South Island. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Visitor guidelines
Make a camping reservation
This is a very popular camping destination year-round. Reservations are required during the summer. We strongly recommend making a reservation at any time of year.
For information on campgrounds in this park, see the camping section. For details of how to book a camping reservation, see the frontcountry camping page.
Other camping options nearby
Alternative camping space may be available at nearby Englishman River Falls Park (13 km away) or Little Qualicum Falls Park (24 km). Both these parks accept reservations.
Boat launches nearby
Rathtrevor Beach Park does not have a boat launch. The closest boat launch is at the French Creek Marina, which is 8 km north of the park on highway 19a.
Prioritize the safety of other visitors and marine wildlife. To avoid spreading invasive species, clean your hull and equipment before your visit. For more information, see our marine visitor guide.
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
Rathtrevor Beach Park is 3 m south of Parksville on Highway 19A, in the central Vancouver Island area. Take exit 51 from the Inland Island Highway (Highway 19) and follow signs to the park. The closest communities are Parksville, Qualicum, and Nanaimo.
Camping
Frontcountry camping
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers extensive frontcountry camping opportunities. The term ‘frontcountry’ refers to any area within 1 km of a highway or park road. Therefore, all frontcountry campsites can be accessed by vehicle.
Rathtrevor’s frontcountry campsites are in the park’s wooded upland area. All sites are within a five-minute walk to the sandy beach, which stretches for 2 km. For a campground map, see maps and location.
Facilities include hot showers, flush toilets, an adventure playground, fresh water, and a sani-station. Campsite reservations are accepted and first come, first served sites are available outside peak season.
This park is very popular year-round. All frontcountry campsites can be reserved. During the peak season (the last week of June to Labour Day), reservations are required. Reservations are highly recommended for any time of year.
All reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservation service. You can make a reservation online at camping.bcparks.ca or by calling 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally).
Unclaimed or unreserved sites may be available on a first come, first served basis. Contact the park operator for details. Learn more about camping reservations on the frontcountry camping page.
Nightly frontcountry camping fees
| Regular frontcountry camping | $35 per party |
|---|---|
| Seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $17.50 per senior party |
For information on qualifying for the seniors’ rate, please visit the BC Senior Camping Discount page.
For winter frontcountry camping fees, see winter camping. For walk-in and cycle-in camping fees, see walk-in camping.
Frontcountry campgrounds
Group camping
There are four group campsites available in Rathtrevor Beach Park. The groupsites are off Rath Road, just past the administration building, before you reach the day-use parking lots. For a campground map, see maps and location.
Sites 1 and 2 have partially treed areas. Sites 3 and 4 are in large grassy areas. Facilities include picnic tables, fire rings, hot showers, flush toilets, changing facilities, and a wash station with fresh water.
All four groupsites can be reserved year-round. In peak season (the last week of June to Labour Day), reservations are required. For detailed information on reserving a groupsite, see the group camping page.
All reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservation service. You can make a reservation online at camping.bcparks.ca or by calling 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally).
Nightly group camping fees
| Regular group camping |
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|---|---|
| Youth group camping |
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Groupsites
Walk-in camping
Rathtrevor Beach Park has 25 walk-in campsites in an open field southeast of the gatehouse. This camping area has five communal fire pits, a wash station with fresh water, and a bike rack.
Pit toilets are nearby, with showers and flush toilets a short walk away. Parking is available in the gravel lot across the road from the walk-in campsites, in front of the gatehouse. For a campground map, see maps and location.
All 25 sites can be booked in advance. Rathtrevor Beach is a very popular park year-round. During the peak season (the last week of June to Labour Day), reservations are required. Reservations are highly recommended year-round.
Reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservation service. Make a reservation online at camping.bcparks.ca or call 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally). For more information, see the frontcountry camping page.
Nightly walk-in camping fees
| Regular walk-in camping | $22 per party |
|---|---|
| Seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $11 per senior party |
For information on qualifying for the seniors’ rate, please visit the BC Senior Camping Discount page.
Walk-in campgrounds
Winter camping
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers year-round camping, with limited facilities during the off-peak season. For a campground map, see maps and location. This is a very popular park year-round, and we highly recommend making a camping reservation at any time of year.
All reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservation service. You can make a reservation online at camping.bcparks.ca or by calling 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally). Learn more about camping reservations on the frontcountry camping page.
Nightly winter camping fees
| Regular winter camping | $13 per party |
|---|---|
| Seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $6.50 per senior party |
For information on qualifying for the seniors’ rate, please visit the BC Senior Camping Discount page.
Things to do
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers 5.5km of easy walking trails, most of which are wheelchair accessible. Trails meander along the beach and weave through mature forests. Short trails link the campsites to the beach.
Another trail loops from just before the main parking lot around a pretty heritage farm field. Detailed trail maps are posted at information shelters throughout the park.
For your own safety and the preservation of the park, please obey all posted signs and keep to designated trails. Taking shortcuts destroys plant life and damages soil structure.
