The beauty of majestic old-growth trees, ocean sunsets and a wide sandy beach with campsites nestled amongst Douglas-fir trees makes Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park one of the premier vacation destinations on Vancouver Island.
Rathtrevor received its name from a gold prospector and pioneer, William Rath, who settled in the area with his wife and family in 1886. William died in 1903, leaving his wife with the farm and five children.
She developed the land and eventually operated it as a campground, adding ‘trevor’ for lyrical effect. Rathtrevor Campground became Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in 1967 and though much has changed since William and Elizabeth first arrived, its beauty and importance will be preserved for our continued enjoyment.
The warm ocean water and sandy beach makes the park a family camping favourite. At low tide, almost a kilometre of sandy flats are exposed, perfect for beachcombing. When the tide rolls in over the sun-baked sand, the warmed water is unbeatable for swimming.
Bird watching is good, especially in early spring when large numbers of seabirds congregate for the annual herring spawn. The beach is one of the best spots on the island for viewing migrating Brant Geese in March and April.
This lovely park has 174 serviced camping spots and 25 walk-in campsites, within 5 minutes walk to the beach. The campground is fully equipped with a sani-station, showers, flush and pit toilets and wheelchair accessibility. Reservations are mandatory between the last week of June and Labour Day. The park is open all year, and fees for the drive-in campsites and walk-in campsites are collected from March 16 to October 15. A winter fee is charged with nil services provided from October 16 to March 15; campers must be self-sufficient. A sani-station/dump is available during the collecting season.
If the park is full, you may find alternative camping facilities at Englishman River Falls Provincial Park, 8 miles (13 km) away, or Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, 15 miles (24 km) to the west.
Follow the network of trails on a self-guided nature tour. There are two adventure playgrounds and, during the summer, an open-air amphitheatre is used for interpretative park programs.
Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park is located off Highway 19, south of Parksville on south central Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
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