West Coast · Clayoquot
Epper Passage Park
About this Park
Epper Passage Park lies on route to popular kayak camping areas within Clayoquot Sound, including Flores Island and Vargas Island. Located between Meares and Vargas Islands, the park encompasses Dunlap and Morfee Islands.
This park offers a variety of water-based wilderness recreation opportunities, including scuba diving, boating, kayaking, fishing and wildlife viewing.
The rocky terrain makes access to the upland portion of the park difficult, making it unsuitable for wilderness camping. Ecological Reserve status is being considered for these small islands, whose surrounding waters are rich in marine life, including the rare massive purple ascidians (sea squirts).
Accessible by boat only, travel to the park offers excellent views of the pristine wilderness that is Clayoquot Sound. Paddlers should use caution when traveling in Epper Passage, as the area is often busy with commercial boat traffic and dense fog can enclose the area quite quickly during the summer months.
On a clear day, exploring the waters surrounding these small unique islands provides plenty of rewarding opportunities for nature enthusiasts, photographers and adventurers.
Location notes
Epper Passage is located in Clayoquot Sound, north of Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. This park includes Dunlap and Morfee Islands between Meares and Vargas Islands. The park is accessible by boat. Boaters can reference marine chart #3673 for more information about this area. Nearby communities include: Tofino, Ucluelet, Ahousat, Flores Island, Meares Island.
Activities
- 9499:Swimming There is no designated swimming area at this park, however opportunities exist for ocean swimming.
- 9499:Fishing The waters of Clayoquot Sound may contain a variety of fish species, including salmon, rockfish, halibut and lingcod. Rockfish Conservation Areas occur within this park. Fishing activities are limited in Rockfish Conservation Areas. Before you go fishing please refer to the Rockfish Conservation Area descriptions available from Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO.
- 9499:Scuba diving Epper Passage is a popular scuba diving location as high subtidal values make for great underwater viewing opportunities. Commercial recreational diving companies in Tofino and Ucluelet offers tours to Clayoquot Sound.
- 9499:Hunting The discharge and carrying of firearms is permitted in this park for the purposes of hunting during open season. Please consult the BC Government Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis for more information. Contact BC Parks at parkinfo@gov.bc.ca with any specific questions.
- 9499:Kayaking Epper Passage lies on route to popular kayak and camping areas within Clayoquot Sound, including Flores Island and Vargas Island. Paddlers can travel from Tofino through Maurus Channel to reach Epper Passage. Be aware of high speed commercial boat traffic in Epper Passage. Use caution, as dense fog is common during the summer months in this area. A kayak launch is located at First Street Dock in Tofino.
Facilities
- 9499:Campfires While fires are allowed, we encourage visitors to conserve the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using stoves instead. If you must use a campfire, please practice “Leave No Trace” camping ethics.
Location
49.22038, -125.95079 · Clayoquot