The letter and number symbols used refer to the corresponding section on the corresponding Recreation Map.  Be sure to purchase one at retail outlets when you arrive so you don't miss anything!

Madeira Park

The communities of Garden Bay, Madeira Park and Irvine's Landing are known collectively as Pender Harbour - Venice of the North. Madeira Park was named by Joseph Gonsalves, who settled here in the early 1900s after arriving from Madeira off the coast of Portugal. Madeira Park is the main shopping centre for the Pender Harbour region, with banks, a supermarket, liquor store, pharmacy, hardware and several smaller shops.

A haven of natural bays and inlets, as well as forested lakes, Pender Harbour has earned the moniker "Venice of the North". It is a natural wonderland with new parks such as the waterfront Millennium Park and the wooded Francis Point Marine Park highlighting the shoreline. Go scuba diving in any season in the protected waters of the harbour with its astounding sea life and water clarity. Book a fishing charter or sightseeing eco-tour and take stunning photos. Golf an undulating course where you may see elk and deer. At Ruby Lake Lagoon, see nesting wood ducks, red-legged frogs, painted turtles and much more.

Key things to Do and Places to Visit in Pender Harbour

Francis Point Marine Park
Pristine waterfront, intricate coves, windswept evergreens, mossy headlands, towering old-growth Douglas fir and some of the best diving on the Coast....some of the reasons this marine park is so popular. The delicate environment includes very rare plants so visitors are advised to stay on the designated trails. Access via Francis Peninsula Road, follow to Merrill Rd.

Millennium Park
Located at the Madeira Park wharf, this waterfront area features picnic tables, toilets and a marina equipped with marine pumpers and floatplane landing facilities. There is easy access to shopping, credit union and bank machine. The Slo Cat passenger tour departs from here.

Garden Bay Marine Park & Mt. Daniel
Accessible by boat or vehicle, this park offers secure anchorage, a picnic area, salmon fishing, swimming and a rugged steep hike up Mt. Daniel with its spectacular view. The summit of Mt. Daniel and the First Nations cemetery on the waterfront are protected areas. Caution: this is black bear country.

Katherine Lake Park
On Garden Bay Road, this park has RV and camp sites with electric hookups and showers. The pretty beach is a popular swimming spot and a great place to spend an afternoon with the kids. Pets are welcome too.

Egmont

The tiny community of Egmont has few shops and services, but it is rich in scenic splendour. It is the stepping-off point for two of the Coast's most sublime natural experiences: Skookumchuck Narrows and Princess Louisa Inlet.

Trek an easy 4 km (2.5 mi) forested trail into Skookumchuck Narrows where tidal waters forced through a narrow, shallow channel result in one of the world's fastest flowing rapids. Board a charter boat or floatplane to see the magnificent granite-walled Princess Louisa Inlet that rises sharply from the water's edge to heights in excess of 2,100 metres (7,000 feet). Beautiful Chatterbox Falls at the head of the Inlet tumbles 40 metres (120 feet).

Earls Cove

Earls Cove sits on Jervis Inlet at the end of the line on the lower Sunshine Coast, and is the location of the BC Ferries terminal for sailings to Saltery Bay on the upper Sunshine Coast. The 50-minute trip provides spectacular views of the steep and rugged slopes of the Coast Mountain range and local fjords and inlets. The scenery is little changed from the days when Captain George Vancouver sailed Jervis Inlet and Agamemnon Channel in June 1792. Earls Cove is named after one of the early pioneers in the area.

Key things to Do and Places to Visit in Egmont & Area

Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve
This wild bird sanctuary located at the Ruby Lake Resort is part of the resort's conservation efforts to maintain and preserve habitat for the 90 species of wild birds that visit this freshwater lake. It is home to one of the largest concentrations of wood ducks in BC, plus blue herons, bald eagles, kingfishers, hummingbirds and other species.

Iris Griffith Field Studies and Interpretive Centre
Also located at Ruby Lake Resort, this new centre has been designed to help all ages explore and appreciate the natural wonders of the Sunshine Coast.

Suncoaster Trail Access
This 33 km (20 mi.) route is suitable for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. A map at the trailhead shows the system of trails, which includes wheelchair accessibility to the picnic area and waterfalls. One way to access this route is from the Malaspina Substation approx. 6.5 km (4 mi) north of Pender Harbour on the east side of the highway.

Dan Bosch Park
This day-use park on Ruby Lake has lovely views and a small sandy swimming beach with picnic tables. The quarter-mile look trail skirts the shoreline.

Klein Lake
Located near Egmont, Klein Lake is a rustic spot. Good trout fishing, a boat launch and 23 tenting or small RV campsites, but no running water. The Klein Lake/Ruby Lake trail starts here.

Egmont Heritage Centre
The Centre contains local, natural and Native history of the area with emphasis on the fishing and logging heritage. There is a special collection of Easthope and Vivian engines that were used in the early days. Collectors will enjoy a Depression glass and antique bottle display.
There is a gift shop, Internet access, free public parking and restrooms.

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