Sunset at Beaver Point. Photo: Stephen Hui.
If you've taken the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry, there's a good chance you've laid eyes on Beaver Point.
This promontory juts into Swanson Channel from the southeast side of Salt Spring Island.
(While I'm using the local spelling, it's worth noting the official toponym is Saltspring Island, according to the B.C. Geographical Names Office.)
The rocky shore of Beaver Point is best experienced whilst camping in Ruckle Provincial Park.
Walk-in campsites on Swanson Channel. Photo: Stephen Hui.
There are 78 walk-in/bike-in campsites, eight vehicle-accessible campsites, and three group campsites. Last month, I made my third visit to the busy park, and set up camp on a reserved tent pad.
Sunset and sunrise walks along the trails to and from Beaver Point led to quiet benches, Gulf Islands vistas, mule deer encounters, exfoliating arbutus trees, B.C. Ferries sightings, and messy campsites with beer cans and garbage left out overnight.
Hiking the trail along the shore northwest of Beaver Point as far as Bear Point, Coppermine Point, King's Cove, or Yeo Point is even more rewarding.
Dusk at Beaver Point. Photo: Stephen Hui.
Established in 1974, Ruckle Provincial Park is located at the end of Beaver Point Road, not far — by car, anyway — from the Fulford Harbour ferry dock.
The park lies in the traditional territories of the Malahat, Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tsawwassen, and Tseycum First Nations, as well as the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group (Cowichan Tribes and Chemainus, Halalt, Lake Cowichan, Lyackson, and Penelakut First Nations).
It's still home to a working farm run by the Ruckle family, which sold the land to the B.C. government in the 1970s.
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