![5 remote Gulf Islands near Victoria ideal for backcountry camping](https://dpdajlq3ew794.cloudfront.net/20240731151411/MixCollage-31-Jul-2024-03-13-PM-4643.jpg?format=auto&width=1920)
D’arcy Island
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D’Arcy Island, south of Sidney Island and east of the Saanich Peninsula, is the southernmost of the Gulf Islands and part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, boasting numerous coves, cobble beaches, and a forest of arbutus and Douglas fir. It’s accessible mainly by sea kayakers on multi-day trips, and it offers backcountry campsites with pit toilets but no potable water. For boaters, it does not have any docking or mooring facilities for motorboats. The island has a history as a leper colony for Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Portland (Princess Margaret) Island
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Portland Island features three backcountry campgrounds connected by hiking trails, along with cliffs, protected coves, and sand beaches. According to Parks Canada, the island was settled by Kanaka (Hawaiian) immigrants in the 1880s. In 1958, the island was gifted to Princess Margaret to commemorate her visit to the province. She returned it to British Columbia as a provincial park in 1967, according to Parks Canada.
Prevost Island
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James Bay Campground on Prevost Island is a favourite destination among kayakers, as it’s only accessible by water and offers an open field with no tent pads. The island boasts large cedar and arbutus groves. The campground has 10 primitive campsites with pit toilets but no picnic tables or potable water. According to Parks Canada, most of Prevost Island is still privately owned by the descendants of Digby de Burgh, an Irish nobleman from County Limerick who bought it in the 1920s. But, national park reserve lands are located on both the north and south shores of the island.