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North Van Guide is an independent guide to North Vancouver, the rest of Vancouver's North Shore and the day trips from it. We compile it from official sources and measure the runs, trails and drives from open map data.

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49°19′ N 123°05′ W · Lonsdale Quay

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North Van Guide

Explore Snow Trails Eat & drink Stay Makers Journal

Howe Sound

49°28′ N 123°22′ WSea to Sky1 sight2 hikes1 town2 eat & drink1 stay2 day trips

Photo by Alex Tran on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery

1 in Howe Sound

Sights

Low sun outlines the old ferry pier at Porteau Cove against the dark ridges of Howe Sound.

Benches line the old ferry pier at Porteau Cove Provincial Park under a grey sky over Howe Sound.

Porteau Cove Provincial Park

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District

Provincial park

2 in Howe Sound

Hikes

Snowy North Shore peaks rise beyond Howe Sound in the view from Mount Gardner's north summit on Bowen Island.

The Mount Gardner trail runs along a dry ridge through open conifer forest on Bowen Island.

Mount Gardner

Bowen Island Municipality

17 km

Sunset turns the snowy twin summits of the Lions copper above the forested ridges of the North Shore.

Fresh snow covers the twin granite peaks of the Lions above a dark band of North Shore forest.

The Lions

Village of Lions Bay

1 in Howe Sound

Towns and neighbourhoods

A sandy spit on Bowen Island looks across calm water to the mountains of Howe Sound.

Sailboats and cruisers fill the Union Steamship marina in Snug Cove below the hills of Bowen Island.

Snug Cove

Bowen Island Municipality

VillageHowe Sound

2 in Howe Sound

Places to eat and drink

A sandy spit on Bowen Island looks across calm water to the mountains of Howe Sound.

Photo of Snug Cove

Doc Morgan's

Snug Cove · Bowen Island Municipality

Restaurant

The Bowen Island ferry leaves Snug Cove past the marina docks with the Howe Sound mountains across the water.

Photo of Snug Cove

The Snug Café

Snug Cove · Bowen Island Municipality

Cafe$$

1 in Howe Sound

Places to stay

Sailboats and cruisers fill the Union Steamship marina in Snug Cove below the hills of Bowen Island.

The green Union Steamship Company Marina building faces a lawn on the Snug Cove boardwalk on Bowen Island.

Union Steamship Marina Resort

Snug Cove · Bowen Island Municipality

Resort$270

2 in Howe Sound

Day trips

Waves break white around the rocks below the Cape Roger Curtis lighthouse on Bowen Island at sunset.

The forested shore of Bowen Island runs out into the blue water of Howe Sound below the Coast Mountains.

Bowen Island

Snug Cove · Bowen Island Municipality

Car 46 minLast home 11:30 pm

The moon rises over Howe Sound and the snowy Coast Mountains seen from Gibsons in December.

Houseboats line the government pier at Gibsons Landing with the town climbing the hill behind.

Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast

Town of Gibsons

Car 1 h 12 minLast home 9:35 pm

9 places on the map

Find your way around Howe Sound

Two fingers to move the map · tap a point to open it

In the journal and guides

Read more about Howe Sound

Do you need winter tires to drive to Whistler?
Yes, from 1 October to 31 March on Highway 99 between Horseshoe Bay and Pemberton. Cypress Bowl Road in West Vancouver keeps the rule a month longer, to 30 April.