Exploring Prince Rupert With Kids

When we were planning our weekend getaway to Prince Rupert, I heard there were no beaches or any kid friendly places to explore along the ocean. Although this is mostly true, if you aren’t scared of venturing off the beaten path a bit, then you’ll be sure to find some coastline to explore, even for the little people!

This was our first time visiting Prince Rupert and we had so much fun! We loved all the spots we found so I thought it would be fun to share on the blog for anyone else who is planning a trip there!

For those who are unfamiliar, Prince Rupert is a port town on the northwest coast of the pacific ocean (it’s about 3.5-4 hours west of Smithers.

Looking for other places to explore in the area? Check the blog for things to do in Smithers or where to find the Shoe House! Or if you’re in Saskatchewan, have a look HERE for lots of summer activity ideas!

Butze Rapids / Grassy Bay

I was super excited when one of my lovely Instagram followers shared this spot with me. It’s about 5 minutes just before Prince Rupert on Highway 16 (there are well marked signs along the highway). There is a parking lot on the same side as the trail, or you can park directly across the trail head in a small gravel parking lot. Although you have to cross the highway if you park here, you get to skip a bit of a hill from the main parking lot to the start of the trail. We chose this option as I wasn’t sure how my 3.5 year old would make out along the trail. The trail was easy walking, but I don’t think we would have made the complete loop, at least not in the afternoon! I don’t know about you guys, but our energy levels drop significantly in the afternoon, but we wanted to make sure to go when the tide was low.

The complete loop is 4.5 km, but if you’re just looking for a beach adventure like us, stick to the right and it will get you to the Grassy Bay area where there is a rocky beach that is perfect for exploring! We made sure to go when the tide was out and had a lovely picnic on the rocks. We found crabs under the rocks, creatures in the tidal pools and shells in between! I even managed to use my self timer to document that I was there too!

Love my headband? You can get yours HERE!

We weren’t very prepared as far as beach tools, but a plastic container did the trick!

Boat Watching

I couldn’t get enough of all the boats. We had a lot of fun walking through the marinas, checking out all the boats and ships in the ocean. They even had life jackets available to borrow for small children while walking on the docks! How cool is that?! There were three sizes, they were in great condition and the fit was just right for little ones! We found these in two spots, one at the end of the marina behind the Information Centre and one at the marina at the end of the road by Bobs on the Rocks. There is more exploring at the latter one including tons of fishing boats!

Pirate Ship Playground

I don’t know what this playground is actually called, but it is on Cow Bay Road, just up the hill from the Information Centre. We were in Prince Rupert for 2 days / 3 nights an were at this playground 3 times! It was definitely a hit, even in the rain. The view from the playground was beautiful too.

She loved looking at the ships in the water as she pretended they had pirates on them!

And of course her doll “Garlic” had to come along for the ride! Click HERE to see how you can make or purchase this doll carrier!

Cow Bay

I was excited about checking out all the neat local shops in Cow Bay until I remembered I had a 3.5 year old with me 😉 We did go into a couple stores, but after the 100th time of saying “please don’t touch anything in here,” I opted for just exploring outside! It was still fun walking around Cow Bay, taking photos at the rainbow crosswalk and other tourist attractions! It became a thing to get a photo beside all the statues! We also enjoyed eating at Smiles for fish and chips and another day we had lunch at Cowpuccino Cafe. It was very good!

Sea Fest Parade

We had no idea until the day we got to Prince Rupert that it was Sea Fest that weekend. There were several activities going on and we made sure to take in the parade. I was quite impressed by the parade and my daughter had such a blast dancing her heart out! I hope you enjoy this little clip (there is sound).