Princess Louisa Marine Park
About this Park
Far inland, approached from the Strait of Georgia by way of Jervis Inlet, Princess Louisa Inlet has a charm and scenic beauty that must be seen and experienced.
Glaciation of millennia past carved the magnificent granite-walled gorge through the snow-tipped mountains that rise sharply from the water’s edge to heights in excess of 2,100 metres. As placid as a mountain lake, the ocean waters of Princess Louisa Inlet move constantly with the tides, but currents are practically nonexistent, except for the seven to ten-knot Malibu Rapids at the entrance. The inlet, almost completely enclosed, is 300 metres deep and never over 800 metres wide.
Until mid-June, the warm sun melting the mountain snow-pack creates more than sixty waterfalls that cascade and spume down precipitous walls to mingle with the waters of Princess Louisa Inlet. Beautiful Chatterbox Falls at the head of the inlet tumbles 40 metres).
This spectacular park contains a number of campsites, a ranger cabin, picnic shelter and toilets. For boaters there is a mooring buoy, stern pins, a boat dock and a dinghy dock.
“There is a calm tranquility which stretches from the smooth surface of the reflecting water straight up into infinity. The deep calm of eternal silences is only disturbed by the muffled roar of throbbing waterfalls as they plunge down from sheer cliffs. There is no scenery in the world that can beat it. Not that I’ve seen the rest of the world. I don’t need to, I’ve seen Princess Louisa Inlet.”
– Erle Stanley Gardner, “Log of a Landlubber”
Special notes
The marine park is managed by BC Parks with the cooperation of the Princess Louisa International Society. The Princess Louisa International Society raises funds to maintain and develop the Princess Louisa Inlet Marine Park:
- To provide additional and enhanced facilities.
- To acquire additional lands within Princess Louisa Inlet for dedication as Park
- To preserve and protect the unique marine and upland environment of the Inlet for the benefit of all. Memberships and tax receipts for donations are available from the Society.
- To help preserve the natural values in this park, please do not discharge sewage at docks or in anchorages, but keep sewage contained in holding tanks while at anchor.
- Maximum vessel length allowed on the docks is 17 metres (55 feet).
- Slow down to less than five knots and keep your wake to a minimum when approaching the dock.
- Minimize exhaust and noise from generators and limit their use to 9am to 11am and 6pm to 8pm.
- Please consider your neighbours and observe the quiet time from 11pm to 7am.
- Dock use may be limited to 72 hours during the high-use season.
- Rockfish Conservation Areas occur within this park. Fishing activities are limited in Rockfish Conservation Areas. Before you go fishing please refer to the Rockfish Conservation Area descriptions available from Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Location notes
This marine park is located in the Princess Louisa Inlet and is only accessible by boat or plane. There are no public roads. The only entrance to the marine park is through the Straight of Georgia by way of Jervis Inlet, 90km north of Skookumchuck Narrows.
Activities
- 173:Hiking There are 800 metres of trails and boardwalks located at Chatterbox Falls.A new trail adjacent to Macdonald Island was completed in 2015. It is a 1km easy to moderate loop trail that winds thru the forest to a rock out cropping where two benches are placed overlooking the inlet. Access is from dingy dock and past the campsites.Outside the park is a nearby hiking trail to Trappers Cabin that takes approximately two hours and is somewhat dangerous and difficult. It is approximately seven hours to the alpine and another half day to the icefield. These trails are recommended for experienced mountaineers only.For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
- 173:Canoeing There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking at this park.
- 173:Swimming There is no designated swimming area in the park. All swimming is ocean swimming but some people like to swim where the creek from Chatterbox Fall enters the ocean.
- 173:Wildlife viewing A viewing platform is located at the bottom of Chatterbox Falls. The entire Princess Louisa Inlet provides an outstanding viewscape. Numerous waterfalls ribbon the walls of the gorge as snow melts, including the magnificent Chatterbox Falls.
- 173:Pets on leash Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.
- 173:Scuba diving There are scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities. There are no facilities provided. Scuba parties must be self-sufficient.
- 173:Fishing Princess Louisa Inlet has been designated a Rockfish Conservation Area. All fishing is prohibited within the inlet.There is a year-round shellfish closure, harvesting is prohibited within the inlet (this includes, clams, mussels, oysters and other bivalve mollusks).Please refer to the Rockfish Conservation Area descriptions available from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
- 173:Kayaking There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking at this park.
Facilities
- 173:Campfires Campfires are permitted in designated fire rings only. No firewood is provided; please bring your own firewood. While campfires are allowed and communal fire pits are provided, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead.To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
- 173:Picnic areas The MacDonald Memorial Shelter is available at Chatterbox Falls. The Macdonald Memorial Shelter is a teepee style structure with three large openings around the perimeter and a large fire pit at its centre. There are two picnic tables at the shelter. Two pit toilets, located centrally in the park, are used by campers and boaters from the main dock as well.
- 173:Pit or flush toilets There are three pit toilets in this park. Two are at the main Chatterbox Falls area and one is at the campsite near MacDonald Island.
- 173:Boat launch This park does not have a boat launch. However, there is a 200 metre mooring float at Chatterbox falls and five mooring buoys located at Macdonald Island. Vessels travelling in Princess Louisa Inlet are asked to keep vessel speed below four knots. To help preserve the natural values in this park, please do not discharge sewage in anchorages, but keep sewage contained in holding tanks while at anchor. Maximum vessel length allowed on the dock is less than 18 metres (55 feet).A new Airplane Float was added in 2015 at the end of the 200 metre mooring float.
Location
50.20292, -123.78318 · Sunshine Coast
