The Broken Group Islands are a maze of forested islands, islets and reefs in Barkley Sound, inside Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island, and they can only be reached by boat. Most paddlers launch from the Toquaht Nation's Secret Beach campground on Toquart Bay, 13 km down a gravel road off Highway 4 near Ucluelet; Hand Island, the closest camping island, is about 5 nautical miles away. Parks Canada advises against starting from Bamfield or Ucluelet because of the exposed Imperial Eagle and Loudon channels. Camping is allowed only in designated areas on Hand, Turret, Gibraltar, Dodd, Clarke and Gilbert islands, from May 1 to September 30, with a reserved backcountry permit and a park entry pass. Bring all your drinking water. Expect fog, afternoon chop in Coaster Channel, swell on the outer islands and cold water, and be ready to navigate by chart and compass.
The difficulty of Broken Group Islands River varies by section. Whitewater ratings are not exact: grades change with water level and season. Verify current conditions locally before you paddle.
The best time is May 1 to September 30 (camping season); May-June and September are quieter than July-August.
Broken Group Islands River is located in the Vancouver Island region of Canada.
Straight-line distance between route centres.
parks.canada.ca · skabc.org · secretbeachcampground.com · opengovca.com
Conditions change with water level and season. Grades and positions are for planning, not navigation. Verify locally before you paddle. Terms of use
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