Porteau Cove Provincial Park
Porteau Cove Provincial Park
4.5
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4.5
224 reviews
Excellent
121
Very good
71
Average
15
Poor
4
Terrible
13
Michelle P
2 contributions
June 2020 • Family
We are another family who had a terrible experience with the park staff here. Two families camping together in 2018. First night was fine. Second night we are all asleep in out tents and around midnight are yelled at with lights in our faces and dragged out of our tents because there was one empty can and one factory sealed bottle of baileys on our table. It had been dark and we were focused on making sure all food and dishes were gone and we just missed these two items. My daughter was so scared and we were very upset- I explained to them that we cleaned the same way the night before and we’re not told there was a problem. I suggested a walk around at 10pm after quiet time starts would be more appropriate for reminding guests about their very specific policies. They said they had to wait until were were asleep to make sure we had left it out! I am a long time park camper and never experienced this before. Myself and my friend from the other family went to gatehouse next day to very respectfully talk to the supervisor who instead threatened us for complaining. Stating we were given a warning and he could make it an eviction. We were not rude or aggressive and did not deserve to be treated this way for respectfully lodging a complaint against staff behaviour. Distinct feeling of power tripping and bullying here. We haven’t been back. It was an extremely negative experience in a very beautiful park.
Written 10 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Madalena C
Vancouver, Canada148 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
Such a pretty spot to camp but super hard to get a spot for overnight. You could go down for the day on your way to Whistler. Makes you feel like you are enjoying the Caribbean as the water is aqua in colour. .
Each site is well spaced for social distancing. Lots of kids and families of all ages.
Each site is well spaced for social distancing. Lots of kids and families of all ages.
Written 10 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MekkTekk
Vancouver55 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
This campground is one of the smallest and most popular in the “Vancouver” area. I booked 1 night in a walk-in site when I saw it was available online. Our family of 2 adults and 2 kids have never stayed in a walk-in site before so we were testing it to see if we would come back. Overall, the place was very nice but the distance to the showers/flush toilets is a real pain.
Here is some info that might be helpful if you are considering staying here:
Setting – the ocean side setting is amazing. Beautiful views and sunsets. Water is pretty calm and clean. It was swimmable for some but too cold for us (in August). Great place for inflatable boats, kayaks and SUPs. It was not easy to find crabs or creatures if your kids like that stuff. Yes, the train runs right by the campground but only 2 short trains came by during our 1 day stay. I found the noise from the highway more persistent but it was neither was that big a deal to us.
Walk-in Site Area – these are at the very far end of the campground on a peninsula. The beach in front of the walk-in sites is the best spot in the entire cove. During low tide, it is pretty wide and the beach is made of smaller rocks and gravel. The other beaches in front of the regular campsites (which is the other ~80% of the shoreline) is very rocky (i.e. rocks the size of melons all over). There is a look out trail as well as a wide open lawn for playing sports. The lawn is also water front and a really nice setting. Half of the walk-in sites face the beach and water, the other half face this open green space. This area overall is the nicest part of the campground by far.
Walk-In Sites – You park your car in a small lot about 100m from the sites. They have 1 wagon and 3 wheelbarrows you can use to help carry your stuff from the car to the sites (very handy). The sites are very small. Each site only has 1 bench, no picnic table or fire pit. Definitely bring chairs and a folding table if you can. The sites facing the water will feel smaller because you have no space to spill out from your site. The ones facing the green space have a little more room around to spill out (within reason). Most sites have very little privacy. Our site, W11, was only separated from W10 by a bench. I was literally setting up our tent 2 feet from where the other camper was sitting in his chair. After the initial shock, it ends up being fine since you can set up the tent as a bit of a barrier between sites and you get used to it. There were 2 common fire pits with benches but both of these were commandeered by neighboring campsites as their own area (i.e. they leave their chairs, supplies, etc. all around it). Unless you are at the sites noted below, you may not be able to access the common fire pits without asking the entrenched people to move over (awkward). Here is some info on the walk-in sites:
W2, W5, W7 – waterfront, very small but a bit more private
W10, W11, W12, W14 – water front, very small, no privacy from sites beside you. W14 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
W16 – private, easiest access to the beach, has room to spill out
W1, W3, W4, W6, W8, W13, W15 – all have the entry trail on one side and open green space on the other. There is more space between sites but less privacy from all around. Small but have room to spill out. W1 is very close to the covered picnic tables are so it’s easy to set up there for meals. W13 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
Washrooms, etc – there are 2 outhouses about 40m and 80m from the sites heading towards the lot. There is also a covered picnic area with picnic tables, and a wide counter with 2 kitchen size sinks and 2 electrical outets (this was actually a nice change from washing dishes on the ground). People charged their phones at the outlets. The bad news is that the flush toilets and showers are all the way back at the loop area of the regular campground 700m away. This is really very far to walk for a shower, too far for little kids. It is also difficult to drive there since there is no where to park near the showers. This was the biggest downside of walk in-sites. If your kids were older, you could bring bikes to get too from the showers.
