Carrot Park in Port Hardy with the Government wharf in the background

BC Ferries links Port Hardy with several remote communities along the breathtaking Inside Passage and Discovery Coast routes to Prince Rupert and Bella Coola. Nearby, BC Ferries links Port McNeill to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island and Sointula on Malcolm Island. You can even travel up the scenic Sunshine Coast to Powell River and travel by ferry to Comox, just a 3.5 hour drive from Port Hardy.

• Port Hardy Waterfront

  Walks: Stroll or jog along the seawall to the bustling harbour, where fishing boats, sail boats and float planes always seem to be coming or going. Follow the seawall to Carrot Park and view the war memorial, next come to Tsulquate Park. The next park along this scenic seawall is the Kinsmen Park and pavilion, a great place for a picnic or barbecue. Follow Market Street to Fishermens Wharf, alive with seiners, gillnetters, trollers, sailboats, and sport fishing boats in summer and fall.

• Seafood: A sign near the waterfront advertises fresh shrimp for sale at the town dock. You can cook them at a pleasant picnic site on Hardy Bay, next to the ferry.

• Heritage: One of the most exciting aspects of a visit to Port Hardy is the prevalence of rich native culture and heritage. Port Hardy is known for its First Nations shops and art galleries, particularly on Market Street, which offer beautiful, hand-crafted treasures. Several of these artists regularly invite visitors into their workshops as they create paintings, jewellery, masks and other pieces. You can also view the work of local artists through the town’s murals. Take yourself on a tour and see murals at the Airport Inn, the Library, Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish, Malone’s Oceanside Bistro, North Island Diving & Water Sports, the Thunderbird Mall, and the Seagate Motel.

• Port Hardy Museum

  Port Hardy Museum & Archives on Market Street exhibits a small collection of First Nation artifacts, local history items, natural history materials, and local archives. Open Tuesday through Saturday throughout the year. Admission by donation.

• Wildlife: Keep your camera handy, as the rugged northern coast of Vancouver Island is a remarkable area teeming with wildlife. Be your own guide, or benefit from the local knowledge of land-based and water-based tour operators that will guide you to the natural habitat of black bears, cougars, black tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, timber wolves, and a large variety of birds and eagles. Organized grizzly bear viewing trips are available to nearby Knight Inlet, and other locations on the BC mainland.

• Hardy Bay and the Quatse River Estuary are visited by a wide range of wildlife. Bald Eagles and Great Blue Heron are common throughout the year. Scan the exposed mud flats during low tides for many species of shorebirds. During fall and winter waterfowl are found, including Canada Geese, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead and mergansers. Cormorants and many seabird species are also seen. During the fall, salmon travel through the bay and enter the Quatse River, attracting wildlife that feeds on the dead and dying fish.

• Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre and Hatchery, Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

  Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre and Hatchery is one of 4 facilities operated by the Northern Vancouver Island Salmonid Enhancement Association, which works with local resources to aid in the recovery of salmon stocks in North Island streams. The centre is open to the public May through September, Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Visitors can enjoy the displays in the interpretive gallery, as well as take a guided tour of the salmon production facility.

• Whale Watching is a must on a trip to Port hardy, where viewing possibilities include killer whales, Grey Whales, Humpback whales, and Minke whales. Other marine life viewed on whale watching trips might include sea lions and harbour seals. There are several companies offering whale watching trips from late June through early October.

• Outdoor Recreation: An active recreational centre, Port Hardy is a year-round gateway for wilderness explorers seeking adventure in the vast wonders of North Vancouver Island.

• Diving: The waters off north Vancouver Island are amongst the finest in the world for diving, thanks to the profusion of invertebrate life, curious wolfeels, walls studded with colonies of pink soft coral, colourful anemones, and a variety of sponges and starfish. Sighting killer whales from the surface in Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait is also a common occurrence.

• Kayaking: Good sea kayaking is found in the protected waters of the east coast of the island. There are several staging areas, including Beaver Harbour south of Port Hardy, allowing you to kayak or canoe to spectacular locations - canoe and kayaks can be rented by the day or week. Many parts of the Discovery Coast to the north of Port Hardy are relatively unknown to kayakers. This region will appeal to resourceful paddlers who seek a sense of pioneering, which includes laying some groundwork, discovering new fishing spots, wildlife watching, dealing with unknown tidal currents, and finding new campsites. Guided and self-guided day tours and two to seven day trips are available, with or without mother ships.

• Hiking: A network of publicly accessible logging roads opens up wilderness areas on the west coast of Vancouver Island, providing access to Winter Harbour, Cape Scott and Raft Cove Provincial Parks. Hiking routes vary from short trails leading to spectacular beaches at San Jose Bay and Raft Cove, to an 8-hour trek to the tip of Cape Scott, to the North Coast Trail in Cape Scott Provincial Park, a 61-km hike when starting at the Cape Scott Trailhead and ending in Sushartie Bay on the north coast (see Cape Scott Park Trails). The Tex Lyon Trail is a rugged 7-km, 5-hour trek along the rocky coastline from the north end of Storeys Beach to Dillon Point.

• Inside Passage: Explore the stunning beauty and enjoy the scenic grandeur of the Inside Passage on one of the world's most awe-inspiring voyage; the 15-hour BC Ferries trip from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. Reserve accommodation in Port Hardy ahead of time in summer, as motels are usually packed the night before the Prince Rupert ferry departs and the night after it arrives.

• Discovery Coast Passage: In the summer, a seasonal BC Ferry service enables visitors to reach Bella Coola via the Discovery Coast Passage. The voyage takes 33 hours, and stopovers include Klemtu, Ocean Falls, Bella Bella, and Denny Island (Shearwater). Cabins are not available on the vessel, however, there are showers and reclining seats. Reservations are highly recommended.

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