Barnston Island Visit

Liked: A very short ferry ride across Fraser River, Barnston Island circle road (10 km) with almost no traffic, great views of Golden Ears Bridge.

Of Note: No public parking on Barnston Island, no shoulders on circle road, backing up onto the ferry is required on Barnston Island Terminal.

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Backroad Mapbook (5th edition) Park Coordinates: Page 2 (Greater Vancouver) D3.

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Barnston Island is a fine little island located on Fraser River between Surrey and Pitt Meadows. A 2.5 minute-long free ferry ride connects Surrey's Port Kells area (northern end of 104 Avenue) with Barnston Island. A 10 km-long circle road goes around the island, and makes for a fine bicycle ride or a hike.

Barnston Island is mostly farm land. As well, there is a Katzie First Nation reserve. Also, Barnston Island Regional Park has two areas on eastern and western ends of the island. In the east, 1.8 km to the left of the ferry terminal as you exit it, Point Roberts Rest Area features a washroom, picnic tables and trash cans. There is a decent, if not great, Fraser River view out there, 100 meters from the road in the picnic tables location. In the west, 4 km to the right of the ferry terminal as you exit it, a 300 meter-long path leads to Mann Point with a very impressive view of Golden Ears Bridge.

There is no public parking on Barnston Island, and a rather inconvenient backing up onto the ferry is required at the Barnston Island Terminal. Thus, the best way to visit would be on a bicycle, after parking your vehicle at a free lot on the Surrey side of Fraser River. While the circle road has no shoulders, there is virtually no traffic, and it's a very serene location, with little noise, and rural and natural views all around.

1. Here is a Google map of Barnston Island. The ferry connection is seen on the left side, by Surrey Bend Regional Park we visited earlier in the day.

2. We are at the northern end of 104 Avenue in Surrey, approaching Port Kells Terminal of Barnston Island Ferry, with Surrey Bend Regional Park turnoff being several hundred meters behind us. For directions on getting here from Highway 1, check out our Surrey Bend Regional Park trip report. The parking lot seen on the left side of the photo below is free.

104 Avenue Surrey BC near Port Kells Terminal for Barnston Island Ferry

3. Barnston Island Ferry rules. Note that backing off from the ferry is required upon arrival to Barnston Island, and backing up onto the ferry is required on Barnston Island for the return trip to Surrey - Port Kells Terminal.

Barnston Island Ferry Information

4. Load limit is 40 tons. No public parking is available on Barnston Island. The cameras you see above the stop sign show still pictures on DriveBC. Click on the link to see the line-up at Port Kells Terminal, and then use the map below the camera view to click on other 3 camera views (one more at Port Kells, and two on Barnston Island side).

Barnston Island Ferry Load Limit 40 Tons

5. The ferry entrance ramp.

Barnston Island Ferry Ramp

6-7. And here is Barnston Island Ferry near Barnston Island, as seen from the Surrey side.

Barnston Island Ferry

8. Boarding time. You would be traveling backwards to Barnston Island. On the return trip, it's about 50/50. That's just how the tug pushing the ferry moves it across Fraser River. Also, you would have to back off the ferry onto Barnston Island, and then back up onto the ferry on your ride back to Surrey.

Driving onto Barnston Island Ferry

9. Moved all the way to the front. Five passenger vehicles can be accommodated on this ferry at a time.

10. Looking back at Port Kells Terminal we have just left.

Port Kells Terminal for Barnston Island Ferry

Here is our video of riding Barnston Island Ferry from Surrey to Barnston Island.

11. It took all of 2.5 minutes to cross Fraser River, and we are now on Barnston Island by the ferry terminal. Point Roberts Rest Area (washroom, garbage cans, picnic tables, a semi-decent river view) is 1.8 km to the left, and Mann Point (with a great Golden Ears Bridge view) is 4.0 km to the right.

12. In the meanwhile, the ferry went back.

Barnston Island Ferry

Here is our video of Barnston Island Ferry heading to Surrey - Port Kells.

13. A map of Barnston Island Regional Park, courtesy of Metro Vancouver.

Barnston Island Regional Park Map

And here is our video of driving the entire Barnston Island circle road.

14. 50 km/h speed limit applies.

Barnston Island - British Columbia - Canada

15. There isn't much to see on Barnston Island structure-wise, though this is a neat house.

Barnston Island Residence

16. A fine-looking farm too.

Barnston Island Farm

17. Barnston Island is home to the Katzie people.

Katzie First Nation Entrance - Barnston Island BC

18. Point Roberts Rest Area with the only public toilet on Barnston Island. Parking is not permitted.

Point Roberts Rest Area Barnston Island BC

19. The beginning of a 100 meter-long path to picnic tables and a river view.

Barnston Island Regional Park

20. The picnic tables.

Barnston Island Regional Park Picnic Area

21. The river view.

Fraser River View from Barnston Island Regional Park

22. And here is a point 4.3 km from the ferry if you turn right upon getting to the island. We are actually looking back after turning around. This is a good spot to get a fine Golden Ears Bridge views with vegetation in the foreground.

Barnston Island near Surrey BC Canada

23. Golden Ears Bridge with vegetation in the foreground.

Golden Ears Bridge View from Barnston Island

24. With some zoom.

Golden Ears Bridge

25. And this is Mann Point path entrance 4.0 km from the ferry if you turn right (and about 6.0 km if you turn left).

Barnston Island Mann Point Trailhead

26. The path to a great Golden Ears Bridge view is, approximately, 300 meters long. It's a bit muddy in one spot.

Barnston Island Path to Mann Point

27-30. The beach can be very muddy too, but what a bridge view! Left to right, followed by a panorama.

Barnston Island Mann Point Panorama

Here is our video of Golden Ears Bridge from this location.

31-32. We are back at Barnston Island Ferry Terminal. Backing up onto the ferry is required here.

Barnston Island Ferry Information

33. A Fraser River view on the way back.

Fraser River View from Barnston Island Ferry

34. Back in Surrey at Port Kells Ferry Terminal.

Barnston Island Ferry Docked at Port Kells Terminal