Porteau Cove Provincial Park
Porteau Cove Provincial Park
4.3
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Porteau Cove Provincial Park
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1 within 3 miles
Attractions
10 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.3
225 reviews
Excellent
123
Very good
71
Average
15
Poor
4
Terrible
12
Czar Emmanuel
Manila, Philippines10,220 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
We stopped by this place on our way to Squamish. We saw quite a number of people swimming, snorkeling and even scuba diving. I was impressed to know that its coral reefs were just artificially made. Today they offer fish and other marine creatures a safe refuge. The surrounding views are also spectacular! The mountains reflected on the waters create an idyllic scene!
Written August 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandie Z
Calgary, Canada62 contributions
Oct 2024 • Solo
We needed something close to horseshoe bay ferry terminal so we could get through Vancouver the next day to avoid rush hour traffic. Lovely campground. Conveniently located. Mostly families there.
Written October 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TLDawson
Surrey, Canada225 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
This trip was after we were given the go ahead to go out but practice social distancing. Travel time from Surrey is quite far but you will be rewarded with an awesome view. We are grateful that it was sunny that Sunday we were there. I was there a week before and it was gloomy.
It was low tide and my 1 year old nephew was able to enjoy a wee bit of the water.
If you would like to spend a day at this park, make sure to be there by 8am as they won't let you in when the parking lot is full. You will have to park all the way to Porteau Rd and it is quite a walk.
It was low tide and my 1 year old nephew was able to enjoy a wee bit of the water.
If you would like to spend a day at this park, make sure to be there by 8am as they won't let you in when the parking lot is full. You will have to park all the way to Porteau Rd and it is quite a walk.
Written July 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle P
2 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
We are another family who had a terrible experience with the park staff here. Two families camping together in 2018. First night was fine. Second night we are all asleep in out tents and around midnight are yelled at with lights in our faces and dragged out of our tents because there was one empty can and one factory sealed bottle of baileys on our table. It had been dark and we were focused on making sure all food and dishes were gone and we just missed these two items. My daughter was so scared and we were very upset- I explained to them that we cleaned the same way the night before and we’re not told there was a problem. I suggested a walk around at 10pm after quiet time starts would be more appropriate for reminding guests about their very specific policies. They said they had to wait until were were asleep to make sure we had left it out! I am a long time park camper and never experienced this before. Myself and my friend from the other family went to gatehouse next day to very respectfully talk to the supervisor who instead threatened us for complaining. Stating we were given a warning and he could make it an eviction. We were not rude or aggressive and did not deserve to be treated this way for respectfully lodging a complaint against staff behaviour. Distinct feeling of power tripping and bullying here. We haven’t been back. It was an extremely negative experience in a very beautiful park.
Written March 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anniexus
Vancouver, Canada159 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
This is a nice rock beach & simple campground with toilets, an outdoor shower (mostly used by divers), and calm water. I spent the day floating on a floatie and thanks to stairs leading right to the water/beach, I got out with no trouble. It's pretty cold water, but people do swim there and it's very popular with divers due to several wrecks. Paddleboards and kayaks are also popular. You can see seals & birds or if you dive, see lingcod, octopus, nudibranch, etc. Get there early as it is a very small parking lot and a popular place.
Written August 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Madalena C
Vancouver, Canada142 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
Such a pretty spot to camp but super hard to get a spot for overnight. You could go down for the day on your way to Whistler. Makes you feel like you are enjoying the Caribbean as the water is aqua in colour. .
Each site is well spaced for social distancing. Lots of kids and families of all ages.
Each site is well spaced for social distancing. Lots of kids and families of all ages.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MekkTekk
Vancouver55 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
This campground is one of the smallest and most popular in the “Vancouver” area. I booked 1 night in a walk-in site when I saw it was available online. Our family of 2 adults and 2 kids have never stayed in a walk-in site before so we were testing it to see if we would come back. Overall, the place was very nice but the distance to the showers/flush toilets is a real pain.
Here is some info that might be helpful if you are considering staying here:
Setting – the ocean side setting is amazing. Beautiful views and sunsets. Water is pretty calm and clean. It was swimmable for some but too cold for us (in August). Great place for inflatable boats, kayaks and SUPs. It was not easy to find crabs or creatures if your kids like that stuff. Yes, the train runs right by the campground but only 2 short trains came by during our 1 day stay. I found the noise from the highway more persistent but it was neither was that big a deal to us.
