tsawwassen and
point roberts
Lily Point Marine Reserve, Point Roberts
Tsawwassen Bluff—encompassing the communities of Tsawwassen (part of Delta, British Columbia) and Point Roberts, Washington (an exclave of the United States)—was once an island and indeed feels like one. This area is the ancestral home to the Tsawwassen First Nation and it is culturally and historically tied to the San Juan and Gulf islands.
Tsawwassen is reached by BC Highway 17, which connects the busy BC 99 corridor (that links Vancouver to the United States) with a major BC Ferries terminal servicing Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The community borders Boundary Bay, one of the best bird-watching locales in the Pacific Northwest. An excellent park and trail system allows exploration of this ecosystem.
Point Roberts (or Point Bob in local parlance) occupies the southern tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula. In 1846, when American and British diplomats met back east to settle on the 49th parallel as the boundary between the United States and Canada, Point Roberts found itself south of the border. Once the British boundary commission became aware of this situation, it made an offer to the American commission to adjust the boundary, so that dangling Point Roberts would remain in Canada. But, for whatever reason, nothing changed, and the United States wound up with an exclave, the westernmost part of Whatcom County, reachable by land only through British Columbia.
Only about 1300 people call Point Roberts home, but the numbers (mostly Canadian) swell during the summer months. About twenty thousand people live in Tsawwassen, where you’ll find a full array of lodging and eating establishments. Thanks to the rainshadow effect, the sun often shines here. In fact, Tsawwassen is the sunniest spot in the larger Vancouver metropolitan area, receiving only a third of Vancouver’s annual precipitation. Camping is available seasonally in Port Roberts at Lighthouse Marine Park (30 sites).
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Monument Park |
| RATING/ DIFFICULTY |
ROUNDTRIP | ELEV GAIN/HIGH POINT |
| **/2 | 1.6 miles (2.6 km) | 160 feet (49 m)/160 feet (49 m) |
Map: USGS Point Roberts; Contact: Whatcom County Parks and Recreation, Monument Park; Notes: Dogs permitted on-leash; GPS: N 49 00.125, W 123 05.343
Marvel at an imposing obelisk perched on a bluff, then descend through a lush ravine to a secluded beach on the international boundary. Stroll along the shoreline, admiring perched eagles in big overhanging limbs and watching BC ferries sailing back and forth across the Strait of Georgia.
From Blaine, enter Canada at the Peace Arch crossing and follow BC Highway 99 north for 17 miles (27 km) to BC 17. (From Vancouver, follow BC 99 south to BC 17.) Continue on BC 17 toward the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and turn left onto 56th Street after 4.9 miles (7.9 km). Follow it south for 3 miles (4.8 km) to the Point Roberts border crossing. Proceed south on Tyee Drive for 0.2 mile (0.3 km); turn right onto McKenzie Way. After 0.2 mile (0.3 km), turn right onto Delano Way. Proceed 0.2 mile (0.3 km) and turn left onto Roosevelt Road. Drive 0.7 mile (1.1 km) to Monument Park and the trailhead.
The international boundary marker on the beach at Monument Park
Pay homage to Johnny Cash and walk the line (in this case the international boundary) on this hike. But before you do, admire the large monument marking the international boundary and commemorating the commission responsible for establishing the 49th parallel as the border. Erected in 1861 while the United States was at war with itself, and six years before the Dominion of Canada was established, this stone monument was the first to be placed along the border.
Now hit the trail, which was upgraded in 2008 from a slick, steep path to a nicely designed switchbacking track. Drop into a deep ravine cloaked with big maples, cedars, and firs. At 0.3 mile (0.5 km), emerge on a beautiful stretch of beach with views of the Tsawwassen BC Ferries terminal and the Gulf Islands across the Strait of Georgia.
Just to the north, locate a rather unattractive cement border marker: Monument no. 0, since number 1 was taken. Customs won’t take kindly to you continuing beyond this monument, so head south along the beach instead. You can easily hike about 0.5 mile (0.8 km) before a big log pileup stymies your way. There are shoreline houses beyond anyhow, making this a good turnaround spot.
