Shelter Point Regional Park Visit

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Shelter Point Regional Park & Campground is open all year long, and is located on the West coast of Texada Island, 3.2 kilometers from Gillies Bay general store, and 15.1 km from Blubber Bay Ferry Terminal (service to Powell River) via Blubber Bay Road, Gillies Bay Road, and Shelter Point Road. It is a fine and peaceful location in a pleasant natural setting, with good sea views and trees all around. There is camping, easy hiking, picnicking, volleyball playing, a swing set, a gazebo, a boat launch and, so important, a coin shower, available to anyone with two loonies (as of the time of writing) for 4 minutes.

The campground gate closes overnight, so, if you need to leave early, choose one of the several camping spots outside the gate. If you prefer wild camping, proceed further into Texada Island and use camping spots along one of the Texada forest service roads. Also, if you are going to use a coin shower, bring additional coins, as the water flow stops without a warning after 4 minutes, and it would be rather unfortunate to be stuck there with soap all over you and no coins.

1. Here is a Google Maps location of Shelter Point Regional Park & Campground on Texada Island.

2. We start at Gillies Bay general store, located 11.9 km from Blubber Bay Ferry Terminal via Blubber Bay Road and Gillies Bay Road. For directions on getting up to this point from the ferry terminal, check out our Vancouver to Texada Island trip report.

3-5. The road from the store to Shelter Point Regional Park is unremarkable except for this dinosaur at the entrance to one of the residences along Gillies Bay Road.

6. Gillies Bay Road ends at Shelter Point Road 3.0 kilometers from Gillies Bay general store. To the right is the park and campground. To the left is a road further into Texada Island, towards several hikes, as well as Anderson Bay Provincial Park (trip report).

7.  We turned right.

8a. Shelter Point Road after the turn. The day use parking area is straight ahead, 200 meters further, at the end of the road. Before that, on the right side, are several camping spots outside the campground gate.

8b. A bit closer to the day use parking lot - May 12th photo. Note campers on the right side - camp here if you want to leave early, when the campground gate would still be closed.

9a. Looking left, across from the camping spots located outside the campground gate.

9b. Looks much better with the sun out - May 12th photo.

10. A boat launch at the end of Shelter Point Road, next to the day use parking area.

11. Another boat launch is located to the left of the first one.

Here is Our Video of Driving from Gillies Bay General Store to Shelter Point Regional Park.

12. And, to the right of the first boat launch, is a stony beach area, which runs along the campground.

13-14. A bit behind (and also to the right) is Shelter Point Campground gate, which is closed overnight (caretakers are available to open it in case of an emergency).

15-16. Just to the right of the day use parking lot is a large picnic area with a gazebo.

17-19. As seen in the photo above, a washroom (with a coin shower) is behind the gazebo.

20. Volleyball playing area is to the left of the gazebo.

21. Adjacent to that is a swing set.

22. And, just a bit further, close to that stony beach, is a picnic tables area.

23. To the right of that is a seasonal concession building.

24-27. Yet more to the right is a Shelter Point Campground registration stand.

28. Set up in an unoccupied site, then report to self-registration.

29. One of the camping spots.

30. One more.

31. Group camping area.

32. Campers chilling on a bench by a stony beach.

Shelter Point Regional Park & Campground on Texada Island is located in a pleasant natural setting, and has several fine recreational opportunities. Recommended.