Exploring Winter Harbour: A Historic Gem

Located on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, the historic fishing village of Winter Harbour is a unique destination to explore. This quaint boardwalk community is located at the mouth of the stunning Quatsino Sound. Due to its remoteness, it's a location often overlooked as a place to visit on Vancouver Island. I assure you, it's a place you will also fall in love with once you do.

A Bit of History

Winter Harbour lies within the traditional territory of the Quatsino First Nations.

The inlet where this tiny village resides has been a haven for sailors and fishing boats since the 1800s. It got its name from being a sheltered harbour for the merchant sailing ships needing respite from winter storms.

The first European settlers were Jobe (Joseph) Leeson, his wife Anna, and his son Benjamin. Leeson acquired land in 1891 and set up a trading post. Goods were exchanged mostly with passing whaling ships and local First Nations. In 1904, Leeson opened up a crab and clam cannery, which employed Chinese workers.

In the late 1920s, Albert Moore founded what later became W.D. Moore Logging. This family-run business operated up until September 2017.

During the 1970s, Winter Harbour was a major gathering place for the commercial fisheries Pacific Salmon fleet. The harbour saw hundreds of boats at any given time waiting for a fishery opening. And with it, a bustling community with a schoolhouse, hundreds of residents, two general stores, a logging camp, and plenty of neighbourhood parties. Only one general store remains.

Today, this quiet village is home to a mostly seasonal population. As for tourism, the summer months especially bring recreational fishermen seeking exploration of Desolation Sound. And eco-tourists looking for a quiet place to relax.

Winter Harbour Village

Winter Harbour is a place to go for recreation and outdoor adventures. It's a wonderful spot if you love fishing, boating, hiking, paddling, wildlife viewing, and sightseeing. And its remoteness provides unique experiences for it all.

The small village has a general store called the Outpost that offers a little bit of everything. Inside the store, you can find groceries, fishing gear, clothing, souvenirs and liquor. The Outpost also offers accommodations, fully serviced RV sites, fuel, washrooms with showers and laundry facilities. Their marina can accommodate boats up to 75 feet, and there are several fish cleaning stations with fresh water available.

Like a few other coastal towns on Vancouver Island, the houses in Winter Harbour were built right along the waterfront, with many on stilts. This resulted in a boardwalk being built to connect the houses. And if you ask me, this boardwalk is the highlight of Winter Harbour.

I urge you to walk from one end to the other for some spectacular beauty. There's also a significant chance you will see some wildlife. There are a few spots where the boardwalk requires a few repairs, but for the most part, it's well taken care of.

Hiking

From the village, you can walk to several beaches, one of which lies at the end of Botel Park Trail. The trailhead is found near the Outpost.

If you arrive at Winter Harbour by vehicle, you are within a short drive to some of the best scenic beaches. Cape Scott, Raft Cove, and Grant Bay are all available a relatively short drive away.

Fishing

This area is world-renowned for its spectacular saltwater fishing. Several fishing charters head to these waters searching for salmon, cod, halibut and snapper. A beloved fishing area for those in the know is in front of the Kains Island Light Station. Watching the many fishing boats tack around this small area is a comical sight, especially when the open ocean is within arms reach.

Wildlife

Due to its remoteness, this entire area is spectacular for wildlife sightings. This is the place whether you are searching for birds (especially eagles), land animals, such as bears and cougars, or ocean life, such as sea otters and whales.

We typically boat into Winter Harbour every summer from Coal Harbour to see the sea otters. And they are always there! If you are lucky, you will see them in a group. This is where they join hands and feet to form a large raft, often to protect the littlest among them. And it's the most special sight.

Getting To Winter Harbour, Vancouver Island

There are a few options on how to get there.

The most common, and our favourite way of getting there, is boating through Quatsino Sound from Coal Harbour. You can leave your boat trailer and truck at the Coal Harbour Museum lot for a reasonable rate. The boat trip takes approximately 45 minutes (on a flat day), and the scenery is breathtaking.

You can also get there by floatplane. Tofino Air offers chartered services. Air Cab flies out of Coal Harbour. And Pacific Coastal offers services from Port Hardy.

If you wish to travel by vehicle, you are looking at an approximate 75 km logging road from Port Hardy. It's well-used and in decent shape but can get extremely rough and pitted, especially after rainfall. Watch for large potholes! Any vehicle with good tires can make the trek. However, as it's a gravel road, most rental vehicles will have restrictions for driving here.

Driving does have its benefits. You will be greeted by beautiful scenery along the way, with little lakes and thick green forests. This is the best opportunity to see bears. As mentioned above, a vehicle can access all the other amazing gems surrounding Winter Harbour.

Insider Tip: The drive from Nanaimo to Winter Harbour is approximately 460km (around 5 hours).

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Have you been?

In the comment section below, let us know about your time spent in this beautiful part of Vancouver Island.

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