Indian Arm is a glacial fjord located in British Columbia, stretching approximately 20 KM north from the Burrard Inlet. You will find several small islands in these waters, such as Racoon Island, Jug Island, and of course, Twin Islands.
As the name suggests, there are two islands – one small island with some prime camping spots, and a tiny islet that are connected and you can cross back and forth during low tide. Overnight camping is permitted on the North island only operating on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a dock on the Eastern side of the island where you can disembark and as you walk across the bridge onto the island, you will find some storage for your kayak/paddleboard.
To your right, there are about 10 wooden tent pads located in a large area that is sheltered by trees. If you keep walking through this area, there are several other spots located along the perimeter of the island which provide what I can only imagine is an amazing view of the water. These spots were all taken, but luckily we got a tent pad because as the day went on, more and more people came so space quickly filled up meaning some people were not able to stay overnight. There are two outhouses but there is no running water so ensure you take enough to last.
There are two options when kayaking to Twin Islands, leave from Deep Cove or Cates Park:
Distance from Deep Cove: 5.5 KM
Paddling time one way: 1 – 1.5 hours
Cost of renting: $129 (single kayak) or $179 (double kayak)
Distance from Cates Park: 8 KM
Paddling time one way: 1.5 – 2.5 hours
Cost of renting: $99 (single kayak) or $135 (double kayak)
We did this very last minute on a weekend in early June so all rentals from Deep Cove were booked out, meaning we had to make the extra distance and leave from Cates Park. Both options are extremely accessible via public transit from Vancouver. You can get the 210 from downtown to Phibbs Exchange and the 212 takes you right to Cates Park, taking around an hour in total. The rental place opens at 9:00 AM so we made sure to be there as it opened to try and guarantee we would secure a camping spot on the island.
It took us longer than I thought it would to reach the islands, but the way back was much quicker due to the tide. We were advised to cross the channel to approach Racoon Island and continue to the east side of Twin Islands to access the dock. We saw lots of seals popping up out of the water, as well as starfish, eagles, and even a black bear!!
We spent most of our day on the South island since our campsite was sheltered by trees, and it was here that I noticed something wandering around the trees on the mainland. We watched a black bear picking berries off the trees for ages – having had very few bear sightings in BC this was incredible to witness! Unfortunately, as we were distracted by the bear, we missed a pod of orcas that apparently swam past on the other side of the island.
There is also a small lighthouse located at the northern tip of the North island that has an epic vista of Indian Arm. Since our campsite didn’t have a view, we spent the evening here. This is a really unique way to spend your weekend and I would definitely do it again!
Tips / Advice
There is NO potable water so bring enough to last
Get there as early as possible to secure your spot
Pack in, pack out
Kayaks can fit a lot more stuff than I thought they could
There were a LOT of mosquitoes that appeared after sunset
Fires are not permitted
You can continue on past Twin Islands to Granite Falls (18 KM total from Deep Cove) if you’re looking for more of a challenge!