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Located on the upper Sunshine Coast, Powell River (population 13,500) is surrounded by a stunning setting that includes: lakes, inlets, islands, ocean waters and rugged mountains. This setting, along with its temperate climate, makes the area around Powell River a haven for divers, kayakers, canoeists and mountaineers.
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Arts and Culture
With a rich First Nations heritage and an interesting history, Powell River is a great place for the history and culture buff. Powell River is home to BC’s only National Historic District, which includes 30 commercial structures and 400 homes, built between 1910 and 1930 as part of a company town site. The ancestral home of the Sliammon First Nation, nearby Sliammon is a native village that has been in continuous habitation for the past two millennia. You can visit both the Powell River Historic Museum and the Sliammon Fish Hatchery.
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Area festivals include: the
Kathaumixw, a biannual Choral Festival that attracts international participation; the Logger Sports, a highlight of the annual Sea Fair; and the Blackberry Festival. If you are in the area at the end of July you may be able to catch the Texada Sandcastle Day on nearby
Texada island.
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Getting to
Powell River
The Sunshine Coast
is located northwest of Vancouver and is accessible from the rest of the Lower Mainland only by boat or airplane. Powell River is located on Highway 101and can be reached from Vancouver by catching a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, driving from Langdale to Earls Cove on Highway 101, and catching another ferry from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay. The entire journey from Vancouver may take about six hours.
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Outdoor Adventure
The Powell River area is home to three amazing outdoor opportunities: the Sunshine Coast Trail, the Powell Forest Canoe Route and Desolation Sound Marine Park. The area is also known as one of the premier winter diving areas of North America. There are also plenty of opportunities to catch your dinner as Powell River offers year-round salmon and cutthroat trout fishing.
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The Sunshine Coast Trail spans 180km of hiking trails from Sarah Point to Saltery Bay and passes a variety of lodgings – campsites, bed and breakfasts and a hotel. Other hikes in the area include the short Willingdon Beach Trail, and the 13km Inland Lake Trail, the only wheelchair accessible wilderness trail and campsite in the world.
The Powell Forest Canoe Route journeys through twelve lakes, rivers, and creeks that flow through mountain peaks and forests. With 79.7km of canoeing and 10.7km of portaging, the Powell Forest Canoe Route is a five to seven day trip. However, it is easy to create your own shorter trip or do the entire trip over a few weekends. There are 23 recreation sites along the way.
There are an abundance of provincial and regional parks to choose from in the Powell River area, but Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park is the jewel – it’s the largest marine park in BC and accessible by air or water only. This spectacular park is internationally renowned for its crystal-clear waters and wildlife viewing (you may see whales, sea lions, seals, porpoises and dolphins).
Powell River is also one of the premier winter diving locales on the west coast of North America and more than 100 dive sites attract divers from around the world. One of these sites is the breakwater formed by a ring of 10 concrete-hulled Liberty ships that were sunk offshore in 1947. Divers may see the wolf eels and giant octopi that inhabit these deep offshore waters.
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