After some shorter, beginner-friendly overnight paddling adventures at Widgeon Creek and Twin Islands, Jens and I were ready to take on a longer kayak camping adventure. While there are no shortages of water-based adventures near Vancouver; there is a very small margin for error when dealing with the ocean, tides and currents; so after some consultation with experienced local kayakers, we decided to visit the Sechelt Inlet on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Kayak camping in the Sechelt Inlet is both suitable for beginners, and easy to organize.
The Sechelt Inlet is a gem of a paddling destination with gentle level 1 waters suitable for beginners. Just a quick 40 minute ferry ride from Metro Vancouver and a short 30 – 45 minute drive from where the Vancouver ferries dock in Langdale on the Sunshine Coast; the Sechelt Inlet could be a great destination for short or long adventures.
Savings tip: when taking BC ferries route to the Sunshine Coast, make sure to load money on a BC Ferries Experience card and get nearly 25% off your regular passenger and vehicle fares for the Sunshine Coast and all of the other BC ferries routes except for the larger routes from Vancouver to Nanaimo/Victoria.
Due to the amount of gear required for this trip – two kayaks, camping gear and food – we took the Eurovan for this trip. Normally, we avoid taking a vehicle on the ferries as much as possible, on the Sunshine Coast route, you only pay one way – about $80 for two people plus a vehicle, and your return trip on the ferry back to Vancouver is already included in your out-going fare.
As with all outdoor excursions – make sure you leave your trip-plan and itinerary with an emergency contact who can get help if you don’t return or check-in about your trip according to your trip itinerary.
Recommended long-term parking and kayak launch site:
Once you get to the Sunshine Coast, Pedals and Paddles takes the guesswork out of where to leave your vehicle overnight. For $5 a night, you can leave your vehicle in their gated parking lot, and also use their launch site to set-up and launch your own watercraft. The staff there are amazing, and they’ll note your trip itinerary, give you recommendations on campsites, and will contact Search and Rescue if you do not arrive back according to your itinerary, or you do not contact them with a revised itinerary. Pedals and Paddles also offers a wide range of kayaks and canoes for rent for day-trips and overnight excursions. Note: cell service is available throughout the Sechelt Inlet. Don’t expect to stream Netflix, but you should be able to take calls and send and receive text messages in most places.
Campsites:
One of the wonderful things about kayak and canoe-camping in the Sechelt Inlet is that camping is completely free, and sites do not require reservations! This is in large contrast to front-country camping in British Columbia where reservations can frustratingly fill up in seconds. Backcountry camping in the Sechelt Inlet does not need to be booked up months in advance, and campsites are plentiful even in the heart of summer. Campsites on the west side of the inlet (facing north) will have more sun in the afternoons, whereas the sites on the east side of the inlet will have more morning sunshine but less sun in the afternoons.
Tuwanek Beach:
The first campsite you encounter as you paddle north from Pedals and Paddles is Tuwanek. If you start paddling with the northerly currents in the afternoon, you can get to Tuwanek in as little as 30 minutes from Pedals and Paddles. The campsite has a freshwater stream, and a few forested sites. On the beach, there’s one large site, and a few smaller sites if you prefer to camp outside of the forest. Bear cache is available. Toilet is also available, but you need to climb up a fairly steep hill to get there – might be one to avoid if you have weak ankles. Caution: this was the campsite that had the most mice – they are fearless little buggers and often don’t run away even if you try to shoo them away. One camper told me that one hopped onto a piece of wood and tried to jump on him! West-facing, so better for afternoon light and sunshine.
Oyster Beach:
A 30 – 45minute paddle from Tuwanek is the Oyster Beach campsite. Living up to its namesake, this beach is full of oysters – due to the oyster farm adjacent to the campsite. If you buy a tidal fishing licence you can even harvest oysters to eat so long as you check that the area is cleared for safe shellfish harvesting. There is no water source at this site – at least not during our trip – so make sure to have extra water if you stay at this site. Bear cache, pit toilet and fire pit available at this site. West-facing.
Nine Mile Beach:
A 30 – 45 minute paddle from Oyster Beach is the Nine Mile Beach campsite. This site features a number of forested sites, as well as many beautiful Robinson Crusoe-like beach sites with some forested cover. A large freshwater stream – perfect for collecting drinking water, bathing and keeping beverages cold – runs through the campsite. This is a great campsite to hunker-down at if you don’t want to move around a lot. Lots of afternoon light.
Halfway Beach:
Right across from Nine Mile Beach on the other side of the inlet is Halfway Beach. This is a large east-facing site that also has a fresh-water stream about a 10 minute walk from the beach, and a good number of campsites. There are pit toilets and bear caches. Its east-facing location means you get lots of morning light, but less afternoon light. Less busy than Nine Mile Beach.
Kunechin Point:
Beautiful campsite with panoramic ocean views on a point as the inlet branches to the east into Salmon Inlet. Campsites are fairly exposed, not a lot of trees around in the designated campsite areas. No water available at this site. Pit toilets and bear cache available. Excellent staging point for excursions into the different arms to the north of the inlet.
Things to do:
Aside from exploring the inlet by canoe or kayak there are other activities that you may enjoy while you’re spending time in the inlet.
Fishing/Crabbing:
A $22CAD tidewater license will allow you to fish, crab and harvest shellfish to your hearts’ content in the inlet. Jens and I had great luck in catching crab using traps, as well as through snorkeling. As the inlet is actually home to a number of different oyster farms – you can imagine that oyster and shellfish harvesting is also very good in the inlet as well – just make sure you check that the area is open for shellfish harvesting before you start collecting.
While Jens and I didn’t catch any finfish, we did meet some people who had luck catching cod in Salmon Inlet where the Sechelt inlet branches off to the east at Kunechin point.
