Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park is a small, car-free island just off downtown Nanaimo, reached by a short passenger ferry from Maffeo Sutton Park.
Once you step off the boat, you leave city streets behind and step into an easygoing mix of shoreline, forest, and history that feels a world away from the harbour. With no cars, bears, or cougars, the island has a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere that works well for a quick visit or a full day of exploring.
The island holds deep cultural importance to the Snuneymuxw First Nation and has also been shaped by coal mining, sandstone quarries, and early resort life. Today you can wander quiet trails, visit a small campground close to the dock, rent bikes or kayaks, and learn more through interpretive signs and guided walks led by Snuneymuxw guides.
Tide pools, sandstone ledges, quiet coves, and the chance to spot deer or the rare white raccoon all add to the experience.
What to expect at Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park
- Best for: Easy day trips from Nanaimo, family outings, relaxed coastal walks, camping close to the city, and travellers interested in local Indigenous and industrial history.
- Getting there: A foot-passenger ferry runs from Maffeo Sutton Park in downtown Nanaimo during the main season, with a crossing of about 10 minutes. You can also arrive by private boat, kayak, or paddleboard and use the mooring buoys and docks in Mark Bay.
- Trails: More than 20 km of routes ranging from short walks near the dock and campground to a 10 km coastal loop around the island. Most trails are easy to moderate, with some narrower sections and gentle hills as you move farther from the dock.
- Shoreline and views: Sandstone ledges, tide pools, and small beaches looking across to Protection Island, Nanaimo, and the coastal mountains. Kanaka Bay and other coves are especially nice for sunrise and quiet breaks by the water.
- Camping and day use: A small, walk-in campground a few minutes from the dock with tent sites, group areas, playground, concession, potable water, washrooms, and showers. Day-use visitors can spread out on the open grassy field, picnic tables, and shoreline near the pavilion.
- Rentals and activities: Seasonal bike and kayak rentals are available close to the dock. You can ride select designated bike trails, paddle around the island, or join a guided historical walking tour led by the Snuneymuxw to learn more about the land and its stories.
- Wildlife: Deer and raccoons are common, and the island is known for its rare white raccoons. Raccoons are wild animals and can become bold around food, so follow posted guidelines, use food lockers, and never feed wildlife.
- Services and facilities: Public washrooms are located near the dock, in the campground, and at points along the trail network. The seasonal Saysutshun concession serves meals, snacks, and ice cream during the summer.
- Accessibility: The island has some relatively level paths and facilities near the dock, but ferry access is limited because the passenger boats do not have ramps for wheelchairs and mobility devices. Check current information before visiting if accessibility is a priority for your group.
A day trip from downtown Nanaimo for lunch or a picnic along the shoreline, or stay a few nights for a wonderful camping experience. No matter how long you visit this small Island, you will find a lot to experience with centuries of history hidden around the island, beaches, bike and kayak rentals, the Sayshutshun concession and wildlife.
Quick Facts About Saysutshun – Newcastle Island Marine Park
- First known as Saysutshun by the Snuneymuxw First Nation
- Newcastle Island was named by the British after the coal town in Northern England
- No bears or cougars live on the island
- Only accessible by foot passenger ferry, paddling or boat
- A unique natural, historical and cultural experience for visitors
- The history of the island includes
- Two Snuneymoxw fishing villages
- Coal mines
- Japanese saltries & shipyards
- Sandstone quarries
- Wheelchair access – is limited as the ferries have no ramps,
Exploring The New Castle Island
Whether you arrive at Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park by ferry, kayak, or personal boat, the landing area is open and easy to navigate, allowing easy, enjoyable experiences along the eastern shores. For those who want to explore, there are more than 20km of trails ranging in difficulty. There are also bike and kayak rentals available to expand your options around Newcastle Island.
When landing, you will be greeted by a totem pole and a large red building just off in the distance. The Newcastle Island Pavilion was built in the 1930s as a dance hall for visitors arriving by boat from Vancouver for a vacation getaway. It was restored in 1984 and now operates as the concession and pavilion hall for special events.
To the right is a smaller building along the shore where you can rent pedal bikes and kayaks. To the left is a fenced area where you can see signs of previous industry, including equipment and partially drilled stone wheels. The sandstone here was perfect for creating large stone wheels to crush sawdust into pulp for the paper industry.
The day-use area has a unique shoreline along the open field, which is all sandstone, making for unique terrain when the tide is out. Shallow tide pools make it fun to explore.