Regular Camp Sites – from what we could see, the regular sites at campground A were also very close together. Unlike Alice Lake campground up the road, there is very little privacy between sites and they are crammed together. But of course they are a lot larger. The sites away from the loop (campground B) are more private and closer to the nicer beaches but then you have the problem of being far from showers and sinks.
If we came back, we would probably stay in the regular sites (more space, closer to the washroom, serviced with power) and bring bikes to ride down to the beach and green space near the walk in sites (which is nicer).
Here is some info that might be helpful if you are considering staying here:
Setting – the ocean side setting is amazing. Beautiful views and sunsets. Water is pretty calm and clean. It was swimmable for some but too cold for us (in August). Great place for inflatable boats, kayaks and SUPs. It was not easy to find crabs or creatures if your kids like that stuff. Yes, the train runs right by the campground but only 2 short trains came by during our 1 day stay. I found the noise from the highway more persistent but it was neither was that big a deal to us.
Walk-in Site Area – these are at the very far end of the campground on a peninsula. The beach in front of the walk-in sites is the best spot in the entire cove. During low tide, it is pretty wide and the beach is made of smaller rocks and gravel. The other beaches in front of the regular campsites (which is the other ~80% of the shoreline) is very rocky (i.e. rocks the size of melons all over). There is a look out trail as well as a wide open lawn for playing sports. The lawn is also water front and a really nice setting. Half of the walk-in sites face the beach and water, the other half face this open green space. This area overall is the nicest part of the campground by far.
Walk-In Sites – You park your car in a small lot about 100m from the sites. They have 1 wagon and 3 wheelbarrows you can use to help carry your stuff from the car to the sites (very handy). The sites are very small. Each site only has 1 bench, no picnic table or fire pit. Definitely bring chairs and a folding table if you can. The sites facing the water will feel smaller because you have no space to spill out from your site. The ones facing the green space have a little more room around to spill out (within reason). Most sites have very little privacy. Our site, W11, was only separated from W10 by a bench. I was literally setting up our tent 2 feet from where the other camper was sitting in his chair. After the initial shock, it ends up being fine since you can set up the tent as a bit of a barrier between sites and you get used to it. There were 2 common fire pits with benches but both of these were commandeered by neighboring campsites as their own area (i.e. they leave their chairs, supplies, etc. all around it). Unless you are at the sites noted below, you may not be able to access the common fire pits without asking the entrenched people to move over (awkward). Here is some info on the walk-in sites:
W2, W5, W7 – waterfront, very small but a bit more private
W10, W11, W12, W14 – water front, very small, no privacy from sites beside you. W14 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
W16 – private, easiest access to the beach, has room to spill out
W1, W3, W4, W6, W8, W13, W15 – all have the entry trail on one side and open green space on the other. There is more space between sites but less privacy from all around. Small but have room to spill out. W1 is very close to the covered picnic tables are so it’s easy to set up there for meals. W13 could grab the common fire pit as their own.
Washrooms, etc – there are 2 outhouses about 40m and 80m from the sites heading towards the lot. There is also a covered picnic area with picnic tables, and a wide counter with 2 kitchen size sinks and 2 electrical outets (this was actually a nice change from washing dishes on the ground). People charged their phones at the outlets. The bad news is that the flush toilets and showers are all the way back at the loop area of the regular campground 700m away. This is really very far to walk for a shower, too far for little kids. It is also difficult to drive there since there is no where to park near the showers. This was the biggest downside of walk in-sites. If your kids were older, you could bring bikes to get too from the showers.
Regular Camp Sites – from what we could see, the regular sites at campground A were also very close together. Unlike Alice Lake campground up the road, there is very little privacy between sites and they are crammed together. But of course they are a lot larger. The sites away from the loop (campground B) are more private and closer to the nicer beaches but then you have the problem of being far from showers and sinks.
If we came back, we would probably stay in the regular sites (more space, closer to the washroom, serviced with power) and bring bikes to ride down to the beach and green space near the walk in sites (which is nicer).
Written 21 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zooeywright
Vancouver Island, Canada5 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
Porteau Cove has been one of my favourite spots for many years. However, in the past three years, the park has gone downhill.
The rangers are rude. Their unhappiness is palpable and they take it out on their visitors. I've had negative experiences with them both during day visits and camping trips.
One staff member went out of his way to treat my family like a nuisance- informing us at 10:01pm that our voices could not be above a whisper- and don't even get me started on my dog. My dog was never off leash but somehow I felt like I was being stalked by a female ranger who was waiting for me to slip up.