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Lighthouse Marine Park |
| RATING/ DIFFICULTY |
ROUNDTRIP | ELEV GAIN/HIGH POINT |
| **/1 | 0.8 mile (1.3 km) |
None/Sea level |
Map: USGS Point Roberts; Contact: Whatcom County Parks and Recreation, Lighthouse Marine Park; Notes: Dogs permitted on-leash; GPS: N 48 58.402, W 123 05.066
Children in particular will delight in exploring along this short hike long on maritime views and marine wildlife. From May to September, Lighthouse Marine Park is one of the best places in these parts to see a pod of orca whales.
From Blaine, enter Canada at the Peace Arch crossing and follow BC Highway 99 north for 17 miles (27 km) to BC 17. (From Vancouver, follow BC 99 south to BC 17.) Continue on BC 17 toward the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and turn left onto 56th Street after 4.9 miles (7.9 km). Follow it south for 3 miles (4.8 km) to the Point Roberts border crossing. Then proceed south on Tyee Drive 1.3 miles (2.1 km), bearing right onto Marina Drive. Drive 1.1 miles (1.8 km) to Lighthouse Marine Park and the trailhead. Privy available.
Lighthouse Marine Park’s inviting beach
The park is small at 21 acres (8.5 ha), and the trail is a short 0.4 mile (0.6 km), but you can easily spend all day here at the southwestern tip of Point Roberts. Walk a wide trail along the driftwood-littered beach, soaking up scenery and sunshine. You’ll be disappointed if you’ve come to see a lighthouse, however. There is none—it was never built. Instead, there’s an uninspiring navigational beacon.
Enjoy good views south of Saturna, Orcas, and Lummi islands and east of Mount Baker hovering above the Salish Sea. Pass the beacon and skirt the campground before reaching the trail’s end at Marina Drive. Find a spot to set your scope up for whale-watching, while letting the youngsters splash about. Consider spending the night at this popular park, but note that you'll need to make a reservation.
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Lily Point |
| RATING/ DIFFICULTY |
ROUNDTRIP | ELEV GAIN/HIGH POINT |
| ***/2 | 1.6 miles (2.6 km) | 220 feet (67 m)/220 feet (67 m) |
Map: USGS Point Roberts; Contact: Whatcom County Parks and Recreation, Lily Point Marine Park; Notes: Dogs permitted on-leash. Check tide charts before hiking beach; GPS: N 48 58.862, W 123 01.664
Encompassing 247 acres (100 ha) of mature forest, extensive tidal flats, and impressive 200-foot-tall (80-m) bluffs, Lily Point is the crown jewel of Point Roberts. Take in expansive views from blufftop vantages before reaching a wild and secluded beach at the foot of those lofty bluffs.
From Blaine, enter Canada at the Peace Arch crossing and follow BC Highway 99 north for 17 miles (27 km) to BC 17. (From Vancouver, follow BC 99 south to BC 17.) Continue on BC 17 toward the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and turn left onto 56th Street after 4.9 miles (7.9 km). Follow it south for 3 miles (4.8 km) to the Point Roberts border crossing. Then proceed south on Tyee Drive for 1.3 miles (2.1 km) and turn left onto APA Road. Drive 1.8 miles (2.9 km) to the road end and trailhead (elev. 220 ft/67 m). Privy available.
Lily Point Marine Reserve is now the largest natural tract on Point Roberts, but it wasn’t always so. From 1884 to 1917 the Alaska Packers Association (APA) operated a large salmon cannery here. All that remains are barnacled pilings and scattered rusting debris. The area could have become vacation homes, but in 2008 the county acquired it thanks to the tireless efforts of the Nature Conservancy, Whatcom Land Trust, various state agencies, and many concerned locals. The park’s trail system received a major overhaul in 2012, with tread rehabilitation, signage, and the closure of habitat-damaging user-built trails (respect closures).
An eagle rests in Boundary Bay under the watchful eye of Mount Baker.
From the trailhead, head east and soon come to a junction. The path forward leads 300 feet (90 m) to an incredible blufftop view of Lily Point (worth the side trip). Here you can gaze across Boundary Bay to the Cheam Range, Mount Baker, and a slew of North Cascades peaks. Look for eagles (they’re ubiquitous here) perched in large maples and firs. Near the viewpoint, a 0.6-mile (1-km) trail travels through big cedars and firs to Cedar Point Avenue. Consider it for more exercise.
