Beach Accesses

Explore our Beaches

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and maintaining access to those beachfronts is important to local residents.

Public access to Comox Valley beaches is provided along road rights-of-way that end at the foreshore. In the electoral areas of the CVRD (outside of municipal boundaries), the rights-of-way are owned by the Province and are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI).

MOTI does not take an active role managing or maintaining beach accesses. At the request of some neighbourhoods the CVRD has signed 24 beach accesses in the Miracle Beach, Little River and Royston/Union areas. Look for shore access signs in these neighbourhoods to gain access to the beach. 

Kayaks and other small water craft can be launched at Argyle, Sanborn, Gartley Road, Kilmorley, Singing Sands, Mayfair, Mountain View and Mahaffey Road beach accesses.

The signed accesses are usually well worn paths to the beach. Expect roots and rocks on most trails, limited parking and no facilities such as toilets or garbage cans. You may need to scramble over rocks or logs at some locations such as Kilmorley. Vivian Way and Cloudcroft have stairs. Visitors are reminded to control and pick up after their pets as well as take out all that they bring in. No overnight stays permitted.

Other accesses that the CVRD has not signed remain open to the public however in many cases they lack a safe walkway to the beach due to hazardous slopes or natural features. There are also accesses that are provide excellent and obvious entry to the beach that are unsigned as the the beach access inventory and management report found there was no need for the CVRD to initiate any improvements including signage.

Those with a passion for fishing will enjoy testing their luck at the beach accesses. Cutthroat run typically from March to May. Chinook can be caught June and July on beaches where the water/beach drops quickly off the shoreline. Cast for pinks during August and September. Coho and chum can be reeled in  during September and November.

For a warm ocean swim visit Gartley Road on an incoming tide. This beach has a sand bar the warms in the afternoon sun making swimming very enjoyable as the tides washes back over the sand bar.

Be sure to check out our Adopt a Beach Access and Beach Access Inventory & Management information.