Island is an island in the Southern Gulf Islands of the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is located west of Moresby Island and off the south tip of Saltspring Island, adjacent to the main BC Ferries route just offshore from the terminal at Swartz Bay at the tip of the Saanich Peninsula. Portland Island was given to Princess Margaret in 1958 to commemorate her visit to the province. Princess Margaret returned the island to British Columbia in 1967, after which point it became a Provincial Park. Today, Princess Margaret (Portland Island) is a part of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve(GINPR).[1]
Accessibility
Portland Island is accessible by private watercraft or marine charter only. There are dinghy docks available at Princess Bay and Royal Cove, and a stern-tie ring at Princess Bay. Paddlers can land at the beach accesses at Princess Bay, Arbutus Point and Shell Beach.
Camping
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve offers 24 marine-accessible backcountry campsites on Portland Island: 6 sites at Shell Beach, 12 sites at Princess Bay, and 6 sites at Arbutus Point. Facilities on Portland are limited to pit toilets; no campfires are permitted. The Current Map and Hiking and Camping Information brochure on the GINPR website provides updated camping fees .
Hiking
A 6.5 km loop trail follows the shoreline of Portland Island, and is accessible from any of the three camping areas (Shell Beach, Princess Bay, Arbutus Point). This moderately challenging hike requires approximately 3 hours to complete, but can be shortened to about 1 hour by taking one of the cross-island forest trails.
References
External Sources
Coordinates: 48°44′00″N 123°22′00″W / 48.73333°N 123.36667°W
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