One of our favourite paddling destinations has to be Desolation Sound on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast.
If you’re planning an adventure (and trust me, you should be!), here’s everything you need to know when organising your paddling trip Desolation Sound, British Columbia.
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Backcountry necessities
- Always bring the 10 Essentials
- Know how to stay safe in the backcountry
- Remember to Leave No Trace to help keep the wilderness wild
- Understand how to avoid negative bear encounters
- Trying out backpacking for the first time? Read Backpacking 101
- Check out our packing guide with gear recommendations
- Sign up to our newsletter for a free paddling checklist
Highlights of Desolation Sound, Sunshine Coast
Desolation Sound is truly a paddler’s paradise. Why? Some of the best reasons include:
- Natural beauty. Protected bays, towering rock bluffs and idyllic islands framed by a mountainous backdrop….paddling in Desolation Sound is breathtaking.
- Scenic campsites. Situated on small islands, dramatic headlands and nestled into cosy bays, Desolation Sound’s camping areas are all picture perfect in some way or another. Desolation Sound camping areas lend themselves well to easy base camping trips as well as touring adventures.
- More than a paddling trip. Desolation Sound isn’t just limited to exploration on the water. Combine your paddling with hiking, swimming, fishing and wildlife watching!
- A warm welcome. The warmest waters north of Mexico can be found in Desolation Sound. It’s possible to swim in the ocean (comfortably!) as early as May here.
- Great for all paddlers. Desolation Sound’s calm, warm waters, sheltered bays and comfortable campsites are perfect for first-time paddlers. The area is also a good launching point for longer and more challenging BC coastal trips (Toba Inlet, Discovery Islands).
How to get to Desolation Sound, British Columbia
Desolation Sound is located at the top of British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. A minimum of two ferries are needed to get here from the BC mainland. Powell River is the last major refuelling place for groceries and other paddling supplies.
The two main launching sites for Desolation Sound are located at opposite sides of the Malaspina Peninsula, at the top of BC’s Sunshine Coast.
Launching Choice 1: Lund
Highway 101 ends at the tiny town of Lund. Here, you’ll find a handful of hotels, restaurants and shops plus a paid long-term parking lot and all important boat launch.
The marina kayak launching and pick-up fee is $5 per kayak ($10 return trip), payable in an honesty box.
There is a small amount of parking by the marina, with the pay and display parking lot being operated by The Lund Resort. The fee is $10/24 hours, up to 96 hours. The payment machines take cash and credit but no debit cards. In case of late arrival, the Lund Resort gave us the cell phone number of the parking lot attendant.
Lund Parking offers also long term parking from $10/day, a very short drive away from the dock (1 minute!) I’d recommend booking in advance. During our most recent visit (mid Sept 2019), there was a note with a phone number on the door to call for service.
Looking to book a stay in Lund before or after your kayaking trip?
Malaspina Bed and Breakfast – Great value
Historic Lund Hotel – Fantastic location
Launching Choice 2: Okeover
A little further south of Lund on the eastern side of the Peninsula is Okeover Arm harbour. There is a government dock and boat launch here, with a $2 fee for kayakers ($4 return trip). A large (free) parking lot is located on the other side of the road. We had no problems parking here for 5 days.
A very short walk away from the boat launch is Okeover Arm Provincial Park. There are 14 first-come first-served vehicle accessible campsites available for $14/night.
Looking to stay near Okeover?
Desolation Resort (Okeover) – Ideal location and highly rated on Booking.com
Lund vs. Okeover
Having launched paddling trips from both Lund and Okeover, my personal preference would be to leave from Lund.
Both are equally convenient for paddling in Desolation Sound and have all the facilities needed, but I think the experience is more interesting from Lund overall.
While Lund may have more boat traffic, the narrower parts of Malaspina Inlet can have currents up to 4 knots at times. There are also more camping and accommodation options closer to Lund than Okeover, handy if starting late on the first day.
The perfect solution would be to start at Lund and end at Okeover (or vice versa!) if you are able to have two vehicles.
Camping in Desolation Sound
Campsites in Desolation Sound generally come in two forms: Marine Provincial Park sites and informal camping areas. The latter offer no organised facilities but have been previously established by other boaters.
Wild camping on crown land outside of the Provincial Park is allowed, but suitable land (easy access with flat, cleared space) is in short supply.
Camping in Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park
There are 11 designated backcountry camping areas in Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park with almost 70 tent pads total. Fees are $5 per person, per night, payable between June 1st to September 15th every year.
The camping fees are payable online on the BC Parks Backcountry Registration Service website. Note that buying a permit does not constitute a reservation.
The camping areas are split into three general groups – the Copeland Islands, around Malaspina Inlet and the Curme Islands. Tent pads must be used due to the delicate ecosystem in each location.
There are outhouses at all Desolation Sound camping areas. No fresh water or food caches are available at any of the camping areas.
The Curme Islands are a top destination for a lot of Desolation Sound kayakers. With a central position in the Sound, great campsites and epic views of the mountain, it’s easy to see why.
