Things to Do in Pender Harbour & Egmont Areas

Kayaking, Canoeing and Paddle Boarding

Canoeing in Waugh Lake. Photo by West Coast Wilderness Lodge

Sunset Kayak Touring in Pender Harbour

Paddle Board at Sunset

EGMONT & RUBY LAKE AREA

Half way between Pender Harbour and Egmont is beautiful Ruby Lake, where you can rent kayaks and canoes at the Ruby Lake Resort and go explore the islets and coves.

The Village of Egmont is located just a mile north of the treacherous Skookumchuck Rapids on the Skookumchuck Narrows. Only experienced white-water kayakers dare play in the rapids. Hike into the park to watch them!

The West Coast Wilderness Lodge offers great kayak and boat guided tour packages with lunch included in their restaurant Inlets with magnificent views. You can also rent jet skis, take a zodiac adventure or fly in a float plane!

Rent fishing boats at Bathgate Resort & Marina.

PENDER HARBOUR

The best way to view and explore the Pender Harbour coastline is by boat.
​Book a harbour cruise or rent a motorboat.
If you have kayaks, canoes or SUPs, you can launch them at the Madeira Park Government Dock where the Harbour Authority offers free parking, washrooms and showers.

You can also rent a kayak or a SUP to explore this protected harbour. Just watch out for large wakes of the many yachts entering and leaving Pender Harbour.

And mind the tides if you plan to go through Canoe Pass from Gerans Bay into Bargain Harbour, always at high tides or you will have to portage! Check map below.

If you are planning to kayak into Gunboat Bay, make sure you do it during slack tide or you might have to paddle against very strong currents!

And if you are not familiar with tides, you might want to take a guided kayak tour or just stick to the coastline inside the harbour.

RENTALS IN MADEIRA PARK

Alpha Adventures: kayak rentals and guided tours at the Madeira Park government dock.
Painted Boat Resort: park at the visitors’ parking area and walk down to the marina, past the pool and restaurant to find the kayak and SUPs rental shack.
Sunshine Coast Resort: offers kayak rentals.
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RENTALS IN GARDEN BAY
Pender Harbour Resort: rent kayaks, canoes and motorboats.
BC Wildside offers ocean and lake kayaking and paddleboarding expert guided tours. Learn about our west coast marine ecology and have fun while expanding your mind! BC Wildside also offers tours stopping in summer markets and food venues, short hikes with coastal views, and optional paddleboarding or kayaking.  Each TOUR is unique:  Choose from music festivals, a public art project, seafood event, and more! See our Adventure List below to pick your next vacation! 
All Tours may include “A GIFT BACK”  service activity – clean a beach, install a wildlife water station, remove invasive plants, etc…

The tiny village of Egmont is located on both sides of the Skookumchuck Narrows, a popular destination for boaters because it’s the closest jumping off point to cruise north to the Harmony Islands in Hotham Sound and the beautiful Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls, and south into Sechelt Inlet after crossing the Skookumchuck Rapids.

Because it takes a whole day trip for most sailors to get to Princess Louisa Inlet, including timing the crossing of the treacherous Malibu Rapids, many boaters join other visitors in adventure boat tours for an unforgettable day trip. For the best views, take a float plane tour to see the huge waterfalls from the air! ​

BEWARE OF STRONG CURRENTS IN THE SKOOKUMCHUCK NARROWS!!!​

ANCHORING: Unless you are cruising in a very large vessel, do not attempt to anchor in the Skookumchuck Narrows off Egmont. Once you cross the Skookumchuck Rapids (1 mile south of Egmont) and enter Sechelt Inlet, you will find the only sheltered anchoring in Storm Bay. If you are heading up to Princess Louisa Inlet, remember there are no anchorages up the Royal Reaches. After crossing the Malibu Rapids into Princess Louisa, you can anchor in front of Chatterbox Falls or behind the small islands on the north side of the inlet. There is also a mooring dock by the falls.

MOORAGE: The Egmont Harbour Authority runs the government dock with power and water available. The Bathgate Resort & Marina offers limited moorage, but make sure to fuel the boat and fill up water and propane tanks, while you pick up supplies and liquor at the well-stocked general store, or use the showers and laundromat with the best view in the West Coast! The Backeddy Resort & Marina has lots of dock space for transient boats and also offers a laundromat and scuba tank filling station, And enjoy the waterfront pub! From the Backeddy, you can easily walk next door to the West Coast Wilderness Lodge for ab unforgettable breakfast, lunch and dinner in their restaurant Inlets with magnificent views.