Port Hardy is Vancouver Island's gateway to Prince Rupert, Northern British Columbia and Alaska.
It is located along three distinct driving routes, and is the final stop on Highway 19, which from Campbell River onwards is designated on highway signage as the "North Island Route."
Highway 19's well-maintained ribbon of tarmac is largely empty of other vehicles, opportunities to pass slow-moving lumber trucks are plentiful, and the natural vistas of mountain and forest provide a spectacular backdrop. Keep an eye on the gas gauge, and be sure to fill-up in Sayward, Wosk, or Port McNeill on the trip north.
Drive time from Victoria at the island's south end is approximately seven hours via the Trans Canada Highway and Highway 19 (which begins in Nanaimo, some 391km/243mi or 5.5 hours south of Port Hardy). Scenic routes off the highway lead to the neighboring communities of Port Alice and Coal Harbour. Cape Scott Provincial Park at the island's northern extreme is reached via forestry roads an hour west of Port Hardy. Car rentals are available in Port Hardy.
Public Transportation
Mount Waddington Transit operates an inexpensive mini-bus service that links Port Hardy and the Fort Rupert/Storey's Beach area with Port McNeill and other regional stops. Greyhound Canada provides regular service to southern Vancouver Island: Catch the bus at North Island Transport (7120 Market Street downtown) or wave it down on the highway. North Coast Trail Shuttle takes hikers in a 10-passenger van to the starting point for the Cape Scott North Coast Trail.
Ferry Service
Port Hardy is the arrival/departure point for the Northern Discovery, a new BC Ferries vessel that crosses the Queen Charlotte Strait enroute to Prince Rupert on the Northern British Columbia mainland. The famously scenic 15-hour crossing of the Inside Passage departs every other day from June to September, and on a weekend schedule the rest of the year.
Prince Rupert is the starting point for the Alaska Marine Highway System, which hugs the coastline north to such American ports as Juneau and Skagway. Rather than catching the Alaska ferries from Bellingham, Washington, many drivers chose to explore Vancouver Island, then take the Port Hardy ferry and either sail north to Alaska from Prince Rupert, or carry onwards via automobile on BC highways 16 and 37.
Water Taxis
Hikers destined for Cape Scott can travel by water thanks to boats operated by Cape Scott Water Taxi and Catala Charters. Guided tours and daytrips to various scenic spots along the coastline are designed for optimal wildlife viewing.
Air Travel
Pacific Coastal Airlines maintains scheduled service from the modern terminal at Port Hardy Airport to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Bella Bella on Campbell Island, and Klemtu, the Northern British Columbia gateway to Princess Royal Island and the Great Bear Rainforest. The seaplane base in Hardy Bay is an arrival point for a variety of floatplanes, including those operated by Kenmore Air and NW Seaplanes out of the Seattle area.
For more information on transportation options in Port Hardy and the surrounding area, drop by the Visitor Centre.
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