Snug Cove
49°23′ N 123°20′ WVillageHowe Sound
Snug Cove suits walkers and families who want a slow island day in Howe Sound, because the BC Ferries boat from Horseshoe Bay docks in the village after a 20-minute crossing. Beds are scarce, and the Union Steamship Marina Resort rents five heritage units beside the ferry.
Trail closure
Maple Trail in Crippen Regional Park stays closed while a medical centre goes up
Metro Vancouver keeps Maple Trail in Crippen Regional Park on Bowen Island closed while builders put up a new medical centre on Miller Road, and it still listed the closure on 17 October 2026. It gives no start or end date. Walk the Alder Grove Trail instead.
Checked 2026-10-17 · metrovancouver.org
Photo Kiwibirdman · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Town · No. 017 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Walk on if you can, since the Bowen route takes no bookings.
Who should base here
Stay in Snug Cove for a night of island quiet after the last day visitors sail home, and walk to the morning ferry back to Horseshoe Bay. It suits couples and families who cook for themselves, because the Union Steamship cottages come with full kitchens.
Eat in Snug Cove
The Snug CaféCafe
The Snug Café serves breakfast, coffee and lunch a few steps from the ferry dock at 445 Bowen Island Trunk Road. It opens from 5:45 am to 4 pm on weekdays and from 7 am at weekends and on holidays.
Doc Morgan'sRestaurant
The Union Steamship marina's restaurant and pub at 439 Bowen Island Trunk Road opens daily from noon to 8 pm. Order the fish and chips or the oysters, and sit on a patio over Snug Cove.
Barcelona Tapas & Wine BarRestaurant
Barcelona makes its Spanish tapas from scratch at 449 Bowen Trunk Road and runs a Paella Sunday. It closes from 1 to 25 November 2026, and its posted dinner hours run from 5 pm to 8:30 pm, Thursday to Monday. Reserve by phone or email.
Drink in Snug Cove
The family-owned pub stands at the Four Corners 300 metres up from the ferry and opens daily at 11:30 am. It closes at 11 pm on Friday and Saturday and at 10 pm the rest of the week. Benny brunch runs at weekends and happy hour on Friday from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Things to do in Snug Cove
Metro Vancouver's park runs from Snug Cove to Killarney Lake. The lake loop is about 4 km, and the climb to Dorman Point is short and steep. Dogs stay on a leash on every trail except the leash-optional area near Killarney Meadows.
Bowen Island Municipality acknowledges that the island lies on the traditional, unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), whose people have cared for its lands and waters. Snug Cove is the village where the ferry lands, and you can walk from the ramp to the shops, cafés, trails and beaches. The Bowen Island Pub has stood at the Four Corners 300 metres up the hill since 1987, and it is still where the island meets.
The Snug Café opens in a small blue wooden building by the ferry at 5:45 am on weekdays, and its eggs Benny cost $22. Doc Morgan's on the Union Steamship marina cooks fish and chips and oysters from noon to 8 pm every day, and its patios over the harbour are heated in the cooler months. Barcelona Tapas & Wine Bar in the old Bow Mart makes its own bread and sausages. It closes from 1 to 25 November 2026, and its posted hours run 5 pm to 8:30 pm from Thursday to Monday.
Crippen Regional Park reaches right down to Snug Cove. Metro Vancouver puts the Killarney Lake loop at about 4 km, and the walk there and back from the ferry adds about 5 km. Dorman Point climbs about 130 m in 1.25 km to a view over the water. From 3 November to 31 December the park opens from 7 am to 6 pm.
Worth knowing
- Walk on when you can, since the Bowen route takes no reservations and Tourism Bowen Island tells drivers to arrive 45 minutes before a sailing.
- Horseshoe Bay's ferry terminal is under construction until 2030, so leave extra time getting to the boat.
- BC Ferries is rebuilding parts of the Snug Cove vehicle ramp overnight from 29 October 2026 to 1 March 2027. Crews work Monday to Friday from 11:30 pm to 5 am and stop from 19 December to 3 January, and BC Ferries plans no effect on sailings.
- Metro Vancouver's rules keep dogs leashed on Crippen Regional Park's trails, and the one leash-optional area is near Killarney Meadows.
Quick answers about Snug Cove
How long is the ferry to Bowen Island?
The BC Ferries crossing from Horseshoe Bay to Snug Cove on Bowen Island takes 20 minutes. Tickets are sold at Horseshoe Bay as returns, and the route takes no reservations.
Can you visit Bowen Island without a car?
Yes. West Vancouver Blue Bus routes 250 and 257 run from downtown Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, and the ferry lands in Snug Cove, where the cafés and the Crippen Regional Park trails are a walk away.
Where can you stay in Snug Cove?
The Union Steamship Marina Resort rents five heritage cottages and suites beside the Snug Cove ferry, and its 2026/27 winter rates start at $270 a night before tax. The Bowen Island Lodge takes group bookings only.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby
Within 12 km
