In the summer of 1792, two expeditions led by Captains George Vancouver, Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores arrived and cooperated in mapping the sound.

[2] Vancouver named it Desolation Sound, cryptically claiming that "there was not a single prospect that was pleasing to the eye".

The community serves as a centrally located supply stop for boaters and local fishers travelling in or near Desolation Sound.

The major industries of Desolation Sound include shellfish farming, forestry, and ecotourism.

Visitors travelling by car to Desolation Sound can take BC Ferries from Vancouver or Courtenay to Powell River, and drive the short distance northward to Lund.