Whytecliff park

The beach is mostly rocky, but there is a sandy patch. Whytecliff Park can be a great place to spend a day or the better part of a morning or afternoon. An evening visit can also be pleasant when the days are long. Wear good walking shoes and climb the island very carefully. The address of the park is Marine Drive.

When heading along the Trans-Canada Highway towards Whistler from West Vancouver , take the 2 exit — the one right after the exit to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. From there, get onto Marine Drive and keep going.

The main very large island you see across the water from Whytecliff Park is Bowen Island. You can expect to find a small number of short walking trails, giant rocks and cliffs to climb and a beautiful pebbly beach at the park.

An island can also be seen and connects to the rest of the park at low tide. The island is an especially fun place to explore and admire the views from. In addition to its natural landmarks, Whytecliff Park also has further offerings. In the summer, on busy days, there is a small canteen too. In total, the park is close to 40 acres in size. Whytecliff Park is a popular venue for short hikes, exploring the rocks, picnics and hanging out at the beach.

The water there is a designated Saltwater Marine Protected Area. Below are some tips to help you make the most out of your visit to Whytecliff Park. At low tide though, it connects to the mainland. To find out where the tide will be at various times, check out Tide-Forecast.

TIP 2 : If climbing the island, or any of the other rocky cliffs in the park, go carefully and keep a close eye on young children. Also, be especially careful in cold winter weather and after it has been raining. The rocks can get slippery! There are multiple paths and viewpoints, so take your time scrambling along the rocks. It only takes a moment to get more beautiful views further south, into the Strait of Georgia.

Enjoy the views while being mindful not to get too close to the edges of the rocky cliff. As the trail loops back eastward, you will come to a set of wooden stairs. You can follow them down for a quick detour into a small cove. At low tide, you can walk into the cove and enjoy the unique perspective from the tiny beach.

Enjoy the view from this high point, and when ready find the stone steps down to the beach. Be careful in wet weather, as the rocks will be slippery. Carry along the beach to the far side. Here, you will see a bathroom with the scuba diving flag painted on it, and another access point up to the parking lot. You can carry along a little further to get a head-on view of Whyte Islet, which makes a great vantage point for a photo, especially at high tide.

If the tide is low, you can follow the exposed rocky path over and onto Whyte Islet itself. It would not be fun to get stuck out there. Just ask these people:. Divers can see a variety of marine life including, harbour seals, sea pens, lingcod, nudibranchs, sea cucumbers, and occasionally octopus. There are reportedly over marine species in the park! The climb onto Whyte Islet is steep initially. It can be difficult if the rocks are wet, so be cautious.

You also have a nice view of the incredible houses perched above the water in Gleneagles. You can walk to the southern end of Whyte Islet and enjoy the spectacular scenery before heading back to the beach and up the path to the parking lot. If you want to do more walking, near the bathrooms in the upper parking lot you will find some short trails that explore the northern section of the park. As you approach the ferry terminal turnoff, take exit 2 for Eagleridge Drive.

At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto the Marine Drive ramp to Highway 99 N. Turn left onto Marine Dr and at the roundabout take the 1st exit and stay on Marine Drive. Not only does Whytecliff Park have a series of hiking trails but you can also explore the beach and island area, have a family picnic in the park, or even scuba dive in what's known as a famous area for underwater diving.

The park is divided into two sections, with the upper section having the majority of hiking trails and being much quieter than the beach area. There are some short trails from the beach and along the shoreline edge near the main parking lot but if you want to explore the hiking trails, you will have to start from the top of the overflow parking lot. At the top of the overflow parking, a small trail climbs steeply into the forest.

A short climb up the hill and there is an unmarked set of rock stairs on the right which are easy to miss. The viewpoint at the top of these stairs used to overlook Batchelor Bay but the trees have grown over the years to block this view. Back on the main trail and another short walk uphill, the trail forks at a fire hydrant into what is the first of a few loops.

You will want to plan your route so that you take one part of the loop first and then return via the other part of the loop. Go left at the junction and up a short hill to where a bench sits overlooking Howe Sound and the passing ferry and sailboats below. Continue along the trail as it winds around the rock. Stay to the left and walk out onto a rocky clearing as it gradually descends before meeting up with another trail. Go left and continue your hike, staying left at the next two junctions and catching glimpses of the occasional view of Howe Sound.

Eventually the trail meets a final junction where a short trail on the right takes you out of the park and into a nearby neighbourhood. Go right at this junction and begin the loop back to the overflow parking lot.

This section of trail weaves through a forested area that is quiet compared to the popular beach area of the park that most people are familiar with. Not far along the trail, go left at the junction and continue walking through the forest. The trail briefly backtracks as you ascend quickly up a hill before meeting up with a section of trail you were on earlier.

Go left and walk back along the path, staying to the left and, this time, passing through the middle of a big rock. After walking between the rock walls, you reach the junction with the fire hydrant and it's only a short walk back down the hill to the parking lot. To further explore the park, walk to the main parking lot area and not far from the entrance, follow a paved walkway at the side down towards the beach.

During low tide, you can walk along the rocks to Whytecliff Island and climb to its peak but be sure to return before the tide rises and traps you from reaching the shore. At the west side of the beach, there is a trail that climbs onto the large rock marked only by rock steps.