Coopers Green Park in Halfmoon Bay combines views across the Strait of Georgia with a large grassy, tree-lined area along the waterfront. A beach, boat launch, and volleyball court give the park different focal points, while forest trails and winter activities in other parts of the Sunshine Coast offer further options for planning your trip.
Waterfront and Culture in Halfmoon Bay
Coopers Green Park has a beach and a public boat launch for recreational boats. A barbecue area and washrooms are also available. In summer, you can play beach volleyball on a sandy court; the park is also a popular place for diving. The combination of waterfront space, beach, and boat launch makes the park appealing for a range of activities on the water. Beach volleyball is specifically a summer activity. Since operating conditions for the boat launch can change, it’s worth checking the latest updates before planning a visit.
The park also has a cultural naming story: in Shashishalhem, Coopers Green Park is called tituls. The shishalh Elders Language Group chose the name to refer to the large rocks in the park’s beach and water area. The name tituls thus points to a specific feature of the waterfront landscape.
Trails and Parks
Connor Park and Welcome Woods have extensive cycling and hiking trails that pass through Halfmoon Bay. Connor Park also has a large grass playing field, a baseball field, a playground, and a bike skills area. The local Sprockids organization maintains this area. This means you can consider longer trails and a park area specifically focused on cycling skills as different options for planning your leisure time.
Cliff Gilker Park is in Roberts Creek. There, seven kilometres of forest trails pass creeks and numerous waterfalls, with wooden bridges crossing the creeks. There is also a 30-metre wheelchair-accessible trail with a viewing platform. Park amenities include a sports field, a playground, a baseball field, covered and uncovered picnic areas, and washrooms. Bridge closures can affect access, so check the latest official updates before your visit.
Nearby, a trail runs through Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. It is four kilometres long, with an eight-kilometre round trip. The wide, forested trail passes through second-growth forest; interpretive signs explain the area’s logging history. The round-trip distance provides a clear guide to the trail length without implying a hiking time.
Winter Trails and Access
Dakota Ridge in Roberts Creek is a winter recreation area on a 1,532-acre plateau. There are 20 kilometres of trails for classic and skate cross-country skiing. For snowshoeing, four kilometres of groomed trails are distinct from three kilometres of wilderness trails; there is also a tobogganing area. You can take the designated trail types and distances into account when choosing your winter activities.
Getting to Dakota Ridge is also part of the planning: the area is accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles equipped with snow chains. Since winter road conditions can change, check the latest conditions before setting out. For other hiking plans, the current endpoint of the Suncoaster Trail is also relevant: it is at the intersection of Highway 101 and Homesite Creek Forest Service Road in Halfmoon Bay. If you’re planning to use this point for a specific hike, check the endpoint again in advance.
Explore more destinations: Gibsons, Sechelt, Roberts Creek, Garden Bay, Halfmoon Bay, Madeira Park, Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital Regional District.
See the broader travel overview: British Columbia.
