qaaha (Willis Island) Campground

Overview

About qaaha (Willis Island) Campground

Why stop

Beach and forest setting on a boat-only island.

Heads up

Closed to all public use until further notice.

Map

Where it is

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Full map

Campgroundqaaha (Willis Island) Campground48.91685, -125.34126

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Check access first

qaaha (Willis Island) is a boat-only island with a backcountry tent-camping area in the Broken Group Islands. Parks Canada currently closes the island to landing, day use and camping until further notice. A November 2024 windstorm toppled trees and severely damaged the camp’s composting toilet. Don’t plan to land here unless the closure has been lifted.

7 active Pacific Rim alerts

Closureqaaha (Willis Island) closedMentions Willis Island, referenced in this guideqaaha (Willis Island) in the Broken Group Islands is closed to public use until further notice; do not enter. - The closure is for National Park Reserve management and cultural purposes.Official details
CautionWolf warning in Long Beach UnitA wolf warning remains active in the Long Beach Unit; leave pets at home because dogs attract wolves. Check current trail conditions before travelling.Official details

See all 7 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

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Guide

More about qaaha (Willis Island) Campground

The former camp areaBefore the closure, paddlers used the wooded island as an overnight stop.

Before the closure, paddlers used the wooded island as an overnight stop. The tenting ground was uneven, and much of the beach around a point disappeared at high tide. A paddling account placed the camp about a 20-minute paddle west of Dodd Island; treat that as an older estimate, not a route plan.

Getting to the Broken GroupThe islands are reachable only by boat.

The islands are reachable only by boat. Winds, fog, tides and currents make this a demanding backcountry trip, and Parks Canada expects paddlers to navigate by chart and compass and be able to manage rescues. If camping is allowed again, the wider Broken Group requires a valid backcountry permit and closes to overnight camping each year from October 1 through April 30. Freshwater is unreliable across Barkley Sound, so paddlers need to carry their drinking water.

Name and careParks Canada uses qaaha alongside Willis Island.

Parks Canada uses qaaha alongside Willis Island. The Broken Group Islands include places of spiritual and cultural significance to Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations; leave cultural materials where they are.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Pacific Rim

All Pacific Rim wildlife maps

11 sightingsOrcaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map

16 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

174 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

16 sightingsSea OtterMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

134 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

18 sightingsCalifornia Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Pacific Rim. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.