Denman Island Things To Do
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Denman Island and Hornby Island offer excellent hiking trails, campgrounds, kayaking routes, saltwater swimming spots, salmon fishing, birding, and wildlife viewing opportunities. A large population of Denman Island residents are artists or artisans, who display and sell work in local galleries and at arts-oriented events throughout the year. As well, Denman Island Community Hall is used as a musical and theatrical venue year round.
Hiking & CampingThe best hiking trails on both Denman and Hornby Islands are located in provincial parks. Boyle Point Provincial Park, on Denman, features a 7km/4.3mi forested hike to a viewpoint overlooking Baynes Sound. The easy, 2km/1.2mi walk through old-growth forest in Fillongley Provincial Park (also on Denman) leads to a beach. Helliwell Provincial Park, on Hornby, has an easy, 5km/3.1m hike that passes through old-growth forest before rounding a cliff at the ocean's edge. The 3.5km/2.2mi High Salal Trail begins in Helliwell Provincial Park, crosses a bluff overlooking Tribune Bay, and ends in Tribune Bay Provincial Park. The hike to the summit of Mt. Geoffrey on the west side of Hornby is a challenging 330m/1,083ft trek.
The picturesque campgrounds on both Denman and Hornby are very popular, so be sure to book well in advance. The 10 drive-in sites in Fillongley Provincial Park on Denman Island have panoramic views of Hornby Island and the mainland mountains. There are more than 100 campsites in Hornby Island's two campgrounds. The larger of the two is located at the edge of Tribune Bay Provincial Park, while the other overlooks the ocean on the northwest side of the island. Cycling & Mountain BikingCycling is an excellent way to explore both islands. Roads are smooth and quiet, for the most part, and Hornby Island has several multi-use trails suitable for mountain biking. Rentals and guided tours are also available.
Arts, Culture & History Many artists and artisans live on Denman Island. Locally produced art and crafts are also widely available in shops and galleries, and many artists open their studios to the public for at least some part of the year. Arts festivals and events of various kinds are also held throughout the year. Two of the most established events are the Denman Island Pottery Tour, and the Denman Island Home and Garden Tour.
In summer, visit the Denman Island Art Gallery to view various mediums works by local artists. Another summer-only attraction, Elderfield Old-Time Farm on Hornby Island, offers open-air exhibits and demonstrations on rural life by personnel in pioneer-era costumes.
Entertainment Denman Island's Community Hall mounts various productions, including jazz and classical music concerts, operas, and plays. In early August, the Hornby Festival presents 12 - 16 concerts in various venues, some of them in scenic, outdoor locations.
Provincial Parks There are five provincial parks on Denman and Hornby Islands, suitable for walking/hiking and picnicking excursions. Other popular park activities include birding at Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park, and Boyle Point Provincial Park, camping at Fillongley Provincial Park, diving at Helliwell Provincial Park, and swimming at Tribune Bay Provincial Park - the warmest saltwater swimming destination in British Columbia.
Natural sights in the area include the spring wildflowers in Fillongley Provincial Park, Boyle Point Provincial Park and Tribune Bay Provincial Park (late April/early May); the fall leaves in Fillongley Provincial Park; the view of Baynes Sound from Boyle Point Provincial Park; and the view of the Strait of Georgia and Coast Mountains from the bluffs in Helliwell Provincial Park. Helliwell is also an amazing place to see massive, old-growth Douglas firs and rare, native Garry Oaks.
Wildlife Viewing In March, local waters teem with spawning herring and the creatures that feed on them, such as sea lions. This is the largest and most consistent herring spawn in BC. Denman Island is home to thriving populations of deer, pheasants, Great Blue Herons, hawks and Bald Eagles. Hornby Island is one of only a few places in the world where six-gill sharks venture close enough to the surface to be observed on a dive. A primitive, deep-sea species, they spend most of the year at inaccessible depths.
Swimming & Beaches There are many, beautiful sand and pebble beaches on Denman and Hornby Islands. Denman's top spots for sunning and saltwater swimming are Fillongley Provincial Park and Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park. The warm, aquamarine water and long stretches of white, sandy beach in Tribune Bay Provincial Park on Hornby Island have earned it the nickname "Little Hawaii." It is, in fact, BC's warmest saltwater swimming spot.
Kayaking Kayaking is popular on both islands. Denman Island's three most popular destinations are Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park in the north, and Boyle Point Provincial Park and tiny Chrome Island in the south. Great kayaking trips on Hornby Island include Whaling Station Bay to Helliwell Bluffs, and Ford Cove north to Shingle Spit, or south to Norman Point.
Diving Hornby Island is a diving hot spot, with Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eels, Harbour Seals, Lingcod, Rockfish, anemones and nudibranches inhabiting the area year round. Migrating herring draw Stellar and California Sea Lions to the area in winter, and between May and September, six-gill sharks, normally found thousands of metres (feet) below the surface, enter shallow water at Flora Islet. Hornby is one of only a few locations in the world where these sharks can be observed on a dive.
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