John Harvey Photo

Miracle Beach Camping

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images First time at a Huge BC Parks Camp


Our kids seem to really enjoy camping. In the last few years we have taken them to Rathtrevor (twice), the Shuswap Lake [2016] and the Okanagan Lake [2018].   This year, when looking for a place, we wanted somewhere less likely to have forest fire smoke.  Miracle beach checked a few additional check boxes - we have family in the valley and drive isn't that far.  We were able to make reservations and booked our longest trip yet - 8 days in the same campsite!

We didn't book a reservation to Nanaimo because we appreciate the flexibility in case something comes up last minute.  Unfortunately we just missed an 11am ferry so we were were on a 1pm ferry.  That got us into the campsite late in the afternoon.  Like last year, I made a video of the process of unpacking.  The first thing to do is get the bikes off and the kids ride off exploring while we setup camp.

Eating Dinner At The Campsite
By the time we have a tent setup, a vehicle unpacked and the kitchen brought out, it is dinner time. To make life easier, Helen brings a heat and eat meal from home so it's quick to get dinner done. 


Getting Into Bed
After dinner, the kids ride and we clean up.  I setup a tarp because rain was in the forecast.  Eventually it's time for bed.  The kids really enjoy the glow sticks and the battery operated lanterns.

Camp Settles For Night


Claira Read For Bike RideNara Ready For Bike Ride
The kids wake up and their first question is "Can I go bike riding?"  They get their clothes and helmets on and off they go.  We have call them in with radios for breakfast.  And then they go out and ride some more.

Breakfast Ready For Ride

Walking Out Of Shallow Ocean
Miracle Beach has a few attractions - the huge sand beach being one of them.  For us the tide went out in the afternoon so we went out to enjoy the warm shallow water.  There is lots of beach life - crabs, sand dollars and sea weed to find on the beach.

Walking Along BeachCrabs In Small Buckets
Pretend Eating CrabsHermit Crab In Shell

Second Tarp CampfirePouring Puddles Off TarpsThree Tarp Morning

Visiting Great Grandfather

Four Bikers Ready

  We have family in the Comox Valley and they were kind enough to come visit a few times. 

 


 
 
  
Grilling Salmon And HotdogsHelen With Smore
 
Arrabella Going BikingClaira Making SmoreClaira With Smore
 
 
 
Cooking Marshmellow Around FireKids Roasting Marshmallows
 
Lexi With Roasted MarshmallowLexi With SmoreArrabella Wth Charcoal MarshmallowArrabella Licking Marshmallow

Hiking at Mount Washington

Nara Feeding Whisky JacksWalking On Alpine Boardwalk

Horseback Riding

Last year we went to the Sunshine coast and I found a stable that offered pony rides for kids.  The kids loved it, but not a lot of places have miniature horses or ponies for young kids.  The farm I found in Black Creek only had full sized horses so we got half hour training on how to ride before we went out on an escorted trail ride.  The kids of course loved being on a horse without anyone else helping them.

Three Riders TrainedNara Riding Horse

Claira Leading TrainTrail Riding In ForestVisiting With Horses

Rock Hounding Trip to Hornby Island

Taking Cable Ferry To Denman
This year I joined the Hasting Rockhounds - a local group that is part of the BC Lapidary society.  There are organized "Rock Hounding" trips around BC each summer and it just so happened that an event (Vancouver Island Gemboree) happened the same weekend as we were camping in Comox.  We signed up for a day trip and the kids were really excited about the fossil trip. 


Waiting For Ferry To Hornby

On Hornby Island is a beach called "Fossil Beach" which, not surprisingly has fossils.  Some 80 millions of years ago, this was seafloor and lots of shells landed in the mud and became fossilized.   Unfortunately, Hornby is two ferry rides away and on a beautiful Saturday morning, those ferries are busy.  The ferry from Denman to Hornby is small so we had to a multiple sailing wait.


Nara Digging Out Fossil

We got to the beach and got a bit of an orientation.  The is basically loose rock over shale.  Some of the loose rocks are actually concretions around fossils - you can pick them up, tap them on the end and discover what is inside!  The most common find was Baculites - marine animals with a long conical shell.  The shells preserve well so they are striking when you find them.