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers excellent ocean swimming opportunities. At low tide, the ocean recedes almost a kilometre, providing an ideal place for children to play. When the tide rolls in over the sun-baked sand, the warmed water is perfect for swimming.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Rathtrevor Beach Park can be accessed by canoe or kayak. However, very low tides are common, with the ocean receding almost a kilometre. This can make access by water challenging or impossible. Check the local tide guides for details.
Rathtrevor Beach Park can be accessed by canoe or kayak. However, very low tides are common, with the ocean receding almost a kilometre. This can make access by water challenging or impossible. Check the local tide guides for details.
Rathtrevor Beach Park offers limited opportunities for saltwater fishing. Fishing is allowed in line with provincial and federal fishing regulations. Always check the current Fisheries and Oceans Canada regulations before fishing.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Find fun summer outdoor learning experiences, with Discover Parks Ambassadors here all summer long. For specific dates, along with many more seasonal and year-round activities, visit discoverparks.ca.
Bird watching is a popular activity at Rathtrevor Beach Park. In spring, large numbers of seabirds congregate for the annual herring spawn. From February to April, Rathtrevor is one of Vancouver Island’s best spots for viewing migrating Brant geese.
Domestic animals are welcome but must be leashed. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their waste.
Pets are not allowed in the sandy day-use area along the park’s east shore, at any time of year.
Leashed pets are allowed on the north part of the beach next to the campground between May 1 and February 14.
Bicycles are allowed in Rathtrevor Beach Park, but they must keep to roads and designated trails. Cycling on the beach is not allowed. For information on bikes with electric assist motors, see e-biking.
Bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails in Rathtrevor Beach Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and other areas where motorized vehicle use is allowed.
The only exception is for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks. For more information on e-bikes in BC Parks, see the cycling page.
There are opportunities for ocean windsurfing in Rathtrevor Beach Park. The view and wind conditions make it an excellent spot for windsurfers.
Facilities
The campground roads at Rathtrevor Beach Park are paved for easy access. Campsites, shower stalls, flush toilets, beach access, many walking trails, and parking stalls in the day-use area are all wheelchair-accessible.
Detailed accessibility information is available for these parts of park:
A children’s bike park is available for visitors staying in the campground. It is beside the main playground in the campground, near site 75.
Rathtrevor Beach Park does not have a boat launch. The closest boat launch is at the French Creek Marina, which is 8 km north of the park on highway 19a. The park can be accessed by canoe or kayak at high tide.
Campfires are allowed, and campfire rings are provided at each campsite, for use by registered campers. Please protect the environment by minimizing your campfire use and using a camping stove for cooking.
Do not gather firewood from anywhere in the park. Gathering wood is an offence under the Park Act. Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals. It also adds valuable organic matter to the soil.
Please buy your firewood from the park operator. Wood from outside the park can introduce invasive species. For information on firewood prices, contact the park operator.
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.
Cold-water taps are available at Rathtrevor Beach Park’s day-use area and throughout the campgrounds. These taps are shut off during the winter. Taps for filling reservoir tanks in vehicles are at either end of the sani-station and are available year-round.
Rathtrevor Beach day-use area
Rathtrevor Beach Park includes a large day-use and picnicking area near the beach. This includes 75 picnic tables and two reservable picnic shelters. For information on reserving a shelter, see picnic shelters. The day-use area provides convenient access to walking trails and offers facilities, including:
- Two parking lots
- Two flush toilet buildings
- Pit toilets
- Changing facilities
- An adventure playground
Rathtrevor Beach group picnic shelter
Rathtrevor Beach Park has two reservable picnic shelters. All reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservation service.
Make a reservation online at camping.bcparks.ca or call 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally). For detailed information, see the picnic shelters page.
Fees (per day)
| Group picnic shelter | $50 per group |
|---|
Pit toilets are available throughout Rathtrevor Beach Park. There are two flush toilet buildings in the day-use area. Flush toilets are available throughout the main campground.
Rathtrevor Beach Park features three playgrounds:
- One in the day-use area
- A small one near campsite 149
- A large one with a bike track near campsite 75
A sani-station is available year-round. It is along the main park road, across from the group campground and the park operator office.
Fees (per use)
| Sani-station | $5 |
|---|
Rathtrevor Beach Park’s main campground includes three shower buildings. There is an additional shower building in the group camping area. All the shower buildings have hot water.
About this park
Rathtrevor takes its name from the Irish family who homesteaded on this land. William Rath, a gold prospector, arrived in 1886 with his young wife and baby daughter. William died in 1903, leaving Elizabeth the farm and five children.
Elizabeth successfully ran the farm and eventually operating it as a campground. ‘Trevor’ was added to give the campground a more lyrical name. Rathtrevor Campground became Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in 1967.
Wildlife that can be seen in Rathtrevor Beach Park includes deer, raccoons, squirrels, otters, mink, eagles, osprey, hawks, vultures, and owls. Many shore and migratory birds also use the area during their spring and fall migrations.
The most famous migratory shore birds are the Brant geese. These birds use Rathtrevor Beach as staging and feeding areas during their spring migration to northern Canada and Alaska.
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.
Contact
| Reservations, changes, and cancellations | Our call centre is open from 7 am to 7 pm Pacific Time. There is a $5 fee for reservations, changes, or cancellations made by phone.
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| Park operator | This park is operated by RLC Park Services. |
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
