Saltery Bay Provincial Park

The wooded campground and picnic day-use area serves as a convenient base for visitors travelling Highway 101 to Powell River and beyond. Paddlers use the park as a convenient base and departure point for expeditions around Saltery Bay and the shoreline of Jervis Inlet.

Hiking trails lead through a Douglas fir and cedar forest to Little Saltery Falls. The pebble beaches are perfect spots for picnics and swimming. Salmon fishing in the waters off Saltery Bay in Jervis Inlet can be very productive from April through late fall. Whales, seals and sea lions can sometimes be seen offshore.

At both the campground and the Mermaid Cove site there are three dozen picnic tables, many of which sit atop mounds of sun-bleached mollusc shells left from precontact times when Native peoples picnicked and feasted here. You can see why they chose this spot: shellfish cling to the rocky shoreline, while in the deep, dark waters of the inlet, whales, seals, and sealions cavort in pursuit of schooling fish.

Bronze Mermaid, Saltery Bay Provincial Park Photo by Bob Coval

A favourite scuba destination, Saltery Bay is a diver's paradise. The shallow offshore waters are noted for a wide variety of marine life. Caverns and offshore reefs attract divers from around the world.

An exquisitely sculptured nine-foot bronze statue of a mermaid, known as the Emerald Princess, sits in 20 metres of water, welcoming divers to the emerald sea at Mermaid Cove. The oceanside ramp at Mermaid Cove provides a safe, simple passage for physically disabled divers.

There are 42 vehicle/tent campsites including 2 double units. Facilities include pit toilets and a sani-station, and showers. Some facilities in the park are wheelchair accessible. Reservations are accepted. Open all year, fees are collected from May 12 to September 15. A boat launch is located in the northwest day-use area.