Oh, and don't try to drive in the campground even if you're staying there. You'll be harassed for even slightly deviating from the exact Center of the road. We felt like we were under a microscope for our entire trip and eventually left a day early because of it. We won't be back and I'll be sure to pass on the word to everybody I know.
I sincerely hope that parks does something about the staff and management at Porteau Cove. They are single handedly destroying the visitor experience when they could easily be friendly and educate the public.
The rangers are rude. Their unhappiness is palpable and they take it out on their visitors. I've had negative experiences with them both during day visits and camping trips.
One staff member went out of his way to treat my family like a nuisance- informing us at 10:01pm that our voices could not be above a whisper- and don't even get me started on my dog. My dog was never off leash but somehow I felt like I was being stalked by a female ranger who was waiting for me to slip up.
Oh, and don't try to drive in the campground even if you're staying there. You'll be harassed for even slightly deviating from the exact Center of the road. We felt like we were under a microscope for our entire trip and eventually left a day early because of it. We won't be back and I'll be sure to pass on the word to everybody I know.
I sincerely hope that parks does something about the staff and management at Porteau Cove. They are single handedly destroying the visitor experience when they could easily be friendly and educate the public.
Written 29 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darren K
Richmond, Canada1 contribution
Mar 2015 • Family
We stayed at the park march 26th 2015 , we have stayed at this park for 7 years in a row during spring break as it is full after april 1 due to reservation system . We always bring the same group . This year however they have new staff looking after the park and are quite rude and abrupt , and will make this known as soon as you arrive by reading the riot act about rules and guidelines . we received many complaints for our whole group :
and here are some examples
one friend was tossing a football with his young son and had his radio on at 1 pm and they came and told him to turn it off
they told us to turn our led lights off on our trailers
they complained about the firewood we where using , too many sparks (it was pouring rain
they also where listening to conversations in the womens bathroom
they removed my friends permit and evicted them without warning .
When a couple friends where told to leave in the morning we asked why we did not get a warning they told us they just where not re issueing their permit , so we left as well .
Really too bad if you would like to have a family gathering as our group is not "ROWDY"
and cause trouble for other campers , we in fact asked all other people camping there and none could hear us or found anything wrong with our group
and here are some examples
one friend was tossing a football with his young son and had his radio on at 1 pm and they came and told him to turn it off
they told us to turn our led lights off on our trailers
they complained about the firewood we where using , too many sparks (it was pouring rain
they also where listening to conversations in the womens bathroom
they removed my friends permit and evicted them without warning .
When a couple friends where told to leave in the morning we asked why we did not get a warning they told us they just where not re issueing their permit , so we left as well .
Really too bad if you would like to have a family gathering as our group is not "ROWDY"
and cause trouble for other campers , we in fact asked all other people camping there and none could hear us or found anything wrong with our group
Written 30 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iheartbcgirl
vancouver, B.C.3 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
This park is beautiful but we won't be going back until the staff changes. The park rangers behaviour was rude, condescending, and totally unprofessional. They treated us like children, we constantly felt like we were being watched. I drove away that day feeling sick to my stomach by the way we were treated.
I have grown up camping in BC provincial parks my whole life. Most, if not all rangers that I have dealt with in the past have been friendly, easy going and very professional. Every encounter with the ranger could have gone a very different way if they were doing their jobs correctly. All it takes is
to be polite, friendly and respectful.
We came to Porteau Cove to spend an afternoon with friends, enjoy the beach and then go home. There is honestly something wrong with this ranger, and I would be extremely embarrassed having someone like that be an ambassador to the park.
I have grown up camping in BC provincial parks my whole life. Most, if not all rangers that I have dealt with in the past have been friendly, easy going and very professional. Every encounter with the ranger could have gone a very different way if they were doing their jobs correctly. All it takes is
to be polite, friendly and respectful.
We came to Porteau Cove to spend an afternoon with friends, enjoy the beach and then go home. There is honestly something wrong with this ranger, and I would be extremely embarrassed having someone like that be an ambassador to the park.
Written 4 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gg032017
Maple Ridge, Canada1 contribution
Aug 2017 • Family
I would like to start by saying we are frequent users of this park for a umber of years and have noticed a steady decrease in the attitude of the staff. One can not help but think this starts with the long term employees and management that feel a sense of ownership over the Park. The new staff each year start off friendly but over the months you see a more militant attitude and are greeted with "a colleague of mine noticed this infraction and then handed a Written Warning". I understand that they have a difficult job at times, but greeting the the guests with a smile or hello is not asking to much. Instead you are handed a list of items which will get you evicted. Guests should be treated with respect and if they are doing something which is outside of the rules they should be reminded of the park requirements and written warnings and threat of eviction should only be used as a last resort for repeat offenders not as the first interaction, with a guest, these are teachable moments. This is an educational opportunity and a service you should provide to your paying customers. Written warnings a threat of eviction for 72 hours is the very first interaction these days. I'm very concerned that this is how we as well as visiting tourists from other countries are now being treated at this Park. We use other Provincial Parks and have never been treated in this manner.
