Descanso Bay Regional Park

My partner wrote the above review. Our site number25 was the largest and most strategically placed. A huge green area behind us and small view of the ocean. We got a little sun but still had to run our generator. Hated the times 10-5 for generators so you had to stay around or come back early.
Close to the day use where when it’s not windy and high tide you can launch paddle boards and kayaks
Right across the street, a short path to the road leads to Cox community park with multiple trails. Quiet and peaceful especially in the morning with birdsong.
We did a number of hikes listed on AllTrails.
Pit toilets and no recycling except for cans.
We enjoyed our stay but few bike lanes on the island.
We wouldn’t come back. No real beaches with sand to speak of.
Water availability only via walk up automatic pump.
No dump.

The campground is located about five minutes from the ferry terminal. You have excellent cell service at the terminal, so you can map it if necessary. The entrance is well signed; you shouldn’t miss it.

This is a small campground primarily setup for tent campers, vans and small RVs. However, we reserved Site 25 which easily accommodated our 34’ motorhome and Jeep TOAD. The large grass area behind was a welcome benefit for our two dogs, but canines must be on a leash always. Site 25 may be the only site with a view of the ocean to the north, albeit slightly obscured by trees.

Water at this campground is very good but comes out of a single spigot located near the entrance station. Although there are threads on the spigot, they do not want you connecting a hose directly to your RV out of cross contamination concerns. The water flows at a phenomenal rate, so filling a trailer would be fast. We filled our motorhome in Nanaimo prior to coming over at the gas station described below.

Cell service was decent but occasionally sporadic. We have Verizon, piggy backing off Canadian providers. We were able to setup our STARLINK antenna in the grassy area behind us and get a reasonably reliable signal, but this required using the auxiliary 150’ cable. Between the cell signal and the STARLINK, we had essentially uninterrupted service.

Fires are NOT allowed in this campground during the summer dry season, and maybe never. So don’t bring wood expecting to burn it.

There is a VERY TIGHT TURN to the right on the campground road as you pass Sites 6 and 6A. There are no warning signs about this turn, and there’s a narrow gate that you can’t see until you’re committed to the turn. We scratched our MOHO on the 8”x8” gate post which is situated on the right side of the relatively narrow gate. BEWARE!!

Gabriola Island is a small island with well marked hiking trails. We may return, but we have so many other places to see that a return is uncertain. If you haven’t been, it’s worth a visit.

As a note about RV utility services, a CO-OP gas station in northern Nanaimo is a FULL SERVICE location. The address is 6673 Mary Ellen Drive. Water, Dump, Propane, Gas and Diesel. There’s even a propane pump on the island for filling large RVs with fixed tanks.