Gulf Islands National Park Reserve represents the Strait of Georgia Lowlands natural region—an area tucked under the rainshadow of the mountains of Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula, and graced with a Mediterranean climate of warm, dry summers and mild winters that rarely see snow.

Gulf Islands National Park has similar dominant vegetation as the Pacific Northwest, such as coastal Douglas-fir, western red cedar, shore pine, Pacific dogwood, bigleaf maple, and red alder, but also contains the northern extent of some of the more drought tolerant trees such as Garry oak and Arbutus. The park was created in 2003 as the fortieth national park. It covers 36 square kilometres (14 sq mi) of area on 16 islands and more than 30 islets, reefs and surrounding waters, making it the sixth smallest national park in Canada.

Sail or paddle a kayak on sheltered waterways through a scenic maze of islands thriving with wildlife from seabirds to whales.