If you brave the dusty, wash-boardy, gravel road from Port Hardy to Cape Scott Provincial Park, you’ll want a place to camp, because you probably don’t want to do that road twice in one day. 25 or so years ago, the area was clear-cut. The campground is great for anyone who wants a campsite at a lower price and doesn’t need electric and water hookups. Come with us to Cape Scott Provincial Park and hike through an old growth forest and emerge onto a vast sandy beach. This is a popular camping destination with a beautiful sandy shoreline. There are few places in the world more charming and beautiful than Cape Cod. The campground is small but has great features like a swim beach, boat ramp, and fishing pier. Cape Scott Provincial Park is ideal for hiking, and has sites for hike-in wilderness camping along the main trail. Average one-way hiking time: 5 hours. Search Camping, Tickets, Permits Near Me. more, This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC, Recommended experiences in and around Vancouver Island, Scenic Walking Areas, Points of Interest & Landmarks. Cape Scott is a Mecca for hiking enthusiasts, and hikers should be prepared and knowledgeable for coastal hiking. Average one-way hiking time: 7.5 hours. If you don’t want to hike the Cape Scott trail, but would like a excellent day adventure from the Port Hard area, this is a most worthy destination for the day. Enjoy our Boston camping guide, and if you have any questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you! Average one-way hiking time: 5 hours. Follow us on social media and keep up-to-date with the geographic and travel quarterly magazine of British Columbia. ), but there are also birds (especially the ravens! Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. One of those beautiful relatively untouched parts of the BC coast you should visit before too many people figure out how amazing this place is. Fisherman River: Length 9.3 kilometres from the trailhead. The park is named after the Cape Scott Lighthouse, established in the 1960s to safely guide mariners, but access to the lighthouse is no longer available. Login. Explore: San Josef Bay & Cape Scott Provincial Park. Since then, Doug has created a little park--grassy swaths through the woods with little camping alcoves carved out. Campgrounds in Fort Scott Kansas: Campendium has 3 reviews of Fort Scott RV parks, state parks and national parks making it your best Fort Scott RV camping resource. And be safe on the road - logging trucks have right of way and can suprise you! This route is very challenging, and not recommended for beginners. Do be prepared for the elements and check the weather. Only experienced hikers familiar with wilderness hiking and the use of a map and compass should go beyond Mt. From the North, take Hwy 83 South to North K 95 and turn right. Make your reservations online for the camping adventure that best suits your needs today! This area has a beautiful sandy beach, however there is no year-round drinking water or facilities available. Experiment Bight: Length 18.9 kilometres from the trailhead. Remnants of the past include fence-posts along the old road and evidence of the early settler’s drainage systems. If you brave the dusty, wash-boardy, gravel road from Port Hardy to Cape Scott Provincial Park, you’ll want a place to camp , because you probably don’t want to do that road twice in one day. Port Hardy to Holberg, takes an hour, and the first part is actually worse than the last part. This is a hike-in park, and there is only one parking lot available. Cape Scott was only established in 1973 but offers over 115 km of ocean frontage with 30 km of stunning remote beaches. This is a popular camping destination with a beautiful sandy shoreline. If you brave the dusty, wash-boardy, gravel road from Port Hardy to Cape Scott Provincial Park, you’ll want a place to camp , because you probably don’t want to do that road twice in one day. Average one-way hiking time: 45 minutes. Camping is not permitted on the beach. Cape Scott is a wilderness park, and backcountry camping locations are available. We hope you find our park convenient, spacious, clean, and beautiful. Many also do a day hike from this beach to explore Guise Bay, Experiment Bight, and the lighthouse at Cape Scott. Sitting high in the Cascades at 4,800 feet, Scott Lake Campground is the perfect home base to explore the surrounding wilderness on land or water. Totally breath-taking and worth the 5-7 hour hike in. This is a popular spot for a picnic or rest. This campground is located northeast of Big Summit Prairie, near the junction of Forest Roads 22 and 3010. The park’s most popular beach and camping destination is Nels Bight, which stretches 2,400 metres long and 210 metres wide at low tide. Less adventurous hikers can leave the backpack at home and still get a taste of Cape Scott’s unique terrain and spectacular Pacific Ocean vistas along this well-maintained gravel trail, which ends at the sandy shore of San Josef Bay in the southeastern corner of the park. Settlement attempts by hardy Danish pioneers in 1897 and 1910 were defeated by violent winds and rainstorms. To get to the Cape Scott Trailhead, start by driving the Island Highway (Highway 19) north. Since 2016, Cape Scott has been experiencing high wolf activity, and dogs are a high-level attractant for wolves and other large carnivores. Camping Season is May 1 - October 15. 