Alternative camping in Desolation Sound
Aside from Desolation Sound, there are a few other Provincial Parks in the wider area. Roscoe Bay, to the north of the Curme Islands, has space for 4-5 tents (with an outhouse) at the far west of the inlet. The fee is $5/per person/per night.
There are a few completely free unofficial camping areas outside of the Provincial Park. Martin Island and Kinghorn Island both have a couple of areas each (note that the latter also has an eco resort).
To the north, there is an informal camping spot near the waterfall in Teakerne Arm. For more detail on these sites and others in the Desolation Sound area, check out the most excellent Wild Coast 3 book by John Kimantas.
Thinking of books, if you’re looking for more reading material about Desolation Sound, check out the hilarious Adventures in Solitude by Grant Lawrence. Whelks to Whales is a great identification tool if you’re interested in Desolation Sound’s marine biology.
Paddling in Desolation Sound
Paddling in Desolation Sound is easy. The water is generally warm, calm and sheltered.
There are a few open sections that must be paddled to reach the most popular camping locations (Curme Islands), but these are very short (2-3km). That all said, we have experienced some wild windy days on the water on Desolation Sound.
On our first trip, gale force winds were predicted to arrive on the afternoon of our last day (thanks, VHF radio). So we packed up quickly and got onto the water early for a quick exit.
The winds came in earlier than expected and we battled some metre and a half swells before finally turning into the much calmer Malaspina Inlet.
There was also one ferociously windy day during our last trip, this time in the northern Desolation Sound area. Luckily we had nowhere to be so we were able to leisurely wait it out.
Some very tired kayakers joined us at our Martin Islands campsite that afternoon, having taken almost the whole day to paddle the relatively short distance from the Curme Islands in high winds.
Moral of the story: always allow more time for your trip than necessary and assess the weather conditions (and forecast) before setting out. Desolation Sound may be one of the most sheltered and calm areas of the BC coast, but it still can be hit by high winds and dangerous paddling conditions like everywhere else!
Safety considerations for kayaking Desolation Sound
Cell phone signal is prevalent (as are other boats) throughout the Desolation Sound area. Even knowing this, we still like to carry a basic VHF radio.
It’s useful for checking the weather and tides as well as listening to what the larger boats are up to! Of particular interest, at least for us, is the local whale watching boats…
There are several places to find fresh water while paddling in Desolation Sound. The most obvious sources are Unwin Lake and Black Lake, accessible via short trails from Tenedos Bay and Roscoe Bay respectively.
Not just great for collecting water, both lakes are also perfect for a swim! Keep in mind that the lake water should be treated before drinking.
Fully treated water can be found at the boater’s supply village of Refuge Cove.
When to visit Desolation Sound
The best time for Desolation Sound kayaking is May – September. The summer months are busy, with hundreds of touring pleasure boats addition to many private and guided kayaks paddling Desolation Sound.
With the limited availability of sites in summer, choosing a base camp and day touring from there may provide a less stressful experience.
If you prefer to avoid crowds and have your pick of sites, plan a mid-week Desolation Sound kayaking trip in May, June or September. Shoulder season weekends can still be fairly busy so try and avoid leaving on a Friday if possible.
Our first kayak adventure in Desolation Sound was mid-week in late May. We had a whole Curme Island to ourselves for camping and we only saw a handful of other paddlers.
Our second Desolation kayaking trip was in mid June, again in mid-week. We saw more passing kayakers this time, but still camped alone every night bar one.
We’ve also explored Desolation Sound in September too. We camped alone and didn’t see any other paddlers.
Fishing opportunities
Shellfish collecting has long been a favourite of Desolation Sound paddlers. We have feasted on many an oyster during our trips; they are large, plentiful and flavoursome.
Mussels are much less common, with only small ones sighted on our last trip. Rockfish fishing was more successful, particularly just to the west of Kinghorn Island, just outside of the Conservation boundary.
The Desolation Sound region is located in BC Tidal Area 15. There are some quite specific rules and regulations concerning fishing and collecting shellfish to follow while paddling in Desolation Sound.
Quite simply, you can’t just do it everywhere. For example, there is a large Rockfish Conservation Area covering much of Desolation Sound that restricts any fishing of Rockfish at all.
It is very important to always read and understand the area closure maps and collection limits before fishing and collecting shellfish.
For the latter, it is also vital to check that there are no biotoxin (‘red tide’) shellfish contamination warnings in place. Eating contaminated shellfish can be fatal.
To fish or collect shellfish, you must hold a BC Tidal Waters License. These are currently $22 for an annual pass for BC residents.
Canoe vs. kayak: paddling Desolation Sound
Lucky enough to own both canoes and kayaks, we have visited Desolation Sound with each type of boat.
The vast majority of people paddling in Desolation Sound are equipped with kayaks, but we did spot one other canoe on our first trip. We paddled a little faster in the kayaks than the canoe and felt that they handled better in rougher water.
Most campsites in Desolation Sound are on rock bluffs or headlands. Accessing them was easier in the kayaks, with one person getting out of their kayak and then helping the other.
Moving the kayaks to higher ground was also a simpler process as they weigh only 45lb each compared to the 80lb canoe and spray deck.