Written 13 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
essence71
Maple Ridge, Canada1 contribution
Mar 2017 • Family
We have camped at this piece of heaven for the past 10 years. The last two years have been terrible. The park operators are rude and go out of their way to look for problems from families that are quiet and considerate. The rules are not enforced equally and you feel like you are camping on egg shells and constantly worried you are doing something wrong. The washroom staff cleaning the bathroom (at 11 am... when people are trying to shower and get on with their day) told my daughters they had to leave and were not polite at all. We expect better service and respect from our provincial park operators. We saw a ridiculous amount of staff... this is a 44 site campground... not necessary. Sadly, we will NOT be going back! If you have dogs, don't bother going... not worth it, just more grounds for the staff to be all over you. Our dog slipped off his collar and we got a written warning! The staff waited outside my shower room for me to give me a lecture and the ticket. I wonder if the Park Operators have some sort of ticket quota? Anyways, definitely visit the area if you can, but unless you like being watched constantly, stay away from the campsite....
Written 21 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rusticguy
Oliver, Canada1 contribution
May 2016 • Couples
Have been to this campsite in the past and have had a great time, but this time it was another story. Just goes to show you what an influence the staff can make. Was a recent victim of a violent crime, and was really looking forward to some quality time with my wife and two exemplary dogs. Was harassed right away about the dogs, to the point of being evicted, without compensation. The staff went out of there way to harass us, even though they had no complaints, obviously the place is over staffed, if they have time to create problems with the guests, without provocation. If you have dogs, do not go to this place!
Written 14 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wisetraveller52
Vancouver, Canada3 contributions
July 2017 • Family
We have been going here for 25 years and we are supporters of BC Parks but the staff here have been awful for the past 2 years. We camped there this week end and were bullied and picked on for various reasons. We are a respectful considerate lot but were treated like criminals. We had visitors with us from the USA and Ontario and took them here to show off our beautiful province but it turned out to be a nightmare. This was a total embarrassment. Although we had booked to leave on Monday we vacated on Sunday. It left a bad taste in our mouth and unfortunately we will not be returning to this beautiful spot.
Written 8 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will be camping there next weekend in tents. Wondering what the electrical hook up looks like? Are there normal household outlets so we can charge batteries snd phones? Or just the 30 amp trailer connection.
Written 5 June 2023
Assuming they are all the same they have both outlets! We were tenting but able to use our household cords to charge our phones :)
Written 6 June 2023
Is it your average boat launch that I could back my truck and boat to the water? or is it that crane thing at the end of the pier, meant for raising and lowering bigger boats?
Written 9 July 2020
@moiraw365
White Rock, Canada
Read some unhappy reviews about park staff from 2016 and 2017. How was 2018? How noisy are the trains at night for camping? Are there many a day? TIA.
Written 13 March 2019
Availleble for RV to??
Written 10 October 2018
So sorry for the delay in my reply. Yes, we camp there all the time with friends that have an RV. There are a couple of sites that are smaller and can not accommodate an RV over 18”, though, so when I book, I make sure to select the right equipment. Good luck!
Written 5 December 2018
Next Month me and my girlfriend Will visit the park after midnight to see the stars and If we have Lucky the Aurora. Have some parking Lot this time ? Thanks!
Written 29 September 2018
Can someone please tell me what time you can check-in to your campsite. Thank you
Written 16 September 2018
Interestingly, after checking out their website...I was unable to locate the check-in time.
Please check out the following: bcparks/fees/
For campers with reservations, check-in time is between 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Procedures for obtaining a reserved campsite are posted on information board at the entrance to the park/campground, or are available at the gatehouse.
Check-out time is 11 a.m. (for all campers).
Hope you have brought along some warm clothes. We are having a very unseasonably cool late summer. Our indigenous summer has yet to kick in and temperatures are hovering lower than normal. Fleece and rain gear are a must.
Happy travels, you will love this area, other than the train traffic. Hope you have time to check out the Chief, Squamish, Whistler and all the outdoor activities that make our province so delightful. Super Natural BC!
Written 16 September 2018
You can walk around the site no problem, you just won't be allowed to take your car in unless you are staying or visiting a campsite. Head right to the back, there is a small inlet with a great lookout.
Written 10 July 2017
Yes. There is a socket for large RVs and trailers for each site. Except the walk-in, no-vehicles sites.
Written 10 August 2017
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