For Lily Point, head right on a wide and smooth trail, passing a connector trail and coming to junction at 0.3 mile (0.5 km). The trail right loops back along the park’s western border, returning to the trailhead in 0.6 mile (1 km). It makes for a longer return after visiting the point. The trail straight ahead is another worthy side trip: it leads 300 feet (90 m) to a blufftop view south to Lummi, Orcas, and Saturna islands. Lily Point is to the left on excellent trail that switchbacks on a sane grade down into a moist ravine shaded by giant maples. Gone is the dangerous steep, slick path to the beach.
At 0.7 mile (1.1 km), reach a grassy flat and a trail split. Either direction will bring you more or less 0.1 mile (0.15 km) to Lily Point’s shoreline, with the rows of pilings to the right. Plop your bum on a driftwood log and embrace the views!
You have other options too: Hike 0.5 mile (0.8 km) west on the beach to the park’s western boundary. Or hike north 0.8 mile (1.3 km) along the beach to the park’s northern boundary, passing tidal flats, a nice swimming area (with some of the warmest saltwater in Washington), and more impressive bluffs.
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Boundary Bay Regional Park |
| RATING/ DIFFICULTY |
LOOP | ELEV GAIN/HIGH POINT |
| ***/1 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Minimal/10 feet (3 m) |
Map: NTS 092G03 Lulu Island; Contact: Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, West Area Office, Boundary Bay Regional Park; Notes: Partly wheelchair-accessible. The 12th Avenue Dyke Trail is open to bicycles. Dogs permitted on-leash; GPS: N 49 00.956, W 123 02.479
Walk along Boundary Bay’s glistening mudflats and extensive intertidal marshes, beholding birds—hundreds of thousands of them! A Canadian IBA (important bird area; www.ibacanada.org), Boundary Bay is one of the best places in the Salish Sea for observing migratory and residential birds. The beaches on this hike and views of North Shore peaks (north of Vancouver) and the North Cascades aren’t too bad either.
A pair of hikers watch for birds from the boardwalk at Boundary Bay Regional Park.
From Blaine, enter Canada at the Peace Arch crossing and follow BC 99 north for 17 miles (27 km) to BC 17. (From Vancouver, follow BC 99 south to BC 17.) Continue on BC 17 toward the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and left onto 56th Street after 4.9 miles (7.9 km). Follow it south for 1.2 miles (1.9 km) and turn left onto 12th Avenue. After 0.5 mile (0.8 km), turn right onto Boundary Bay Road and reach the Boundary Bay Park entrance in 1 mile (1.6 km). Turn left and drive 0.5 mile (0.8 km) to a large parking area and trailhead. Privy available.
A popular hiking destination just north of the 49th parallel, Boundary Bay Regional Park offers a handful of delightful family-friendly trails. From the trailhead at Centennial Beach (a popular sunning and wading area in summer), head north on the 12th Avenue Dyke Trail. After bypassing (or taking) the short Dune Trail, reach a junction with the Raptor Trail at 0.2 mile (0.3 km). You’ll be returning on it, so keep right.
At 0.4 mile (0.6 km), come to a bird-observation deck at a junction with a boardwalk path that leads south through marsh to the Raptor Trail. From the deck, scan the marsh for songbirds. Then resume hiking on the Dyke Trail, savoring the sights and sounds of Boundary Bay. This area is one of the most important stops along the Pacific Flyway winter migration route, and thousands of sandpipers, dunlins, and plovers pass through here. Look too for snowy owls, short-eared owls, widgeons, teals, brants, snow geese, bald eagles, grebes, and herons.
At 1 mile (1.6 km), reach a junction with the Raptor Trail at an observation deck overlooking the Beach Grove Lagoon and Spit. The Dyke Trail continues west 0.2 mile (0.3 km) to the 12th Avenue trailhead (parking available). Head south on the Raptor Trail, traversing marsh and grasslands. Look for raptors fond of this habitat for its feast of rodents, amphibians, and small birds.