Diving/Snorkling:
There are a number of amazing dive sites in the Sechelt inlet. Jens had been to the inlet for diving before. There are diving sites near Halfway Beach, as well as the area just north of Nine Mile Beach near the entry to Salmon Inlet. For our kayaking trip, we just carried snorkel gear, and did a little bit of snorkeling/crab-catching around Oyster Beach and Nine Mile Beach.
Bioluminescent Plankton:
In the summer months, you can be treated to the amazing phenomenon of bioluminescent plankton in the waters of the Sechelt Inlet. To see the glowing plankton, wait until nightfall – the darker, the better – and test the waters by agitating the water at the beach with a paddle. If you see a sparkling glow – like a thousand tiny fairylights – there’s bioluminescence in the water. Go for a swim, or take a canoe or kayak out and enjoy watching the water light up around you! Make sure to leave some kind of beacon to find your way back to your campsite if you’re going to paddle out in the dark. We left a flashlight shining into the trees on the beach, and that worked very well for us to find our way back to our campsite after we were done frolicking in the water.
Dining Recommendations on the Sunshine Coast:
Lots of great food and drink outlets available on the Sunshine Coast for your pre- and post-trip dining needs. Most of the outlets I visit with Jens tend to be breweries – as Jens is German and is stereotypically attracted to finding good beer. I tag along, and listen to his beer and food commentary.
Located right in the town of Sechelt, Batch 44 Brewery & Kitchen has an extensive brewed-in-house beer menu, along with an impressive food menu. The Bayou’s Bite burger was some of the best fried chicken I’ve had in my life! Portions are enormous and even the side salad that came with my burger was “meal-sized” – served to me on a large tray rather than a small side dish. Jens ordered his burger with a side of poutine, and poutine itself was the size of what would normally be considered an entrée in most places. Excellent service, very reasonable prices, and amazing food and drink.
Brewhouse on a charming active farm. Great line of craft beers and ciders available, along with wine and keto-friendly cocktails from Strait & Narrow on the menu. Small kitchen menu available on select days and food trucks onsite when the kitchen is not open. 10 minute drive from ferry terminal at Langdale.
Just a 5 minute drive from the Langdale Ferry Terminal by the water in Gibsons is Tapworks Brewing Company. A favourite of mine to enjoy some great food and drink before heading back to Vancouver. The upstairs patio features beautiful views of the ocean. The lower patio often features live music from local musicians. It’s an idyllic way to spend a sunny afternoon before taking the ferry. Favourite from the menu was the Crispy Chicken Bao served with lettuce wrap.
Final thoughts:
Whether you’re an experienced kayaker, or you’re just getting into the sport, the Sechelt Inlet is a fantastic place to create your own adventure. The free backcountry campsites are well maintained, and not having to plan months ahead with reservations allows you to put an amazing trip together in a short amount of time.
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Trip Packing List:
- Kayak (Jens and I both have Advanced Elements inflatable Kayaks)
- Paddles
- Throw Kits
- Bailer Pumps
- Life jackets
- Tent (Jens and I use a MSR Hubba Hubba 2 person tent)
- Sleeping pads (I use this ultralightweight, super-packable pad)
- Sleeping bags (This super lightweight bag can be good for summers)
- Ultralight Packable camping chairs (a luxury item, but it’s so nice to have a comfortable chair at camp!)
- Headlamps (I like this rechargeable one)
- Battery Pack for charging phone and other electronic devices (I like this one that also has solar panels. Excellent customer service. Mine stopped working and they offered a full-refund right away)
- Smartphones (there is smartphone coverage in the Sechelt Inlet)
- Large collapsible water jug – for when we are campsites that do not have freshwater
- Sawyer Water Filter
- MSR Dromedary Water Bladder (connect-compatible with Sawyer Water Filter)
- Steripen as a backup water sterilization method
- 1 Liter Nalgene – required for using the Steripen
- Clothing (I’m completely obsessed with Icebreaker clothing – as it’s antimicrobial and does not hold odors – you can wear the same shirt for a week without washing and it’s as good as new)
- Bathing suit
- Water-hiking sandals – allows for ease of getting in and out of the kayak on rocky beaches but also allows for hiking as well – excellent 2-in-1
- Light running shoes – to wear in the evenings as your sandals dry out
- Food
- MSR Mini Stove (weighs less than 100grams!)
- Fuel for MSR Mini Stove
- Pot set (we have a pot-set and to save space we also eat from the pots)
- Cooking utensils
- Rainshell
- Down jacket (I have this one that I got off Amazon – it’s well-priced for a 100% down jacket and packs down small)
- Biodegradable soap
- Waterproof bags for clothing, food etc.
- Hat
- Sunglasses
Optional:
- Bug spray (I love this DEET-free repellent that kept me completely bite free in India)
- Insect bite healer. This device is basically like a mini heat-pen that when applied to a fresh bite, denatures the poison from the insect bite and greatly reduces/eliminates itching and swelling. This is an absolute game-changer for those who have allergic reactions to bug bites. I normally get very bad swelling and itching from any bite that I get – but if I use this device when the bite is fresh, there is typically no evidence I even had a bite the next day!
- Sunscreen (I really like this Ombrelle sport spray – it sprays on clear – and great if you’re travelling solo – you can get your back with the spray!)
- Lightweight rain tarp in case it rains
- Waterproof First Aid Kit
- Arnica (My go-to non-drug treatment for any bumps/bruises/inflammation on the trail. I even carry a tube around in my purse. Great for anyone allergic to Advil like I am.)
- Lightweight packable backpack (folds into nothing!)
- Crab traps (read my post on how to crab and crabbing gear)
