A snug, popular marine-park anchorage tucked behind the Shelter Islets on the northwest shore of Keats Island, an easy hop from Gibsons and one of the oldest marine parks on the BC coast.
Plumper Cove Marine Provincial Park sits on the northwest shore of Keats Island in Howe Sound, sheltered behind the small Shelter Islets that screen it from the main body of the sound. It is a perennial favorite for Vancouver-area boaters, and on summer weekends the cove fills with vessels at anchor, on the buoys, and along the floats.
The park maintains a public float (with a handful of dock spaces) along the north shore and nine mooring buoys, with a spacious anchorage lying immediately to the south of the buoys. Ashore there are walk-in campsites, pit toilets, picnic tables, a hand pump for drinking water, and trails on Keats Island.
The setting is scenic and convenient, but the cove can be busy and is exposed to wash from passing traffic by day; it usually settles down at night, though an occasional swell can roll in from the strait and make boats roll, especially when rafted or at the dock.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
The cove is approached from Howe Sound off the northwest side of Keats Island, with Gibsons only a short distance away. The Shelter Islets lie across the front (west side) of the cove and must be passed; favor the marked/charted passages and give the islets and their off-lying rocks a prudent berth, as drying and below-water rocks fringe them.
Holding ground is good mud, with typical anchoring depths of about 40 to 50 feet south of the mooring buoys. The cove is reasonably protected from the prevailing summer northwesterlies but is open to the east and southeast, so it can be uncomfortable in easterly/southeasterly weather and to swell rolling in from the strait.
Wind protection summary and tide planning at a glance. Full per-direction and 7-day detail with Plus.
Live readings from the nearest OpenWeather station and WorldTides; refreshed every few minutes.
Source: OpenWeather One Call API + WorldTides.
A curated photo + map walkthrough showing approach, mooring options, and points of interest.
A guided walkthrough of Plumper Cove with approach photos, depth notes, and points of interest — written by members who have been here recently.
Real first-hand reports and questions answered by members who have actually been here.
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