God's Pocket Provincial Park in British Columbia

Trip Overview

I paddled in and around God's Pocket Provincial Park with a group of eight, led by two guides from Sea Kayak Adventures, a U.S.-based company that organizes and leads trips in British Columbia and Baja California. The northwoods scenery is spectacular, and the paddling is fun in the protected waters of the island archipelago just off Vancouver Island's north shore.

We shared waters with humpback whales, otters and porpoises and marveled at the antics of bald eagles soaring overhead. On one morning trip, we counted 67 eagles. We would paddle a few hours in the morning, then break for lunch, and paddle a few hours more -- to destinations that included good hiking spots, beaches for which our guides shared stories filled with local lore, including Sasquatch families, and to a historic lighthouse.

The best part was that each afternoon, we returned to the God's Pocket Resort for hot showers, a gourmet dinner and a comfy bed. It's a great combination -- wilderness by day, hot tub by evening and a cozy room at night. There was even yoga. Truly the best of both worlds.

Outfitting:

Sea Kayak Adventures
Tandem fiberglass sea kayaks

Directions:

From Vancouver, take the ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. From Nanaimo, it's a five-hour drive on Hwy 19 to Port Hardy, on the northern end of the island. It's a half-hour water taxi trip from Port Hardy to God's Pocket.