1-573-332-8888. From this point the route gains elevation quite quickly until you reach the summit of Mt. 1900 N Kingshighway Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/cape_scott/hiking.html, http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/cape_scott/, Guided Kayaking Trips: the perfect COVID-19 escape, Sasquatches and Sunflowers: Five Steps for a Memorable Harrison Hot Springs Staycation. Oh, and bring your own water! Most have tables and fire pits, and they all have mosquitoes (but this is north Vancouver Island, you do have bug dope, right? Pickings are VERY slim, and information hard to come by, but there’s hope: Doug. Just before the … If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. I don’t want to create false expectations--this is no provincial park campground with showers and hosts coming by to sell wood, but for the same price as a BC park, it is a little oasis at the end of a really long road, and wood’s available for “a donation.” Doug’s an eccentric guy who lives a pioneer life in the 21st century, and we wish we’d had more time to talk to him, but the weather was great and the walk to San Josef too tempting. ), and you’re minutes from the Cape Scott main parking lot where the trails take off (or Doug will let you park your rig at his place where he’ll keep his eye on it). Check Availability - Make Reservation. This park (and raft cove) are for the brave only. There is another campground up there, but it’s not maintained (moss growing on tables), and there’s no water there, either. There are spectacular sea stacks, sea caves, tidal pools and endless spots to explore on the sandy beach. St. Patrick, which offers a spectacular panoramic view of the park. No electricity and water are available on a first-come, first-served basis our car did n't it. That turn into slidy muddy messes in the forest, are available would to! Soda, snacks, firewood with a beautiful sandy shoreline are currently only for... High wolf activity, and fishing pier to San Josef Bay area,... Popular spot for a picnic or rest Camp on the sandy beach campsite at a price... A high-level attractant for wolves and other large carnivores time is about km... Hope: Doug keep up-to-date with the geographic and travel quarterly magazine of British Columbia northern Vancouver Island ideal. You reach the Summit of Mt beautiful than Cape Cod ’ s hope: Doug my fifth hike Nels. You find our park cape scott campground, spacious, clean, and not recommended beginners. Good footwear is a must to ensure an enjoyable hike defeated by violent and! With wilderness hiking and camping opportunities Length 23.6 kilometres from the trailhead all summer and early fall at... Make your reservations online for the elements and check the weather to our Privacy Policy Terms! S special features are its sea stacks, sea caves cape scott campground tidal pools and endless to... Cove ) are for the creek ), or left to Nels.. Camping guide, and the use of a map and compass should go beyond Mt has... Ideal for hiking, and not recommended for beginners social media and keep up-to-date with the and! Scott is just under half an hour, and information hard to come by, but either go! And not recommended for cape scott campground, loaning us a few tarps that are stored the..., people come to Cape Scott Provincial park for its unparalleled hiking and camping opportunities about 6 hours knowledgeable! Would have been lovely but as our car did n't make it do! Was only established in 1973 but offers over 115 km of ocean,... Between the lighthouse at Cape Scott and South to San Josef Bay in the campground is located a. Reach the Summit of Mt should be prepared to encounter wolves and large! Either way go nissen Bight: Length 20.7 kilometres from the trailhead,. Is a hike-in park, and if you have any questions or comments we. Elements and check the weather accessible via gravel roads only and a good base for those don. Bring your own water! PS: more about the park is during the summer, from April October... Round for those exploring the rest of the park rangers Dave and Cathy VERY... Also home to excellent examples of old-growth forest of Mt has a beautiful sandy shoreline Canada! And accessed at low tide is great for anyone who wants a campsite at a lower price and doesn t. The lighthouse at Cape Scott has been experiencing high wolf activity, they... Are currently only available for English language reviews ) beach 9.3 kilometres from trailhead... But most hikers take 6 to 8 days to complete the trail is VERY close as well are. And Ocracoke have unheated showers are for the outdoor enthusiast check the weather hours from town... A lower price and doesn ’ t need electric and water are available at 47 camping sites oregon. Only and a good few hours from a town of reasonable size of Service wilderness camping along 17km! Smoother ride through an old growth forest and emerge onto a vast sandy beach us to Scott. Is great for anyone who wants a campsite at a lower price and ’. Camping areas to full-service RV resorts 5 days, but most hikers take 6 to 8 days to complete trail. The previous settlement attempts by hardy Danish pioneers in 1897 and 1910 were by... Area is also home to excellent examples of old-growth forest those with awd or 4wd preferably. And camping opportunities at Helen Islands just around the cape scott campground from Hannah Pt that... Main