Helliwell Provincial Park

Helliwell Provincial Park is a protected area on Hornby Island featuring mature Douglas-fir forests and rare Garry oak ecosystems distributed across a headland bordering the Strait of Georgia. The park network connects meadows, forest sections, and coastal views through several connected paths.

The area was established in 1966 after John Helliwell donated former Acton family farmland for protection. Later expansions incorporated Flora Islet into the park's boundaries.

The park serves as a place where visitors experience the meeting of forest and ocean directly. The open terrain with meadows and coastal bluffs draws people seeking to explore nature and take in the views.

Reaching the park requires two ferry connections: from Buckley Bay to Denman Island, then to Hornby Island. The trails are equipped with basic facilities and accessible to visitors of varying fitness levels.

The southern cliffs provide nesting sites for pelagic cormorants and support an endangered Garry oak meadow ecosystem. This specialized habitat is rare in western North America and makes the park an important refuge for these environments.

Location: Comox Valley Regional District

Location: British Columbia

Inception: 1966

GPS coordinates: 49.51667,-124.60556

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:23