Our time at Powell River was cut short due to ferry cancellation the day before, but we made the most of it.
The Sea Walk
The Powell River Sea Walk is a flat, 2.7km out and back trail (1.3km one way) right on the water’s edge starting near the ferry terminal. The views of the Straight of Georgia and Vancouver Island were fantastic.
We came at low tide and there were lots of beach to explore.
Pockets of water was trapped on the beach, creating small lagoons. Later I learned that these may be remnants of man-made structures built by the local Tla’amin People as fish traps.
About 500m from the parking lot, there was a flight of stairs to access the beach. Big Bro and I went down to investigate one of these on-shore lagoons.
We found lots of little fish in the shallow lagoon. We gently trapped one in Big Bro’s scoop for a closer look before putting him back.
With long stretches of rocky beach teeming with little creatures, the Sea Walk at Powell River was a fun visit.
The Hulks
An arc of floating concrete ships form a breakwater for the active Powel River Pulp and Paper Mill. These ships were built around 1920’s to 1940’s, when steel plates were in short supply during the World Wars. After the wars, the ships proved to be too heavy and inefficient so they were decommissioned. Many of them were sunk as artificial reefs or breakwaters, but in Powell River the water was too deep to sink the ships as underwater breakwater, so they were kept chained up and floating.
We went to view the Hulks from the Townsite viewpoint, where informative signs were placed. Other good viewing spots listed on a tourism brochure include the Lawn Bowling Club and Second Beach. But probably the most epic way would be to paddle out from Second Beach and seeing the Hulks up close. Unfortunately our time constraint and the heat did not allow for this.
Willingdon Beach Park
Willingdon Beach Park is a family friendly multi-use park that has sandy beaches, a small dock, green lawns, a playground, a concession stand, public washrooms, and even a municipal beach front campground.
Marine Avenue
The main drag of Powell River is Marine Ave. We went to a Japanese/Korean restaurant, and was impressed by the quality of sushi and Korean Fried Chicken there.
We checked out a few other small shops too and got some souvenirs.
We originally planned for a 2 night stay in Powell River, which would have allowed for some time to paddle around and enjoy the beaches more. Or perhaps we would have gone to visit Lund, the gateway to Desolation Sound. A one-night stay at any place is too short to savour and appreciate it.
This is a part of our 2022 BC Coastal Circle Tour. Read on!