Things to Do in Pender Harbour & Egmont Areas

All of our lakes are drinking water sources. Please help us keep them clean.

Take the 10-Lake Swimming Challenge! Swim in all 10 local lakes from Egmont to Pender Harbour in one day.

​Start at the very north-end in Egmont’s Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. where you can hike to the famous Skookumchuck Rapids and go for a swim in Brown Lake. And stop at 8 more lakes before ending in Mixal Lake in the Garden Bay area of Pender Harbour.

Click on the top left icon on the map below to see the names of each lake. ​Click on each name and it will highlight the location on the map.

You can drive from Egmont to Garden Bay in about an hour, but you’ll want to spend time enjoying each one of the 10 lakes, so give yourself a half day or more!

In the Egmont area

Swimming, fishing and non-motorized boating allowed.

Brown Lake is a pure untouched lake located in the Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park on the hiking trail to the Skookumchuck Rapids. There are no facilities, but lots of wildlife!

Waugh Lake is located at the entrance to the tiny Village of Egmont. There is parking and a floating dock to dive off into the warm lake waters. Great place to launch kayaks and canoes!

Klein Lake recreational area is a remote lake offering primitive camping, fishing and swimming off the docks. Enter from Egmont Road into North Lake Road to Klein Lake Forestry Road.

North Lake is the first lake you find on the road to Egmont from the highway. You will see a turtle beach for endangered Painted turtles to lay their eggs, and just before that is an outcrop to dive into the lake.

Between Egmont and Garden Bay area

Swimming, fishing and motorized boating allowed.

Ruby Lake’s Dan Bosch Park beach is fun for kids to play in the sand and swim safely in a roped off area. There are picnic tables on the beach, an outhouse and the parking lot is close by. 

Sakinaw Lake is the largest of all the swimming lakes on the Sunshine Coast, but unfortunately there are no public beach areas  Best to go for a quick dip at the boat launch on Sakinaw Road.

In the Garden Bay area

Swimming, fishing and non-motorized boating allowed

Garden Bay Lake is on the other side of the road from Katherine Lake and you can walk to it from the campsite. No beach area, just rocks and docks on the shoreline where you can jump in the lake.

Katherine Lake Regional Park offers a large beach perfect for families with small children. Picnic tables, washroom  and a great campground make this a popular spot. 

Hotel Lake is quite private and secluded. A few nice docks make for excellent picnic areas, and a rope swing offers plenty of opportunity for the more daredevil souls.

Mixal Lake is mostly an undeveloped lake making this a perfect peaceful getaway. Find a rock or a grassy spot along the shoreline and enjoy!

While you’re welcome to take a dip in the ocean wherever you can access the shore, there are a few places that are more enjoyable to walk in with bare feet. Keep an eye on the tide tables as higher tides are best for swimming and lower tides for tidepool exploring.

In the Pender Harbour Area
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Baker Beach
Only 5 minutes from Madeira Park, Baker Beach is a small, mostly pebbled, partly sandy beach in the South Pender Harbour area. The shore is gently sloping and makes for a great swimming beach, especially for kids. The parking lot is close to the beach and there is a picnic table and outhouse.

Francis Point Provincial Park
The ocean is accessible at the beginning of the trail in a small, beautiful, protected cove. The shore is mostly rocky and is also slippery. Please note that this is also an ecological reserve area so tread lightly and be careful what you step on! Beautiful ocean views from both the lookout to the north (follow path to the right), and the hike to the light beacon to the south (follow path to the left).

Lee Bay
Tricky on the feet with its larger, slippery rocks, big logs, and boulders to scramble over on shore. (Not recommended for children or people with difficulty walking.) The water can be quite rough in this area on windy days so be sure to check the marine weather report. If you’re adventurous and swim far out into the bay, please watch for boat traffic.