Transportation options to Alert Bay and on Cormorant Island itself are limited but reliable.
Arrive with a car via regularly scheduled ferry service, or travel as a foot passenger. Major sights can be reached with a relatively easy walk from the terminal. There are some big uphill climbs on the island, however, and some accommodations are removed from the village centre. A vehicle is handy for seniors, family groups, overnight visitors, and those wanting to explore the island.
Car Travel
Car travellers from the BC mainland and the US are advised to make BC Ferries reservations for the Horseshoe Bay terminal (just north of Vancouver) to Nanaimo. From there, it's approximately a four hour drive to Port McNeill via Highway 19. This is a multi-track, modern highway until Campbell River, at which point it narrows to two lanes for the last two hours of the trip. Traffic is minimal and the remote, uninhabited terrain is beautifully scenic. Car rentals are not available in Alert Bay, but can be found at the airport in Port Hardy.
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BC Ferries
The Quadra Queen II ferry begins and ends its 16-hour days in Alert Bay. It can carry 30 vehicles and upwards of 290 passengers. Six, 35-minute sailings leave and return to the island daily via Port McNeill. The ferry also makes routine trips from Port McNeill to Sointula on Malcolm Island, so be sure to double-check a schedule (which can be a little tricky to read). All sailings are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Return trip fares are purchased at the Port McNeill ticket booth.
Boating
For visitors with personal watercraft, moorage is available at Alert Bay Boat Harbour next to the ferry terminal and at the nearby government wharf. The harbour is sheltered by a breakwater, to the southwest of which are good spots to anchor.
Public Transportation
Greyhound Bus Canada arrives and departs from Port McNeill once per day at the Dalewood Inn on Broughton Blvd near the ferry dock.
Air Travel
Pacific Coastal Airlines flies into Port Hardy, a half-hour north of Port McNeill, from Vancouver International Airport's (YVR) south terminal. From the Seattle area, summer flights are routinely scheduled into Port McNeill by Kenmore Air and Northwest Seaplanes. Small private planes can land on Cormorant Island's paved 915m/3,000ft runway.
Local maps are available at the Alert Bay Visitor Centre.
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Transportation Service Providers