At 1.7 miles (2.7 km), reach a junction. Left leads via boardwalk back to the big observation deck. Right leads 0.3 mile (0.5 km) back to the parking lot via the Savannah Trail. Head that way. Or opt for straight, which will soon reach the familiar 12th Avenue Dyke Trail and then the trailhead.
For an all-day adventure, start at the 12th Avenue Dyke trailhead on 12th Avenue and walk the Beach Grove Road 0.7 mile (1.1 km) to the Dyke Trail. You can take this trail for 9.6 miles (15.5 km)—all the way to Mud Bay Park in Surrey. The entire way is along Boundary Bay, passing through agricultural lands, wildlife management areas, and parks. The birding and views of the San Juan Islands are outstanding. You can also access this trail from parking areas off of 72nd Street and 104th Street for shorter wanderings. Note that there is no parking at the trail’s southern start on 17A Avenue and Beach Grove Road.
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George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary |
| RATING/ DIFFICULTY |
LOOP | ELEV GAIN/HIGH POINT |
| ***/1 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | minimal/10 feet (3 m) |
Map: NTS 092G03 Lulu Island; Contact: British Columbia Waterfowl Society; Notes: Open 9:00 AM–4:00 PM daily. Admission fee. Dogs prohibited; GPS: N 49 05.887, W 123 10.715
Located on Westham Island in the Fraser River delta, the nearly 850-acre (344-ha) George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is one of the best bird-watching spots in British Columbia. Each year millions of migratory birds pass through this lowland of tidal flats, sloughs, marshes, and riverbanks. Lesser snow geese and snowy owls are common sights during winter months, while a handful of sandhill cranes are year-round residents. Be sure to pack your binoculars and bird guide.
From Blaine, enter Canada at the Peace Arch crossing and follow BC Highway 99 north for 17 miles (27 km) to BC 17. (From Vancouver, follow BC 99 south to BC 17.) Continue on BC 17 south for 1.4 miles (2.3 km) and turn right onto Ladner Trunk Road. Drive 0.9 mile (1.4 km) to 47A Avenue and then 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to River Road. Continue for 2.3 miles (3.7 km) and turn right onto Westham Island Road. After 2.2 miles (3.5 km), turn right onto Robertson Road and proceed 0.4 mile (0.6 km) to Refuge Road. Turn left and drive 0.6 mile (1 km) to the refuge center and trailhead. Privy available.
Pay your fee at the entrance station and then begin your aviary adventure. The Reifel Sanctuary is pretty compact, but it’s not a place to hurry through. Take your time stopping at the bird blinds and the observation deck. You can easily spend all day here.
The land here, like much of Westham Island, was actively farmed throughout the last century. But since the establishment of the sanctuary and the adjacent Alaksen National Wildlife Area in the 1970s, the Canadian Wildlife Service, British Columbia Waterfowl Society, and others have restored some of the lands to their prefarming state. Several of the old dykes remain in place, acting as trails in this saturated landscape.
Start your hike near House Pond, with its warming hut and interpretive signs. Then travel the periphery of the sanctuary, hiking through thick hedgerows and along wildlife-rich sloughs. More than 280 bird species have been recorded here, but you may think that just mallards make up the resident list—they’re prolific. Keep looking—there are eagles, mergansers, teals, canvasbacks, owls, hawks, and, in winter, snow geese—thousands of them. Your chances of seeing sandhill cranes are excellent.
Sandhill cranes greet a hiker at the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary.
As the periphery trail bends westward, peer across the South Fork Fraser River to Stevenson on Lulu Island. Keep walking westward coming to an observation tower that’s 32 feet (10 m) tall. The view from it across the sanctuary, with its myriad of fields, ponds, and sloughs, is not to be missed. The views of Mount Baker, the San Juan and Gulf islands, and Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia aren’t too bad either.
Continue hiking along the periphery, bending south along the saltflats. All kinds of birds lurk out there among the reeds. Pass more fields and ponds and eventually turn back toward your start, traversing the Southwest Marsh. Return to your start, content with your 1.5-mile (2.4-km) hike and observations—or hike some more, checking out the paths that weave through the inner fields and sloughs. There are more than 4 miles’ (7 km) worth to explore.