Walk-in Site Area – these are at the very far end of the campground on a peninsula. The beach in front of the walk-in sites is the best spot in the entire cove. During low tide, it is pretty wide and the beach is made of smaller rocks and gravel. The other beaches in front of the regular campsites (which is the other ~80% of the shoreline) is very rocky (i.e. rocks the size of melons all over). There is a look out trail as well as a wide open lawn for playing sports. The lawn is also water front and a really nice setting. Half of the walk-in sites face the beach and water, the other half face this open green space. This area overall is the nicest part of the campground by far.
Walk-In Sites – You park your car in a small lot about 100m from the sites. They have 1 wagon and 3 wheelbarrows you can use to help carry your stuff from the car to the sites (very handy). The sites are very small. Each site only has 1 bench, no picnic table or fire pit. Definitely bring chairs and a folding table if you can. The sites facing the water will feel smaller because you have no space to spill out from your site. The ones facing the green space have a little more room around to spill out (within reason). Most sites have very little privacy. Our site, W11, was only separated from W10 by a bench. I was literally setting up our tent 2 feet from where the other camper was sitting in his chair. After the initial shock, it ends up being fine since you can set up the tent as a bit of a barrier between sites and you get used to it. There were 2 common fire pits with benches but both of these were commandeered by neighboring campsites as their own area (i.e. they leave their chairs, supplies, etc. all around it). Unless you are at the sites noted below, you may not be able to access the common fire pits without asking the entrenched people to move over (awkward). Here is some info on the walk-in sites:
W2, W5, W7 – waterfront, very small but a bit more private
W10, W11, W12, W14 – water front, very small, no privacy from sites beside you. W14 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
W16 – private, easiest access to the beach, has room to spill out
W1, W3, W4, W6, W8, W13, W15 – all have the entry trail on one side and open green space on the other. There is more space between sites but less privacy from all around. Small but have room to spill out. W1 is very close to the covered picnic tables are so it’s easy to set up there for meals. W13 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
Washrooms, etc – there are 2 outhouses about 40m and 80m from the sites heading towards the lot. There is also a covered picnic area with picnic tables, and a wide counter with 2 kitchen size sinks and 2 electrical outets (this was actually a nice change from washing dishes on the ground). People charged their phones at the outlets. The bad news is that the flush toilets and showers are all the way back at the loop area of the regular campground 700m away. This is really very far to walk for a shower, too far for little kids. It is also difficult to drive there since there is no where to park near the showers. This was the biggest downside of walk in-sites. If your kids were older, you could bring bikes to get too from the showers.
Regular Camp Sites – from what we could see, the regular sites at campground A were also very close together. Unlike Alice Lake campground up the road, there is very little privacy between sites and they are crammed together. But of course they are a lot larger. The sites away from the loop (campground B) are more private and closer to the nicer beaches but then you have the problem of being far from showers and sinks.
If we came back, we would probably stay in the regular sites (more space, closer to the washroom, serviced with power) and bring bikes to ride down to the beach and green space near the walk in sites (which is nicer).
Here is some info that might be helpful if you are considering staying here:
Setting – the ocean side setting is amazing. Beautiful views and sunsets. Water is pretty calm and clean. It was swimmable for some but too cold for us (in August). Great place for inflatable boats, kayaks and SUPs. It was not easy to find crabs or creatures if your kids like that stuff. Yes, the train runs right by the campground but only 2 short trains came by during our 1 day stay. I found the noise from the highway more persistent but it was neither was that big a deal to us.
Walk-in Site Area – these are at the very far end of the campground on a peninsula. The beach in front of the walk-in sites is the best spot in the entire cove. During low tide, it is pretty wide and the beach is made of smaller rocks and gravel. The other beaches in front of the regular campsites (which is the other ~80% of the shoreline) is very rocky (i.e. rocks the size of melons all over). There is a look out trail as well as a wide open lawn for playing sports. The lawn is also water front and a really nice setting. Half of the walk-in sites face the beach and water, the other half face this open green space. This area overall is the nicest part of the campground by far.
