Epper Passage Park

Highlights in this park

Epper Passage Park lies on route to popular kayak camping areas within Clayoquot Sound, including Flores Island and Vargas Island. Located between Meares and Vargas Islands, the park encompasses Dunlap and Morfee Islands.

This park offers a variety of water-based wilderness recreation opportunities, including scuba diving, boating, kayaking, fishing and wildlife viewing. The rocky terrain makes access to the upland portion of the park difficult, making it unsuitable for wilderness camping. Ecological Reserve status is being considered for these small islands, whose surrounding waters are rich in marine life, including the rare massive purple ascidians (sea squirts).

Accessible by boat only, travel to the park offers excellent views of the pristine wilderness that is Clayoquot Sound. Paddlers should use caution when traveling in Epper Passage, as the area is often busy with commercial boat traffic and dense fog can enclose the area quite quickly during the summer months. On a clear day, exploring the waters surrounding these small unique islands provides plenty of rewarding opportunities for nature enthusiasts, photographers and adventurers.

Know before you go

Advisories

Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.

Visit responsibly

Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:

Maps and location

Getting there

Epper Passage is located in Clayoquot Sound, north of Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. This park includes Dunlap and Morfee Islands between Meares and Vargas Islands. The park is accessible by boat. Boaters can reference marine chart #3673 for more information about this area. Nearby communities include: Tofino, Ucluelet, Ahousat, Flores Island, Meares Island.

Camping

Marine-accessible camping

This park has walk-in areas but camping is not recommended due to the steep terrain.

When visiting marine-accessible sites, be respectful of the sensitive wildlife habitats, and learn how to stay safe using our marine visitor guide.

Things to do

Swimming

There is no designated swimming area at this park, however opportunities exist for ocean swimming.

There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.

Kayaking

Epper Passage lies on route to popular kayak and camping areas within Clayoquot Sound, including Flores Island and Vargas Island.

Paddlers can travel from Tofino through Maurus Channel to reach Epper Passage. Be aware of high speed commercial boat traffic in Epper Passage. Use caution, as dense fog is common during the summer months in this area. A kayak launch is located at First Street Dock in Tofino.

Fishing

The waters of Clayoquot Sound may contain a variety of fish species, including salmon, rockfish, halibut and lingcod.

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 in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.

Scuba diving

Epper Passage is a popular scuba diving location as high subtidal values make for great underwater viewing opportunities. Commercial recreational diving companies in Tofino and Ucluelet offers tours to Clayoquot Sound.

Hunting

Portions of this park are open to hunting for specific species. Hunters must have valid licences and tags. Please refer to current printed Hunting and Trapping Regulations and Synopsis publication for closures and regulations.

Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.

Facilities

Campfires

While fires are allowed, we encourage visitors to conserve the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using stoves instead. If you must use a campfire, please practice “Leave No Trace” camping ethics.

Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.

About this park

Conservation

The waters surrounding these small islands are rich in marine life, including scarce massive purple ascidians (sea squirts).

General Wildlife, Marine & Outdoor Ethics Information

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.

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