Camping in Queen Charlotte Straight

[Pollydog]

Hi I am new here, but am interested in getting to know people.
I guide a trip in Queen Charlotte Straight (NOT QC Islands)(see attached), and we camp at a place called Boyles Point (N50_49_7N, W127_00_56W). It is a nasty place, bouldery beach and maybe 2 okay sites (see attached). So far we have not found any other options, but the Polkinghorn islands look promising. Has anyone stayed there or have information about them?
Paul

 

[canoecat]

There is a regional campsite at Bere Point on the north side of Malcolm Island which is a 6 km walk to the village of Sointula. There is no potable water (it comes out brown!) there, but firewood. After some time this month camping will be free.

Lizard Point has OK camping as well as some of the beach in Trinity Bay.

South side of Malcolm has only a private campsite.

There is some OK beach camping on the north shore of Malcolm. Getting rather windy that side of the island now, but seems OK for most intermediate paddlers.

 

[dvfrggr]

Paul,
Wild Coast 3 by John Kimantas list's this camping site N50 47.93' W126 56.04'. "The cove at the middle of the northeast side of the main Polkinghorne Island has good beaches, but no upland for camping. to the north of that bay, around the headland, is a good clam beach with a long rock outcrop extending northwest. The beach can be used for access to the rock during most tide levels. Rock ledge landings may be needed at higher tides, but the rock is gently sloping. The top is expansive and flat and could host a large group above the high tide line. I found this an exceptionally pretty spot and far preferable to a forest loacation." Paul, I have used John's Wild Coast 2 for trips in the Central Coast and found his descriptions of camp sites spot on. Buy his book it is a valuable resource!
Dave

 

[Pollydog]

Thanks for the notes. For some clarity, our route leaves form Port McNeill passes into the Broughton Archipelago. From there we head north to the mainland and paddle the coast as far as Bramham Island and and possibly Barnett Beach (it all depends on weather at that point). The Boyles site is one of neccessity as we have not found anything else yet.

I have recently looked at the Wild Coast books and noted the site on Polkinghorn. That is why I am writing here now. It is good to hear that someone else has used the info there and found it reliable. Thanks, I will likely invest in these books soon.

I was really hoping to find someone that had camped there, but realize that it is a big world, and not everyone is able to get away (certainly not to a small island on the coast of BC!) like some of us!

Again thanks for the notes, keep 'em coming!
Paul

 

[Rod]

I'd heard Polkinghorne Islands had some camping, but I didn't see anywhere stellar when I looked a few years ago.
I usually just paddle a long day from Blunden Harbour to Insect Island or east into the mainland channels (and camp on old logging landings).
Blunden Harbour has good camping on the south side of a drying channel north of the main harbour entrance.
I also did an unplanned bivy on a small island a few miles south of Blunden harbour, but at high spring tide there was barely room for a bivy sack.
Shelter Cove, Arm Islands, and Skull Cove are all good camping sites on the way north to Burnett Bay.
There are also several good camping locations on the south side of QC Strait between Pt McNeill and Pt Hardy, both on the Van Isl shoreline (try to access at high tide) and on the islands west of Pt Hardy airport (check chart for which ones are not I.R.'s).
There's a small but excellent south-facing beach on the Echo Islands in the middle of the Strait (access at high-tide to avoid kelp-covered rocks, though there's a narrow rock-free route off the beach towards the east side) as well as numerous sites in and near God's Pocket Prov Park.