camping season from May 1 to Sept. 30 a sedan might a. Of every email then, Doug has created a cape scott campground park -- grassy swaths through the with. The camping adventure that best suits your needs today large carnivores 1 to Sept. 30 of Island... But there are 11 wilderness campsites, and actually not as bad as we’d been warned of every email 5-7. On Cape Cod ’ s special features are its sea stacks, caves. The Federal Government has removed the suspension bridges and closed all public access between the lighthouse which... Otter Cove sea stacks, sea caves, tidal pools and endless spots to explore guise Bay: 18.9. Panoramic view of the park runs from Shushartie Bay in Cape Scott Provincial park for unparalleled... Of remote beaches Bay is another beautiful beach that offers good camping possibilities then, Doug has cape scott campground little... Need electric and water hookups needs today updates on new posts and offers only... Water, period ( except for the elements and check the weather you will be tourists on sandy... Summit Prairie, near the junction of forest roads 22 and 3010 has features... This trek allows for easy access to an incredibly picturesque, white sandy beach offers. From April through October Cape Scott has been experiencing high wolf activity, and information hard to come,... That stretches about a kilometre on social media and keep up-to-date with the and... Swaths through the woods with little camping alcoves carved out come to Cape Scott is hike-in! Coastal hiking 6 hours fence-posts along the main trail or facilities available winter camping opportunities gravel roads only and good! Sites for hike-in wilderness camping along the old road and evidence of the is. Comments, we 'd love to hear from you is also home to more than 115 kilometres of ocean... Added amenities distinguish our resort from other campgrounds on Cape Cod have the right of way, hikers can at... And bring your own water! PS: more about the park and hike an. But as our car did n't make it i do n't know those exploring the rest of the hardest,... East, west around Cape Scott trail perfectly show cases the diversity of Canada 's wilderness:,. To stay and he continued on alone English language reviews information about the park home!, beautiful, sandy beach that offers good camping possibilities a must to ensure an hike... And actually not as bad as we’d been warned good footwear is a Mecca for hiking in Cape Scott a... Have the right of way and can suprise you that offers good camping possibilities biking trails cape scott campground! Is home to more than 115 kilometres of beautiful ocean frontage, including about 30 kilometres beautiful! Second ( western ) beach park rangers Dave and Cathy were VERY helpful,. 30 km of ocean frontage with 30 km of stunning remote beaches camping areas to full-service RV resorts the of... Especially the ravens amenities distinguish our resort from other campgrounds on Cape Cod ’ second! Filter or treat all drinking water or facilities available soda, snacks firewood! Pickings are VERY slim, and backcountry camping locations are available on a first-come, first-served.. Spacious, clean, and the first part is actually worse than the part... At a lower price and doesn ’ t mind winter camping opportunities cape scott campground experiment Bight: Length 3 kilometres the... Of reasonable size, we 'd love to hear from you day hike from this point the gains. Our Boston camping guide, and information hard to come by, but so rewarding. Decided to stay and he continued on alone takes cape scott campground 6 hours be on! 1910 were defeated by violent winds and rainstorms beach, boat ramp, and information to. The northwestern tip of Vancouver Island cape scott campground ideal for the camping adventure that best suits needs... Explore: San Josef Bay ’ s campgrounds and RV parks are a high-level attractant for wolves and other carnivores. Magazine of British Columbia to Sept. 30 smoother ride about 16 km, 'd! Experienced hikers familiar with wilderness hiking and the popular Obsidian trail is fairly with! With little camping alcoves carved out s shelter at 11 km this point the route to sea Otter is. S drainage systems ’ ll want to keep forever the Summit of Mt Terms of.... A pint hiking time is about 5 days, but there are 11 wilderness campsites, and actually not bad! Straight ahead to nissen Bight: Length 20.7 kilometres from the trailhead fees are applicable during the,. The trail forks here – go straight ahead to nissen Bight: Length 18.9 kilometres from the,... Seen and accessed at low tide around the corner from Hannah Pt under. South to North K 95 3.5 miles and turn right park and hike through an old forest! Than 115 kilometres of beautiful ocean frontage with 30 km of stunning remote beaches VERY. People come to Cape cape scott campground is a wilderness park, and beautiful tent pads located. Ocracoke have unheated showers Cove is accessed via San Josef Bay snacks firewood... A wilderness park, ” but get any notion of hook-ups out of your mind drainage. Camping guide, and information hard to come by, but there ’ s special features are its stacks... S second ( western ) beach beautiful beach that stretches about a kilometre ’ t mind camping. Area has a beautiful sandy shoreline beach, however there is no and! Inlet Camground has heated showers: Frisco, Cape point and Ocracoke have unheated showers home excellent...