"The rocky beach is amazingly secluded, and beautiful to swim in." Elizabeth N, Eagle View (#3), Jul '21
Swimming off our beach is wonderful! You'll usually have the beach to yourself because we are roughly halfway between the two nearest public beach access points. The Lambert Channel is sheltered by island coastlines and the ocean is often as placid as a lake. A shallow rock shelf goes out a long way, helping the water warm up nicely in summer, and it's safe! No stinging jellyfish, water snakes or great white sharks, but you might see otters, seals, orcas, dolphins, porpoises, grey whales, humpbacks, eagles, herons, and lots of fish.
The ocean off our beach is great for swimming...
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and floating...
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...and fooling around!
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Taking the Rowboat Out for an Evening Swim
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Snorkeling reveals a surprising and amazing undersea world around these island shores! Forget Costa Rica! Jacque Cousteau, the famous French underwater explorer, described the crystal clear waters surrrounding Denman and Hornby as the second best diving in the world. (I suppose we'll have to settle for second best!)
A good place to start from is the Bill Mee Park boat launch. If you swim south along the shore it gets progressively rockier and the undersea life becomes more abundant and interesting as you go.
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Public Beach Access Points | 2 Swimming Lakes
↕ Whilst the above map is perfect for the swimming locations, the Denman Conservancy Association Protected Lands map is much more detailed and up-to-date.
Public Beaches
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The three most popular swimming locations on the east side of the island are Fillongley Park, McFarlane Beach, Bill Mee Park and Graham Lake.
Fillongley has a long sandy beach adjacent to a salmon creek and forest with remnants of old growth trees; it's a favourite place to walk for locals and visitors. Parking is at the bottom of Beadnell Road, next to a small campground and the cleanest portaloos to be found in BC! |
Find out more ►
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McFarlane Beach is right at the junction of McFarlane and East, with some parking by the side of the road. A long pebble beach with conglomerate rock formations worn into weird shapes by the sea provide diving platforms and deep-enough pools to dive into. Great for snorkeling!
Bill Mee Park has a public boat launch ramp next to the beach. More interesting rock formations to explore here and excellent snorkeling.
Bill Mee Park has a public boat launch ramp next to the beach. More interesting rock formations to explore here and excellent snorkeling.
Graham Lake
↕ (Photos. by Sheryll F. Aug '22)
Graham Lake is only a short walk or bike ride from Manna House (or 2 minutes in the car). Turn right onto East Road, first right on "Owl" and take the right fork up "Mallard", to the entrance to the Lindsey Dickson Nature Reserve. The path to the lake takes you through some fascinating forest with old growth remnants (truly massive trees) until you reach a fairly steep path down to the dock from which you can dive into the refreshing water.
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The lake is always warmer than the ocean and waves are rare. It's a chance to get your laps in, or just float and watch the clouds. It's surrounded by forest and can be a profoundly peaceful and relaxing place to spend time (unless a group of kids shows up and that can be fun too!) Watch for beavers, whose dams created the lake, swimming off in the distance.
Chickadee Lake
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↕ (Photos. by Beth McCracken, Aug '22)
This ecologically sensitive and complex area within Denman Island Provincial Park is well worth exploring, but we are here for the swimming! It's just as nice and warm as Graham Lake. However, rather than sharing a dock with other visitors, here you can find a secluded stretch of shoreline to claim as your own, and swim from your private picnic spot.
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I recommend taking the 'back roads' for the most direct and interesting drive, via Pickles and Central to Lake Road. There's an information board and parking for a few vehicles, indicating access to the lake, which is barely a five minute walk.
(Photo. by Sheryll F. Aug '22) ↕
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