About White Rock- Where it all comes together!

The seaside town of White Rock has much to offer and not just to budding geologists, either. Situated on the northeast side of Semiahmoo Bay, it’s the first stop coming north and is named after the nearly 500 ton boulder that sits on the shore just south of the town’s famed 1,500 foot pier. One legend has it that it was tossed across the Strait of Georgia by a young Indian chief who chose the spot where it landed as the location for a home with his new wife. The more prosaic explanation is that glaciers deposited the boulder here.

White Rock shares the advantage of other WaterSide communities in that it escapes the rain shadow of the coastal mountains north and east of Vancouver. As a result, it gets less than half of the rainfall of Vancouver and considerably more sunshine. It is not uncommon to be driving south from Vancouver in the rain only to find yourself in sunshine after emerging from the tunnel under the Fraser River.

Visitors are drawn first to the famous pier and the Marine Drive area. Boaters can clear Canada Customs, but should be aware that there is very limited moorage. You’ll find families fishing for crab and couples taking romantic sunset walks as they look over the bay and Point Roberts, Blaine and the San Juan Islands in the distance. Back on shore there are kilometers of broad sandy beaches for sunbathing, swimming, kayaking or windsurfing. Running along the beach is a raised railroad that remains in use. In particular, one needs to watch out for the twice-daily Amtrak run – it gets up to real speed.

• Marine Drive is jammed with shops and great restaurants. Sidewalk dining and people watching is serious sport here. Fish and chip shops used to predominate but nowadays all varieties of foods can be found.
• The White Rock Museum and Archives is located in the old railroad station at the foot of the hill. Drop by to view the exhibits or pick up books and souvenirs of the area.
• The uptown area is where you’ll find shopping centers, more restaurants and services of all kinds. Check out Softball City, an amazing athletic complex that contains four world-class softball diamonds (and other sports fields) a restaurant and batting cages.
• Tournaments are held every summer and you’ll almost always find a game in progress.
• If you like golf, you’ll like White Rock. There are 15 golf courses and five golf ranges within 20 minutes of downtown.
• Peace Arch Provincial Park is just south of the city and is the site of the Peace Arch Monument, a tribute to the friendly relations between Canada and the U.S. Lovely gardens, picnic facilities and a stunning view of Semiahmoo Bay make for a worthwhile stop.
• Just beyond the Canadian border station is a visitor information center that has a number of helpful travel information.

Getting to White Rock
By car: From the south, take the first exit after the Peace Arch U.S. border crossing. Turn left and follow the road to Marine Drive and the beach area. Coming from the north, take the King George Hwy exit off Hwy 99. Keep right. After approximately 2 miles, turn right on 16th Ave. for the main shopping area.
By boat: Visiting moorage is available at the White Rock pier. Boats coming from the U.S. can clear Canada customs there as well. Also see border savy.

Crescent Beach
Just to the north of town is the pleasant seaside community of Crescent Beach. Take some time to explore this quiet backwater situated next to the Nicomekl River. There’s a boat launch here as well.

Getting to Crescent Beach
To get to Crescent Beach, assuming you are taking highway 99 south from Vancouver, exit off Highway 99 just before where highway 99a and 99 intersect. Follow the signs to Crescent Road.