Gibsons Heritage Playhouse
Photo courtesy of PhotographyTips.com

A Brief Tour of Gibsons

We'll start our tour from the south end of the Coast. From the Langdale ferry terminal, either head straight up the hill on the bypass road (not recommended if you're doing the tourist thing) or turn left onto Marine Drive to take the scenic old road along the shore. This will take you past the Salvation Army's Camp Sunrise and through the little communities of Granthams Landing and Hopkins Landing. The quaint tang of an old fishing village survives along this stretch, with old millworkers' bungalows, summer cottages and decaying commercial buildings dating to WWI.

Look for the entrance to Soames Hill Regional Park about 2km past the ferry terminal. A short, steep hike up Knob Hill (253 metres elevation) grants you a fine view of Keats Island, Gibsons Harbour and Georgia Strait. Soames Point beach at the foot of the Knob is one of the best wind-surfing areas in all of BC.

KEATS & GAMBIER ISLANDS:
For an interesting sidetrack, catch the Dogwood Princess, a passenger-only ferry travelling daily from the Langdale terminal to Gambier Island or Keats Island, and spend the day exploring one of these perfect spots. Gambier is the larger of the two islands, offshore from Port Mellon to the north of Langdale. Gambier is home to many talented artists and a general store that's been around longer than most of the residents. It was settled in the latter half of the 1800's (before Gibsons Landing was) but it enjoys its relatively unchanged status as a small, quiet community. Keats Island is just a jump from the Town of Gibsons - many Keats residents commute daily in rowboats, kayaks or more conventional small motorized vessels.

GIBSONS LANDING:
Molly's Lane, Gibsons Landing
The ever-enchanting Molly's Lane, just behind
Gower Point Road

Then it's on into Gibsons itself. The lower part of town is called (not surprisingly) Lower Gibsons or by its original name of Gibsons Landing. Here you'll find a plethora of shops, galleries, restaurants and amenities. If you need a place to stay for the night, see the bed and breakfast listings for the Gibsons area. If you're looking for a campsite, see details on the provincial parks page.

Gibsons (like the rest of the Sunshine Coast) is famous for its artists, crafters and otherwise talented folk. Many of these artists open their home studios to the public. There are also a number of public galleries and storefronts to visit, including the Gibsons Public Art Gallery. Of special interest is the newly-opened Artists Co-op Gallery on Marine Drive, a venue for displaying local artists work. Spend a day taking a self-guided studio tour to see this creative talent in action. Visit bigpacific's gallery page for more links to art and culture.

NAUTICAL STUFF:
Gibsons is also a very boaty place. From barnacle-encrusted fishing trawlers to the sleekest of cruising yachts, you'll find them tied up sooner or later at one of Gibsons wharves. The busy government docks are right in downtown Gibsons, and the Gibsons Marina is just along the shoreline. Both are in active use by working and pleasure craft all along the Coast. The nautically obsessed will be content for hours checking out the rigging and chatting with the captains. Kids enjoy fishing off the docks and discovering the colourful starfish and anemones growing up the pilings. On the right day, you can find a great deal on some freshly-caught prawns or halibut, sold right off the boat that caught them. If you're into fishing yourself, pick up a license and board one of our great charter boats and spend the day hunting for the ever-elusive "big one".

MOLLY'S LANE & MUSEUMS:
Also in Molly's Lane are a number of delightful retail shops offering imported treasures from afar or hand-crafted local goods. For a rainy day diversion (yes, it does rain occasionally, even here on the Sunshine Coast) the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives is a fabulous window into the Coast's early pioneer history. It's just a kitty-corner block away from the marina. Or visit Stonehurst, a heritage home built by Dr. Fred Inglis, the first doctor in Gibsons. It's at the bottom of School Road hill. The Inglis Trail, with a plaque commemorating the doctor, winds up the hill to connect with Shaw Road and Highway 101.

Gibsons Public Art Gallery
272 Gower Point Rd.

PO Box 1576
Gibsons V0N 1V0
Tel 604.886.0531
www.gibsonspublicartgallery.ca

This Public, volunteer-run Gallery exists because of member support and small grants.

We do not charge admission to this Public Gallery.

Our mandate is Art Exhibitions: Ten last year, attracting 6000 visitors. Eight Exhibitions

planned for 2005, including a one-man show by Ed Hill, a blown Glassworks Exhibition

by Myuki Shinkai, and a Clayworks Show celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the

formation of the BC Potters Guild...

BEACHES & THE SHORELINE:
Armours Beach, right in downtown Gibsons, is a main site for the Gibsons Annual Sea Cavalcade. It also offers swimming floats, a small wharf, a picnic area, a clubhouse and some of the best windsurfing in the province.

From Lower Gibsons, wind your way around Gower Point, a lovely drive or bike ride following the shoreline and a favourite spot for watching the sunset. There are great stretches of beach here, and some fine old homes, once summer houses for vacationing Vancouverites. Chaster Park is a small provincial park located at the mouth of Chaster Creek, featuring a cairn in honour of Captain Vancouver who visited the area in 1792. The landscaped, grassy park is a lovely picnic site. Chaster House, a renovated heritage home on the beachfront, is available for rent for special events.

