Trip Summary:
- Skill level: Beginner to Advanced
- Time: 1 – 2 Days
- Access: Deep Cove, Belcarra Regional Park, Port Moody, Barnet Marine Park, Woodlands
- Hazards: Traffic and Wind
The ultimate sea kayaking route in the Vancouver area, whether you’re daytripping, or overnighting, is the 22 km fjord of Indian Arm. There is plenty to explore in the Indian arm, great cultural history, a few camp grounds, and best of all its only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
The Indian Arm is a steep-sided glacial fjord that was formed during the last ice age. The sheltered structure of the Indian Arm provides a great sea kayak journey, although at times strong winds can come gusting in from neighboring Garibaldi Park. There are camp sites at The Twin Islands as well as Granite Falls and Bishop Creek, located in the Northern half of the Arm.
The Twin Islands can be reached as a daytrip from Belcarra, whereas Granite Falls is (typically) an overnight trip (depending where you launch). Campsites are all currently free, but no campfires are allowed. If camping, I recommend the Granite Falls campsite, where you’ll be sleeping at the base of a 50m waterfall. This site does get quite busy though, as there is also a dock for power boats.
Other points of interest are the Wigwam Inn, which opened as a fishing lodge in 1910, and has had quite the history since, including being raided by the RCMP as a gambling outfit. At the head of the Arm, the Indian River Estuary provides a beatiful setting for wildlife viewing, and seals are plentiful. Silver Falls is also worth paddling over to.
A map to help you visualize these points of interest can be found here.
There are typically 3 launch points (Barnet Marine Park, Deep Cove, and Belcarra). One important thing to note is that the parking lot from Deep Cove has overnight parking, whereas Belcarra and Barnet Marine Park do not.