Walk-In Sites – You park your car in a small lot about 100m from the sites. They have 1 wagon and 3 wheelbarrows you can use to help carry your stuff from the car to the sites (very handy). The sites are very small. Each site only has 1 bench, no picnic table or fire pit. Definitely bring chairs and a folding table if you can. The sites facing the water will feel smaller because you have no space to spill out from your site. The ones facing the green space have a little more room around to spill out (within reason). Most sites have very little privacy. Our site, W11, was only separated from W10 by a bench. I was literally setting up our tent 2 feet from where the other camper was sitting in his chair. After the initial shock, it ends up being fine since you can set up the tent as a bit of a barrier between sites and you get used to it. There were 2 common fire pits with benches but both of these were commandeered by neighboring campsites as their own area (i.e. they leave their chairs, supplies, etc. all around it). Unless you are at the sites noted below, you may not be able to access the common fire pits without asking the entrenched people to move over (awkward). Here is some info on the walk-in sites:
W2, W5, W7 – waterfront, very small but a bit more private
W10, W11, W12, W14 – water front, very small, no privacy from sites beside you. W14 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
W16 – private, easiest access to the beach, has room to spill out
W1, W3, W4, W6, W8, W13, W15 – all have the entry trail on one side and open green space on the other. There is more space between sites but less privacy from all around. Small but have room to spill out. W1 is very close to the covered picnic tables are so it’s easy to set up there for meals. W13 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
Washrooms, etc – there are 2 outhouses about 40m and 80m from the sites heading towards the lot. There is also a covered picnic area with picnic tables, and a wide counter with 2 kitchen size sinks and 2 electrical outets (this was actually a nice change from washing dishes on the ground). People charged their phones at the outlets. The bad news is that the flush toilets and showers are all the way back at the loop area of the regular campground 700m away. This is really very far to walk for a shower, too far for little kids. It is also difficult to drive there since there is no where to park near the showers. This was the biggest downside of walk in-sites. If your kids were older, you could bring bikes to get too from the showers.
Regular Camp Sites – from what we could see, the regular sites at campground A were also very close together. Unlike Alice Lake campground up the road, there is very little privacy between sites and they are crammed together. But of course they are a lot larger. The sites away from the loop (campground B) are more private and closer to the nicer beaches but then you have the problem of being far from showers and sinks.
If we came back, we would probably stay in the regular sites (more space, closer to the washroom, serviced with power) and bring bikes to ride down to the beach and green space near the walk in sites (which is nicer).
Written August 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zooeywright
Vancouver Island, Canada5 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
Porteau Cove has been one of my favourite spots for many years. However, in the past three years, the park has gone downhill.
The rangers are rude. Their unhappiness is palpable and they take it out on their visitors. I've had negative experiences with them both during day visits and camping trips.
One staff member went out of his way to treat my family like a nuisance- informing us at 10:01pm that our voices could not be above a whisper- and don't even get me started on my dog. My dog was never off leash but somehow I felt like I was being stalked by a female ranger who was waiting for me to slip up.
Oh, and don't try to drive in the campground even if you're staying there. You'll be harassed for even slightly deviating from the exact Center of the road. We felt like we were under a microscope for our entire trip and eventually left a day early because of it. We won't be back and I'll be sure to pass on the word to everybody I know.
I sincerely hope that parks does something about the staff and management at Porteau Cove. They are single handedly destroying the visitor experience when they could easily be friendly and educate the public.
The rangers are rude. Their unhappiness is palpable and they take it out on their visitors. I've had negative experiences with them both during day visits and camping trips.
One staff member went out of his way to treat my family like a nuisance- informing us at 10:01pm that our voices could not be above a whisper- and don't even get me started on my dog. My dog was never off leash but somehow I felt like I was being stalked by a female ranger who was waiting for me to slip up.
Oh, and don't try to drive in the campground even if you're staying there. You'll be harassed for even slightly deviating from the exact Center of the road. We felt like we were under a microscope for our entire trip and eventually left a day early because of it. We won't be back and I'll be sure to pass on the word to everybody I know.
I sincerely hope that parks does something about the staff and management at Porteau Cove. They are single handedly destroying the visitor experience when they could easily be friendly and educate the public.
Written April 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darren K
Richmond, Canada1 contribution
Mar 2015 • Family
We stayed at the park march 26th 2015 , we have stayed at this park for 7 years in a row during spring break as it is full after april 1 due to reservation system . We always bring the same group . This year however they have new staff looking after the park and are quite rude and abrupt , and will make this known as soon as you arrive by reading the riot act about rules and guidelines . we received many complaints for our whole group :
and here are some examples
one friend was tossing a football with his young son and had his radio on at 1 pm and they came and told him to turn it off
they told us to turn our led lights off on our trailers
they complained about the firewood we where using , too many sparks (it was pouring rain
they also where listening to conversations in the womens bathroom
they removed my friends permit and evicted them without warning .
