Vancouver Island is already a fantastic destination, but exploring the Gulf Islands reveals even more magic. The experience becomes even more enchanting when you venture into the smaller, more remote islands for some backcountry camping.
The magic of these islands, especially at night, is undeniable; minimal light pollution offers breathtaking views of the stars that you can’t get in some parts of Vancouver Island. From the Milky Way to meteor showers, stargazing here is unforgettable, and the camping experience is uniquely remote, and only accessible by water.
Check out these five remote islands near Victoria for your next camping adventure.
Sidney Island
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Located at the north end of Sidney Island, five kilometres from Sidney on Vancouver Island and part of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, the Sidney Spit offers beautiful stretches of sand for sunbathing or walking and is a prime spot for birdwatching during migration seasons. You can access it by boat, kayak, or ferry (view the schedule here). The campground to the south of the spit operates on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Rum Island
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Rum Island, located at the end of a small group of islands north of Sidney Spit, is about 10-12 km of paddling. Formerly known as Rum Island due to its use by rum runners during Prohibition, it was renamed Isle-de-Lis in 1978. Popular with kayakers, the island offers backcountry campsites and pit toilets but no potable water and features a beautiful Douglas fir and arbutus forest with coastal bluffs reflecting the warm Mediterranean-like climate of the southern Gulf Islands.
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.