Exploring the trails around the campground and on the southeast island is easy. As you explore further north and along the west shore, you may find narrower trails with some elevation change.
Public washrooms are available near the main dock, throughout the campground, and along the trail.
Keep your eyes open for deer and raccoons. They feel safe on the island, as there are no predators. The island is also home to the rare white raccoon.
Learn more about the island by booking a historical walking tour put on by the Snuneymuxw – Book a private walking tour online or call 1-866-788-6243
Hike Around the Saysutshun – 10km Coastal Trail
This 10 km hiking trail is an easy-to-moderate trail that takes you around the island’s perimeter. It offers wonderful views of the coastal mountains, Nanaimo, signs of the industries of the past, and, of course, wonderful nature trails through mature Douglas fir, Garry oak, arbutus, and big-leaf maple trees.
When starting from the dock, follow the main trail past the large red building and through the campground. You will walk along the sandstone shore, and if the tide is out, the white rocky beach is home to tide pools along the narrow channel, with Protection Island just on the other side.
Continuing past the campground following Shoreline Trail and but just before Kanaka Bay, make a quick left to the airshaft, you will find a large steel tank sitting on top of a deep airshaft, remnants from the coal mines that once were active under the island.
Next head to Kanaka Bay a sandy beach located on a small cove. And if you are camping on the island and an early riser, this beach offers a wonderful sunrise.
From this point on, the trail narrows, passing Angle and McKay Point, and takes you to a shelter at Giovando Lookout with views of the Georgia Strait. At this point, some hills come into play as you climb up around Tyne Point, giving you a view of Saltery Beach.
This area was home to one of the Snuneymuxw Villages and later to the Japanese Herring Salteries & Shipyards. If you are here in the morning, look for the famous white raccoon. These nocturnal creatures use the low tides to pick clams and other creatures from the rocks.
Next is Midden Bay, where you can find an abandoned mine shaft and washrooms; the trail breaks off to allow exploration of the interior of the Island to check out Mallard Lake, a man-made lake built as a freshwater source for the 100’s of people living on the island during the industrial era. But for this walk, the goal is to walk the perimeter of the Island as we head down Channel Trail to the quarry.
The Sandstone quarry operated for 60 years, becoming the building blocks for many stone buildings around Vancouver Island, the West Coast, and the US. Now, the quarry is overgrown, making it an intriguing place to explore the piles of rocks. The hollowed-out hillside offers a different landscape from other parts of the island.
If you want to say you walked around the whole island, you need to head out to Bate Point, the home of the Newcastle Island Park Sign, as it opens up at the southernmost point of the island with views of the Nanaimo Harbour and the boats moored for the day.
Following the trail around Mark Bay, wander back to the public docks. You will pass the pulp stone quarry. This area is fenced off, but you can see the equipment used and the perfectly round flintstone-looking wheels cut out of the sandstone used to crush tree fibres into pulp for the paper mills.
Biking On Newcastle Island
Not all trails on Newcastle Island can be accessed by bike. Mallard Lake Trail, Kanaka Bay Trail, and Shoreline Trail are all marked as biking trails, as seen here in green.
You can bring pedal bikes (not electric) on the ferry, and Jeff’s rental store on the island has options for bikes and kayaks during the summer season.
Camping
With no cars or predators on the island, the campground offers a quiet, peaceful camping experience close to the city. 18 campsites are a five-minute walk from the docks, and carts are available to help get your gear to your site if needed. The area has a playground, horseshoe pits, food concession, potable water, flush toilets and pit toilets and even hot showers.
The campground is in the same area as one of the original Snuneymuxu villages. During the herring season, the villagers would paddle out in the narrow strait between the two islands and gather herring, filling their canoes. Now, the narrow straight is a great place to view tide pools, swim and paddle.
The campground also offers group campsites and group picnic sites for day use.
Booking is done online through BC Parks’ online reservation system, which is listed as Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park. It’s recommended to book ahead.
Food/Concession
The Saysutshun Concession opens in Late June and operates until early September. It offers classic burgers, fries and breakfast sandwiches daily from 9:00 am – 7:00 pm. They also have a selection of beers and ice cream. Menu
Raccoons on New Castle Island
In order to prevent raccoons from becoming a nuisance, please follow these important guidelines:
- Do not feed raccoons.
- Be aware that raccoons will become aggressive when approached or cornered.
- Never take food inside tents.