When a couple friends where told to leave in the morning we asked why we did not get a warning they told us they just where not re issueing their permit , so we left as well .
Really too bad if you would like to have a family gathering as our group is not "ROWDY"
and cause trouble for other campers , we in fact asked all other people camping there and none could hear us or found anything wrong with our group
and here are some examples
one friend was tossing a football with his young son and had his radio on at 1 pm and they came and told him to turn it off
they told us to turn our led lights off on our trailers
they complained about the firewood we where using , too many sparks (it was pouring rain
they also where listening to conversations in the womens bathroom
they removed my friends permit and evicted them without warning .
When a couple friends where told to leave in the morning we asked why we did not get a warning they told us they just where not re issueing their permit , so we left as well .
Really too bad if you would like to have a family gathering as our group is not "ROWDY"
and cause trouble for other campers , we in fact asked all other people camping there and none could hear us or found anything wrong with our group
Written March 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iheartbcgirl
vancouver, B.C.3 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
This park is beautiful but we won't be going back until the staff changes. The park rangers behaviour was rude, condescending, and totally unprofessional. They treated us like children, we constantly felt like we were being watched. I drove away that day feeling sick to my stomach by the way we were treated.
I have grown up camping in BC provincial parks my whole life. Most, if not all rangers that I have dealt with in the past have been friendly, easy going and very professional. Every encounter with the ranger could have gone a very different way if they were doing their jobs correctly. All it takes is
to be polite, friendly and respectful.
We came to Porteau Cove to spend an afternoon with friends, enjoy the beach and then go home. There is honestly something wrong with this ranger, and I would be extremely embarrassed having someone like that be an ambassador to the park.
I have grown up camping in BC provincial parks my whole life. Most, if not all rangers that I have dealt with in the past have been friendly, easy going and very professional. Every encounter with the ranger could have gone a very different way if they were doing their jobs correctly. All it takes is
to be polite, friendly and respectful.
We came to Porteau Cove to spend an afternoon with friends, enjoy the beach and then go home. There is honestly something wrong with this ranger, and I would be extremely embarrassed having someone like that be an ambassador to the park.
Written April 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will be camping there next weekend in tents. Wondering what the electrical hook up looks like? Are there normal household outlets so we can charge batteries snd phones? Or just the 30 amp trailer connection.
Written June 5, 2023
Assuming they are all the same they have both outlets! We were tenting but able to use our household cords to charge our phones :)
Written June 6, 2023
Is it your average boat launch that I could back my truck and boat to the water? or is it that crane thing at the end of the pier, meant for raising and lowering bigger boats?
Written July 9, 2020
@moiraw365
White Rock, Canada
Read some unhappy reviews about park staff from 2016 and 2017. How was 2018? How noisy are the trains at night for camping? Are there many a day? TIA.
Written March 13, 2019
Availleble for RV to??
Written October 10, 2018
So sorry for the delay in my reply. Yes, we camp there all the time with friends that have an RV. There are a couple of sites that are smaller and can not accommodate an RV over 18”, though, so when I book, I make sure to select the right equipment. Good luck!
Written December 5, 2018
Next Month me and my girlfriend Will visit the park after midnight to see the stars and If we have Lucky the Aurora. Have some parking Lot this time ? Thanks!
Written September 29, 2018
Can someone please tell me what time you can check-in to your campsite. Thank you
Written September 16, 2018
Interestingly, after checking out their website...I was unable to locate the check-in time.
Please check out the following: bcparks/fees/
For campers with reservations, check-in time is between 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Procedures for obtaining a reserved campsite are posted on information board at the entrance to the park/campground, or are available at the gatehouse.
Check-out time is 11 a.m. (for all campers).
Hope you have brought along some warm clothes. We are having a very unseasonably cool late summer. Our indigenous summer has yet to kick in and temperatures are hovering lower than normal. Fleece and rain gear are a must.
Happy travels, you will love this area, other than the train traffic. Hope you have time to check out the Chief, Squamish, Whistler and all the outdoor activities that make our province so delightful. Super Natural BC!
Written September 16, 2018
You can walk around the site no problem, you just won't be allowed to take your car in unless you are staying or visiting a campsite. Head right to the back, there is a small inlet with a great lookout.
Written July 10, 2017
Yes. There is a socket for large RVs and trailers for each site. Except the walk-in, no-vehicles sites.
Written August 10, 2017
Showing results 1-10 of 13
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing