North Twin Island campground
49°21′ N 122°54′ WCampsiteFree
North Twin Island campground in Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park suits paddlers on their first night of kayak camping, with 20 free wooden tent pads 5.5 km up Indian Arm from Deep Cove. Its catch is that you carry every drop of drinking water and take your chance on a first come, first served pad, and in winter BC Parks doesn't patrol or service the park regularly.
Photo Harold Cecchetti · Flickr · CC BY-SA 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
- Meals
- None
- Rooms
- 20
- Best for
- Kayak campers, a first overnight paddle
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North Twin Island campground
The campground sits on North Twin Island, which BC Parks also calls Big Twin, inside Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the Province manage the park together under a 1998 agreement, and BC Parks translates the name as Serpent's Land. On the Twin Islands, camping is limited to the north island, which has 20 elevated wooden tent pads and a dock with day moorage for boats under 5.5 metres. South Twin Island and Raccoon Island are closed to camping.
BC Parks measures the trip from Deep Cove, where Deep Cove Kayak rents boats for overnight trips from 2156 Banbury Road. Its rentals open in April and turn weather-dependent after Thanksgiving, and from 5 October 2026 every rental needs full immersion gear under the shop's cold water policy. Read a tide chart before you go. BC Parks advises riding the rising tide north and the falling tide back toward Burrard Inlet, and says mornings tend to be calmest, with inflow winds on sunny days.
Bring all your drinking water, since BC Parks lists no fresh water on either Twin Island. The island has two urine-diversion toilets and no bear caches or fire rings, and campfires are banned in the park at all times, so cook on a stove. Bears and raccoons are common, and BC Parks asks campers to hang food and garbage out of reach. The sandy lagoon between the islands dries only at low tide.
Highlights
- Twenty elevated wooden tent pads sit on North Twin Island, 5.5 km from Deep Cove by water.
- A dock with day moorage takes boats under 5.5 metres long.
The essentials
- Prices
- BC Parks lists no camping fee in Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park. Its fee page charges visitors from outside BC a $20 non-resident fee on first come, first served camping for stays from 15 May 2026, and the park page names no such fee for Indian Arm.
- Meals
- None. Bring all your food, a stove and your drinking water.
- Amenities
- Tent padsDockDay moorageToilets
- Best for
- Kayak campersA first overnight paddle
Worth knowing
- Paddle north on a rising tide and come home on a falling one, as BC Parks advises for Indian Arm.
- BC's Wildlife Act makes it an offence to feed bears, so hang every scrap of food and garbage or pack it in a container a bear can't open.
- Report an aggressive bear to the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277, the number WildSafeBC gives.
- Keep dogs leashed and off the beaches, which BC Parks requires in Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park.
Quick answers about North Twin Island campground
Do you need a reservation for North Twin Island campground?
No. BC Parks runs the 20 tent pads on North Twin Island in Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park first come, first served, and the park takes no reservations.
How far is North Twin Island from Deep Cove?
BC Parks puts Twin Islands about 5.5 km from Deep Cove by water. The farther camps at Bishop Creek and Granite Falls take four to six hours to reach by kayak or canoe.
Is there drinking water at North Twin Island campground?
No. BC Parks lists no fresh water on North or South Twin Island, so bring all the water you need.
Does camping on North Twin Island cost anything?
No. BC Parks says there are no fees for camping in Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park, which takes in North Twin Island.
Are meals included at North Twin Island campground?
North Twin Island campground: None. Bring all your food, a stove and your drinking water.
What does North Twin Island campground have?
North Twin Island campground lists tent pads, dock, day moorage, toilets.
Who is North Twin Island campground good for?
North Twin Island campground suits kayak campers, a first overnight paddle.
Within 12 km
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