- Store all food, including toothpaste, in the food lockers.
- Dispose of all garbage immediately.
- Ensure your boat is secure to prevent raccoons from getting food from your vessel.
- Remember that Newcastle Island is home to many species of animals and provides plenty of natural vegetation for all its inhabitants.
Ferry Information
Parking: Hourly and overnight paid parking is located in Maffeo Sutton Park
Ferry operates May 15– September 15th
- Ferries run every 30 minutes and it takes 10 minutes to get to Newcastle Island
- Payment debit or credit preferred
- Peddle bikes are allowed with an extra charge (no e-bikes)
- Fairs include a return to Nanaimo
- The dock is located at Maffeo Sutton Park
- Animals are welcome with a nominal fee
Limited wheelchair access: The ferries do not have ramps, which restricts accessibility for wheelchairs.
Boaters & Kayakers
A great place to explore if you want to arrive by water. Mooring options and if you are a kayaker or paddleboarder, Newcastle Island offers a unique experience, being easy to get to and with unique sites around the island.
- Pull-out of kayaks and vessels for an overnight stay is permitted only on the south end of the park, near the ferry dock on the developed beach.
- Mooring buoy and dock facility use fees apply throughout the winter. The maximum length of stay is 14 days per calendar year.
- 43 new mooring buoys have been installed in Mark Bay. There are two types of mooring buoys as follows:
- Those for boats 30 feet in length overall or less
- those for boats 40 feet in length overall or less
- Moorage info
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Newcastle Island History Timeline
Pre-1850: Known to the Snuneymuxw people as Saysutshun Island, it was used as a place of healing and a source of food; there were two villages set up where Snuneymuxw people lived throughout the late winter and early spring in order to take advantage of the annual herring run. One near Midden Bay and the other facing Protection Island
1850 – Native chief Ki’et’sa’kun shared the location of an abundance of coal when said to have seen a blacksmith using coal in his fire. He brought a sample back in exchange for goods. Unknown to him at the time was how important this quality of coal was to the British.
1852 – The Hudson Bay Company established two coal mines. At first, they employed local First Nations and British citizens, but soon, the island was taken over by experienced minors brought over from Britain. The Snuneymuxw soon abandoned their villages, and the island was renamed Newcastle Island, after the famous coal town in Northern England.
1862 – The Hudson Bay Company sold the island to the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company
1869 – Sandstone quarries, looking for high-quality sandstone for a new building, Joseph Emery from the United States Mint found the quality and colour he was looking for on Newcastle Island and signed a five-year lease with the Vancouver Coal Mining Company. Many other companies sought leases on the island to cut its sandstone, which has been used in building penitentiaries, courthouses, banks, and churches.
1883 – During the 31 years in operations, the coal mines reached out underneath channels to Protection Island and towards Nanaimo the last Coal mines were closed up in 1883
1900 – In the early 1900s, the Japanese established a small settlement just north of Shaft Point on the west side of the island and operated a fish salteries and shipyard.
1923 – Pulp stones were 1800-kilogram rock wheels that were an important grinding element in the pulp and paper industry. The McDonald Cut-stone Company established a pulp stone operation with the finished stones being shipped to mills across North America.
1931 – the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company purchaed the island and operated it as a pleasure resort, they ran a floating hotel and ships from Vancouver brought people over as many as 1,500 people at a time. the visitor centre was once the dance pavilion, and the only building to survive the resort area, it was restored in 1984
1932 – Sandstone Quarry and Pulp Stone Quarry closed down
1941 – Fish salteries and shipyards closed down when all Japanese-Canadians who lived along the coast were sent to internment camps during WW2. This was also the downturn of the pleasure resort as boats and supplies where used for the war efforts.
1955 – CPR sells the land to Nanaimo
1960 – The city of Nanaimo struggles with maintenance and cost and sells the land to the Provincial government
1960 – Development began to to make Newcastle Island into a class Provincial Park although a master plan was never put in place by the British Columbia Government
1983 – The City of Nanaimo created a plan with the goal of suggesting development ideas that would “provide the people of BC and particularly the Nanaimo area, a range of year-round recreation, historic, and natural history opportunities” and “to protect and develop the ability of the natural and cultural resources of the park to provide such opportunities in perpetuity.” Many of this committee’s ideas and suggestions were carried out,
2021 – The BC park was renamed Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park to acknowledge its first inhabitants and is now operated by the Sanuneymuxw First Nation