Gower Point Road meets Ocean Beach Esplanade and continues along the coast into the prestigious Bonniebrook area. The stretch of shoreline here is one of the nicest on the Coast - look for Secret Beach at the end of Mahan Road. Take a stroll, go for a swim, explore the tidal pools or watch the sun go down.

UPPER GIBSONS:
Once you reach the end of the Bonniebrook area, it's a bit of a trick to find your way back up to Highway 101. Wind through the suburban area, heading uphill on King or Pratt Road. When you get to the top of the hill, you'll find yourself in Upper Gibsons, the town's commercial and industrial centre. Great bargain shopping and fast food thrive in this stretch. Upper Gibsons also boasts a recreation centre with a curling rink and a swimming complex with an indoor pool, wading pool and swirl pool. Let the kids and dogs romp at Brothers Park, with playing fields, two ball diamonds, tennis courts and a skateboarding area. Or for rainy day fun, try the Gibsons Lanes bowling alley or the Gibsons Cinema (call 604-886-6615 for current show information).

GOSPEL ROCK:
One of the nicest little sidetracks anywhere is Gospel Rock, tucked away at the end of Chaster Road (turn down Pratt Road toward the water, then turn left on Chaster). Drive as far as you can on the paved road, then keep going along a short gravel stretch. This takes you to the top of Gower Point with a panoramic lookout view that's breathtaking. On a clear day, you can see the ethereal Mount Baker in Washington State, the Lions mountain peaks in North Vancouver, the islands dotting Howe Sound and the hills of Vancouver Island.

WATERWAYS:
Of course, the best way to really appreciate the Sunshine Coast is to travel by water. The inlets and islands around Gibsons and on up into Howe Sound are perfect for kayaking, sailing or pleasure cruising. Kayak rentals are available, or if you own your own boat, there are many marinas and marine parks in the area - tie up for a night or a month to enjoy the waterways of the Coast.

MOUNT ELPHINSTONE:
Heading (mostly west) out of Gibsons towards Roberts Creek, you'll see Mount Elphinstone rising to your right above the northeast end of Gibsons. It's a beautiful natural forest area with a whole network of terrific hiking and biking routes - from quiet, easy strolls to steep, advanced treks. The Gibsons Landing Heritage Society has been diligent in upgrading and marking many of the old logging roads and building new trails through the forest. Maps are essential in this area, as some of the logging roads are still in active use. Check out the excellent guide Sunshine and Salt Air for details for hiking and biking in this area. Or see the detailed maps and route descriptions on bigpacific's biking page.

The Elphinstone forest is known for its diversity of mushroom species and other flowering plants that contain no chlorophyll: the gnome plant, coral root orchid and pinesap. Early summer is the best time to seek these rarities; many other mushroom varieties appear in the fall. The Elphinstone Living Forest is a local group dedicated to having the park declared a protected area. They have published an excellent guide to the trails in the forest - check out their site for more.

PORT MELLON:
From the Langdale ferry terminal, you can also travel north towards Port Mellon (locally known as Dogpatch). You'll pass Camp Elphinstone, a group camping facility on the waterfront available for rental. They offer wharf and boating equipment, a multi-purpose hall, an outdoor swimming pool, facilities for a variety of outdoor athletic activities and a 24-unit computer lab. Hutchinson Creek flows through the site. At Williamsons Landing there are a number of summer homes and year-round dwellings with great beaches.

Continue on to the end of the road to Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Mill at Port Mellon. It's the longest-running pulp and paper mill in BC, established in 1908. Now a fully modern, computerized mill, it employs a good percentage of area residents. The mill is open for public tours - call 604-884-2575, fax 604-884-2181.

ROBERTS CREEK

This brief tour is just to whet your appetite for more. For details, maps, brochures or more information:

Check out the book Sunshine and Salt Air: The Sunshine Coast Visitor's Guide, an indispensable guide to recreation on the Sunshine Coast.
Explore the Sunshine Coast Regional District's list of 101 Things To Do on the Sunshine Coast.
See the suggestions for rainy day activities.
See the new webpage for the Sunshine Coast Tourism Association.
Visit one of the Info Centres:

SUNSHINE COAST TRAVEL INFO CENTRES:
Gibsons ~ 886-2325
Sechelt ~ 885-1036
Pender Harbour ~ 883-2561

Enjoy your visit to the Sunshine Coast, and tell them bigpacific.com sent you!

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ADVERTISE ON THIS SITE

A Brief Tour of Gibsons

ABOUT GIBSONS

COMMUNITY INFO

WHERE TO STAY

WHAT TO DO

DINING

ABOUT THE COAST

TRAVEL EXTRAS

CONVENTIONS/ GROUP TRAVEL

CONTACT US

SEARCH/HELP

ADVERTISE ON THIS SITE

A Brief Tour of Gibsons

CONVENTIONS/
GROUP TRAVEL