You’ve sailed past this lovely little park if you have dodged the ferry traffic out of Horseshoe Bay on your way to or from destinations deeper in Howe Sound, north of Vancouver. You may have noticed a large and distinctive white rock, jutting six stories out of the water, forming an island joined by a tenuous causeway of stone, in between the Lookout Point and Batchelor Cove. If you happened to look closely, you would probably have seen people waving at you from the top. That’s Whyte Island, the most prominent seaward facing aspect of Whytecliff Park.
You sailed past it because the small bays formed between the rock and the headlands on either side are rocky and indifferent anchorages. So you may not have realized that a fine public park backs the Rock and the beach it shelters, and that fine vistas and picnicking spots are to be had ashore there. Braver souls may even venture in to swim at the beach… it’s not as cold as you might think.
Whytecliff park boasts lovely old trees, vast expanses of cool green lawn, tennis courts, play areas, barbecue pits, and dozens of intertwined, hidden trails twisting along the seemingly impassible rock face, leading to small, secluded crevices along the cliff perfect for small picnics, each with its own isolated and distinct view out toward Bowen Island, up Howe Sound, or out across the Strait of Georgia.
A vast crevice delves between two of these massive outcroppings, and at high tide the surf pounds and churns within. You can follow the twisting trails down into the gap at lower tides and pick through the debris that has been flushed in and stuck there, including huge logs the likes of which you hope never to meet under way.
Sunset is the best time to appreciate the vistas of Whytecliff Park, but you will probably have plenty of company.
Getting there will take a bit of work for the average boater. Although relatively close to Horseshoe Bay, Sewell’s Marina and the public dock there can be difficult places to find moorage. Should one do so, a quick dinghy ride around Lookout Point and down the shoreline might be the best option, although the crowded and debris-strewn beach at the park doesn’t promise an easy landing. Walking is another option, following the twisting path of Marine Drive up and around the other side of the peninsula, but it’s not a foot-friendly route.
From Vancouver or its vicinity, the 257 bus will get you closest, from which you then follow the same walking route as above. The 239 provides an easy transfer from Lonsdale Quay to the 257; Lonsdale Quay is a transit hub that is fairly easy to get to from most marinas or anchorages around the area.
A rented car, or friends who have one, may be your best bet.