Point Roberts
End of the line, USA

GETTING THERE...By car: Follow directions on B.C. Hwy 99 for
Tsawwassen/Island ferries. Turn south on 56th Street. The U.S. border
crossing is at the top of the hill. By boat: Point Roberts is the first port of
entry for vessels entering the country. A phone at the fuel dock connects
you to border officials for clearance.

Photos by Karl King

Once you’ve crossed the U.S. border into Point Roberts, you’ve reached the end of the line, both figuratively and literally.

Turning onto Tyee Drive, lined with evergreens on either side, you’ll see the blue waters of Georgia Strait lapping on to the southern end of Point Roberts less than two miles away.

Compact (just 4.9 square miles), lightly populated (just a tad over 1,200 permanent residents) and somewhat isolated (no doctors or dentists), Point Roberts is a quirky kind of place that has attracted people from all over the world and hasn’t let them go. One well-known local artist calls it the vortex effect. If it happens to you, well, you’ll know what he means.

The Point hangs down from British Columbia and is about three miles wide by two miles long. Much of the central portion is covered by forest with clearings on the beaches that ring the peninsula. On the east are the warm waters of Boundary Bay with its extensive sand flats while the south and west is bounded by Georgia Strait. Immediately north of the border is Tsawwassen.

The original visitors, Coast Salish Indians, called Point Roberts Cheltenum. They typically rowed over from the mainland during the summer to take advantage of the bounty of the sea. Take a drive, walk or bike in the Maple Beach area. Depending which street you go down, you will notice a large hump in the roadway. This is a midden that stretches southeast to northwest and is comprised of seashells and the detritus of many, many years.

Occasionally, a homeowner in the area has gone to build a new cabin or undertake a major remodel only to discover archaeological remains.

The first European explorer, Spanish captain Juan Francisco la Bodegay Quadra came through in 1775 and called it Punta Zapeda. In 1792, Captain George Vancouver sailed by and named it Point Roberts after his friend and colleague, Henry Roberts. Recent research strongly suggests that in the late 1500s Sir Francis Drake voyaged through Washington, British Columbia and Alaska on his search for the Northwest passage. He didn’t name it but he described Point Roberts as “beautiful bay.” Local lore holds that there used to be a plate marker on the west side of the point indicating Drake’s passage up the coast.

Things have changed. Now the most frequent visitors are from up north, coming down to their cabins, to go fishing, golfing, sunbathing, biking, exploring and pretty much goof off. Come join them.

Keep an eye out for wildlife - Great Blue Herons, eagles, orcas, deer, raccoons and Kingfishers all call Point Roberts home – as do a steadily increasing population of rabbits and coyotes.

If you’ve timed it right, you’ll catch what the locals call the ‘Orca show.’ Point Roberts is home to two pods of Killer whales who are often seen as close as 10 feet off the beach when the salmon is running. There is also a ‘false killer whale’ that shows up – kids on the dock have actually stroked its back as it swims by. Check with the Lighthouse Park but the whales usually show up around 3 or 4 p.m.

Take the time to explore, especially on foot or bicycle. No hill is too steep or too long and the Point can be given a good once-over in a day. Pick up a complimentary map available at the tourist booth at the Shell gas station.

Commercially, there is a large supermarket, art gallery and a variety of restaurants and cafes. Much of the interior contains trails – watch for mountain bikers entering or leaving trailheads or ask a local for suggestions.

If you’ve got the stamina, pack up a lunch and walk from Maple Beach around to the Lighthouse Park. Maple Beach’s half-mile of sand flats makes for great crabbing and clamming and allegedly boasts the warmest water north of California (it can get close to 80 degrees in the late afternoon when the tide comes in). Lily Point is the halfway mark and makes a great place to stop for lunch, a swim or just plain relaxing.

Keep an eye out for eagles – there are a number of perches and it’s not uncommon to see as many as 10-15 eagles at a time. The beach is pebbly at high tide so wear sneakers at a minimum if that’s the time you go. Check the tide tables on page 22. While you can make it around at high tide, it’s easier and more interesting when the tide is on the way out.

Once you’ve reached the 1,000- slip marina (which offers a restaurant, chandlery, repair services, haulouts, guest moorage and 24-hour refueling), you walk along Edwards Drive on a grassy trail until you get to Lighthouse Marine Park.

The park’s boat launch is also a good place to launch your boat or kayak and the floating dock is a favorite place to fish for bullheads and salmon.

A few years back, a fisher caught a 55-pound Chinook salmon off the beach. The park has picnic areas, BBQs and a campsite. It’s a great place to end the day and watch the sun go down.

The Point is a favorite launch spot for boaters wanting to go to the Canadian Gulf Islands or Washington’s San Juan Islands due to their proximity. For a reasonably fast boat (25-mph/40-kph) Active Pass is only 30 minutes away. There is also the 18-hole Point Roberts Golf & Country Club. Call ahead for tee times.

Don’t miss:
• Check out the orcas at Lighthouse Marine Park.
• Walk around the Point at low tide.