Claira And Helen Digging FossilsFossil Broken Open

Claira Getting Ready To Crack Rock
The shale itself will sometimes have lumps where the layers of rock bend around an encapsulated object.  When you find such a lump, you use your hammer to break out the lump and then see what is inside.  The leader found a kind of cuttlefish in the rock, but most people found shells from shellfish.  We stayed for a few hours until the kids were tired and then headed home with our new found treasures!


What is good after spending a hot day on the beach?  Go out for Ice Cream!  We went to Blue Spruce Ice Cream to cool down and get our blood sugar sky high again.
Nara With Ice creamHelen With IcecreamClaira With Ice cream
 



Milky Way Over Forest
There is one last big attraction at Miracle Beach - it's surprisingly dark at night!  The park is mid way between Comox and Campbell River so you get a decently dark night sky.  I stayed up late night (the moon rose early on earlier days) and watched the galaxy glow in the night sky. 


 

Another great year!


Nara Ready For Bike Ride
Pouring Puddles Off Tarps
Eating Dinner At The Campsite
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 167m (547 feet)
Location: Go To...
Nara Digging Out Fossil
Person: Nara
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: beach, gulf island, rockhounding
Fossil Broken Open
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fossil, gulf island, rockhounding
Breakfast Ready For Ride
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: breakfast, camping
Arrabella Wth Charcoal Marshmallow
Grilling Salmon And Hotdogs
Tags: camping, cooking
Kids Roasting Marshmallows
Person: Arabella, Claira, Jessica, Lexi May, Nara
Tags: camping
Claira Read For Bike Ride
Altitude: 75m (246 feet)
Location: Go To...
Visiting With Horses
Altitude: 72m (236 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: horse
Second Tarp Campfire
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: camping, fire
Claira With Ice cream
Person: Claira
Altitude: 12m (39 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: ice cream
Crabs In Small Buckets
Claira Making Smore
Claira Getting Ready To Crack Rock
Person: Claira
Tags: gulf island, rockhounding, tool
Lexi With Roasted Marshmallow
Pretend Eating Crabs
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Four Bikers Ready
Person: Arabella, Claira, Lexi May, Nara
Altitude: 22m (72 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: biking
Three Tarp Morning
Tags: camping, tent
Camp Settles For Night
Nara Riding Horse
Person: Nara
Tags: horse, riding
Helen With Icecream
Person: Helen
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: ice cream
Cooking Marshmellow Around Fire
Person: Claira, Helen, Lexi May, Nara
Tags: camping
Arrabella Licking Marshmallow
Person: Arabella
Tags: marshmallow
Three Riders Trained
Person: Claira, Helen, Nara
Altitude: 69m (226 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: horse, riding
Nara Feeding Whisky Jacks
Person: Nara
Species: Perisoreus canadensis (gray jay)
Altitude: 1091m (3579 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: hand feeding, icon triple, Mount Washington
Visiting Great Grandfather
Person: Claira, Nara, Philip
Nara With Ice cream
Person: Nara
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: ice cream
Walking Out Of Shallow Ocean
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Helen With Smore
Person: Helen
Tags: s'more
Walking Along Beach
Milky Way Over Forest
Tags: astrophotography, milky way
Getting Into Bed
Altitude: 20m (65 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira And Helen Digging Fossils
Person: Claira, Helen
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: beach, gulf island, rockhounding
Waiting For Ferry To Hornby
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: game, picnic table
Walking On Alpine Boardwalk
Person: Claira, Helen, Nara
Altitude: 1089m (3572 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: alpine, boardwalk, hiking, Mount Washington
Claira Leading Train
Person: Claira
Altitude: 68m (223 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: horse, riding
Hermit Crab In Shell
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: crab
Trail Riding In Forest
Altitude: 63m (206 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: horse, riding
Taking Cable Ferry To Denman
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: ferry, gulf island
Arrabella Going Biking
Person: Arabella
Lexi With Smore
Person: Lexi May
Tags: s'more
Claira With Smore
Tags: camping(7), gulf island(5), horse(5), riding(4), rockhounding(4), beach(3)
People: Claira(13), Nara(13), Helen(6), Arabella(4), Lexi May(4), Philip(1)
From: John Harvey Photo > John Harvey Photo - Camping > Miracle Beach Camping

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Last Modified Sunday, January 22nd, 2023 at 00:05:02 Edit
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