About Us

BC Marine Trails is a non-profit organization working together to help secure long term public access to the BC Coast.

Our mission is to work with First Nations and stakeholders to build, protect and promote a public network of marine trails allowing safe recreational navigation of the BC Coastline with minimal impact on the environment.

The BC Marine Trails work is guided by a three-pillar-approach:

Building safe and contiguous trails

Our Trails Development work enables recreationists to navigate the coast safely and respectfully. We do everything from site assessments and safety mandates to gaining social license over coastal access points. We also install things like tent platforms, food caches and composting toilets. All of this is necessary to keep sites sustainable and is made possible through donations, membership fees and the help of our dedicated volunteers.

First Nations Engagement

Since 2019, our initiative has prioritized collaboration with First Nations to develop a marine trail network that respects Indigenous Rights and Title, revising our mapping process to include thorough engagement with coastal First Nations. We aim for all sites displayed on the BCMT map to be approved by all coastal First Nations, directing visitors to approved sites and helping divert recreation away from sensitive areas.

Protecting our Coast

We value the incredibly diverse environment of the BC Coast and are committed to help protect and preserve it. Our initiatives include shoreline cleanups, invasive species removals, site maintenance and more. We established a marine Code of Conduct, which encourages recreationists to have minimal impact on the environment. Part of our public education program is to raise awareness of our collective role and responsibility as marine stewards.

Why do we do it?

At the core of everything we do is a shared love for our coast. The unparalleled scenery of the ocean and temperate rainforests of British Columbia give us a sense of identity. Traversing the shorelines under our own power, riding swell, pushing through fog and basking in sunlight is life-changing, as it envelops us in a deep sense of BC’s rich coastal beauty. Exploring the big, bold and beautiful coast makes us realize our insignificance and importance all at once. Visit our map to see the extent of the BC coastline.

As users of these lands and waters, we are accountable to protect and preserve sensitive ecosystems, wildlife and habitat by minimizing our environmental impact through education and stewardship. With rising pressure from industrial and other interests in coastal use, the need to secure public access increases. We also understand and recognize that we largely operate and recreate in unceded traditional territories of coastal First Nations. It is our responsibility to honour and acknowledge whose lands we are on and to gain social license.

We are all connected by a shared love for these wild places and together we can do our part in ensuring many more generations get to experience the abundance of our coast.