Ferry arriving at Bowen Island. Photo: Destination BC/Alex Guiry
Bowen Island’s Crippen Regional Park makes a perfect day trip from Vancouver since it’s easy to access as a walk-on passenger on the ferry from Horseshoe Bay. Go for a hike, bring a picnic, or just admire the views. Use our guide to plan your trip.
How to Get to Crippen Regional Park
The park is accessible from the ferry terminal so there is no need to bring your car. Walk-on to the Bowen Island ferry from the Horseshoe Bay terminal. You can park your car at the ferry terminal. You can also take bus 250 or 257 from downtown Vancouver to the ferry terminal.
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Tips for Visiting
- Use the park map to find your way around.
- Dogs must be on leash in the park except in the off-leash area in Terminal Creek Meadows
- Smoking, vaping, cannabis, drones, alcohol, and collecting plants are not allowed.
- There are washrooms at the ferry terminal, Killarney Lake Picnic Area, Terminal Creek Hatchery, and Snug Cove Picnic Area
- Be safe in the park. AdventureSmart recommends bringing a backpack with essential safety and first aid gear on every hike. Check the forecast and pack extra clothing for the weather. Leave a trip plan so someone knows where you are going and when you will be back.
Stroll Along the Lady Alexandra Promenade
From the ferry terminal, stroll the Lady Alexandra Promenade along the shoreline, past Davies Orchard to Snug Cove Picnic Ground. The wooden walkway was built in the 1920s when the Union Steamship Company offered popular cruises to Bowen Island that featured picnics and dances.
Have a Picnic
Bowen Island has been a popular picnic location for Vancouverites for over 100 years. Head to the Snug Cove picnic area near the ferry terminal to eat with an ocean view. Or hike your lunch through the woods along the Killarney Creek Trail to the picnic area on the south shore of Killarney Lake.
Snug Cove on Bowen Island. Photo credit: Christopher Smith on Flickr. Used under CC BY-ND 2.0
Explore Killarney Creek
From the ferry terminal, follow Killarney Creek upstream to Killarney Lake. The creek, and its tributary, Terminal Creek, are home to coho and chum salmon. The route begins next to a tidal lagoon. Upstream you’ll find Bridal Veil Falls and a fish ladder that helps returning salmon reach their spawning grounds.
Hike to Dorman Point
The 1.5-hour hike to Dorman Point from the ferry terminal may be short, but it’s far from flat as you climb steeply up to a spectacular viewpoint. Look down into Queen Charlotte Channel and watch the BC Ferries come and go from Horseshoe Bay.
Photo: Miyuki Dehard/AllTrails
Go for a Bike Ride
The quiet roads of Bowen Island are perfect for a bike ride, although they have quite a few hills. Most of the trails in Crippen Regional Park are shared use and open to bikes, including the Killarney Creek Trail that leads to Killarney Lake.
Hike Around Killarney Lake
If you’re up for a longer hike, make the 4-km-long circuit around shallow Killarney Lake. You’ll enjoy beautiful forests, cross creeks on small bridges, and visit several different viewpoints along the shoreline. If you’re starting from the ferry terminal, add another 5 km of hiking along the Killarney Creek Trail to and from the lake. Allow 3-4 hours round-trip from the ferry terminal.
Photo: Crippen Regional Park
By Taryn Eyton
Source Inside Vancouver
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