Port McNeill
North Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Port McNeill, BC, Vancouver Island

Port McNeill is a small village on the shores of the Queen Charlotte Strait situated on the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Because of the close proximity to popular boating and kayaking ocean routes the community is often referred to as "The Gateway to the Broughton Archipelago".

Not only is the community of Port McNeill close to the hundreds of islands in the Broughton Archipelago it is also home to the BC Ferries. The ferries transport vehicles and people from Port McNeill on Vancouver Island to Sointula on Malcolm Island and Alert Bay on Cormorant Island - both make up the Northern Gulf Islands.

Port McNeill is the second largest community on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The community is a major port for boats and yachts traveling the Inside Passage. The village includes a marina which services motor boats, sail boats, fishing vessels, crabbing boats and yachts. The harbour community has a 6000 foot dock for moorage and 3500 feet of it is reserved for visitor berthage. There are showers, a laundromat and power located at the marina. The marina is also the same site as the BC Ferry Terminal.

In the town centre of Port McNeill there are services important to travelers like accommodations, campgrounds, gift shops, restaurants, grocery store, art galleries, pubs, gas stations and a local strip mall. There are more services, amenities, tours and guides in some of the smaller surrounding villages around Port McNeill like Telegraph Cove , Woss, Zeballos and Port Alice.

Port McNeill, BC is an adventure destination for land lovers also. In the community there are summer tours and guides operating for fishing, kayaking, scuba diving, sailing, bird watching, backpacking, hiking and whale watching.

In the region around Port McNeill there are many hiking and backpacking trails and parks. Many of the parks include hiking, backpacking and sandy beaches. The Cape Scott Provincial Park and the Raft Cove Provincial Park are two of the parks in the region which are worth exploring.

In the winter seasons visitors and locals visit Mount Cain for downhill skiing, snowmobiling and snowboarding. In every season there is the "Worlds Largest Burl" on display for viewing in the community. It is 22 tons and was discovered in 1976 as part of a Sitka Spruce tree estimated to be over 350 years old!

How to Get to Port McNeill

Travel north 502 km (312 mi) from Victoria on Highway #1. From Victoria drive to Campbell River BC. From Campbell River continue driving on Hwy #1 to Port McNeill. Port McNeill is located only 50 km (31 mi) south of Port Hardy.