Outdoor gear we’ve used paddling Desolation Sound
For the curious, I thought I’d compile a list of some of the outdoor gear we used on our most recent paddling trip in Desolation Sound.
- Kayaks – We use 14 feet Delta kayaks. They are thermoformed (ABS acrylic) kayaks made in Maple Ridge, Vancouver. Lightweight, durable and easy to manoeuvre, we love our Deltas. And they look great too!
- Camp kitchen – On this trip, we used a Jetboil Genesis cooking stove. It’s a bit of a luxury set-up for the backcountry but we really liked the quick cooking time and convenience of having two burners
- Tent – Our MSR Freelite 2 is standing the test of time so far, with over 150+ nights of successful use over six camping seasons. The weight (2lb 11oz packed) is ideal for any backcountry trip we do. The floor space is not as roomy as the Hubba series equivalent, which prioritises space over ultralight weight
- Sleeping – We both sleep well on our Exped Synmat HL Duo and love how it enables us to use the (relatively small) living space of our tent to its full potential. Sleeping bag wise, we use a couple of MEC sleeping bags (similar to this one for Gemma and this one for JR)
- Hammock – Our ENO Doublenest hammock is perfect to bring on paddling trips when we have a little more flexibility with space and weight. It’s great to have somewhere else to hang out and relax
- Clothing – No matter the time of year, we always wear lots of merino wool. Not only does it have natural SPF protection, but merino dries reasonably fast, holds warmth even when wet and doesn’t stink
Check out our Shop for more outdoor gear recommendations for trips like this
If you’re planning a trip to Desolation Sound, let me know in the comments!
Check out these other paddling posts next:
Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit: A Complete Paddling Guide
Wallace Island: An Idyllic Kayaking Destination in British Columbia
Kayaking the 100 Wild Islands, Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia
Paddling Murtle Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia
A Intro Paddling Guide to Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
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One half of the Canadian/British couple behind Off Track Travel, Gemma is happiest when hiking on the trail or planning the next big travel adventure. JR and Gemma are currently based in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Joel
Thursday 25th of July 2024
Thank you Gemma!
I'm thinking about taking this on with our Clipper Tripper. Any other words of wisdom that you would have for someone going with a canoe?
Gemma
Wednesday 31st of July 2024
Hi Joel,
Be prepared to tie up your boat every night (compared to lakes where we wouldn't!), carry some weight in the canoe when paddling on day trips without all of your gear (better for cross winds), be cautious, carry a marine VHF to check conditions often, wear water shoes as most of the landings are not beaches. If you haven't paddled on the ocean much, I'd suggest researching how to read ocean waves. I really liked (and still do) having a spray deck on our canoe for ocean paddling.
Angela
Thursday 25th of April 2024
My friend and I are planning to go to desolation sound for kayaking early July 2024
Nasim
Monday 17th of June 2024
@Gemma,
Hi, Thanks for the information Also all the Q and A are helpful
Just to clarify we can’t book the campsites in advance? We just show up and see if any site available?
Also what level of experience we need? We got our level 1 certificate and are doing our first kayak trip ever with a tour guide to broken group islands end of this month. In your non binding opinion Do you think we could do this say in august mid week on our own? Thanks
Gemma
Thursday 16th of May 2024
Hope you have an amazing trip!
Chris
Wednesday 31st of May 2023
Do you know what the thickness of the boards used on the platforms is? I read about these fishbone stakes, but I think they can only be used with 2x boards. https://www.amazon.com/BONANA-Fishbone-Lengthen-Tensioner-Accessories/dp/B07SN211SD "Its fit for the max depth of wood is 1.97"
Gemma
Wednesday 7th of June 2023
Hi Chris,
Standard BC Parks tent pads are made from 2x4 or 2x6, which are 1.5" thick after production.
Shannon
Sunday 9th of April 2023
Hi Gemma - We are thinking about using a canoe for Desolation Sound so I was hoping to read your article about that canoe trip you did but the link at the bottom of this article doesn't send me to that other article - it loops back to the same one. This is the text I was clicking: Read More: Paddling Desolation Sound in a Canoe, Our Experience. Could you please share the correct link with me please? Thanks, Shannon
Gemma
Monday 10th of April 2023
Hi Shannon,
Thanks for pointing out that dead link! I recently removed that article from our website as part of our annual audit. I still have the post text - I can email it to you if you're interested. Please let me know and I will send it on.
Dave Sward
Wednesday 8th of March 2023
Hi Gemma - change in plans forced by Kid two needing research for uni - so goodbye broken group- hello desolation sound - mid aug - argh - going to be busy right? In your non-binding opinion, is staying at the Marine park camping the better option? this trip has been on my bucket list for so long - looking forward and only slightly freaking out about planning new kayak routes - length of day trip - planning - arghhh - but hey this web page is great - cheers
Gemma
Thursday 9th of March 2023
Hi Dave,
Sorry to hear that your plans for a Broken Group trip didn't work out. Desolation is sure to be busy. I'd avoid heading out on a weekend if you can. I would aim for the marine park sites but keep some informal sites in mind if you get super stuck.