West Coast Trail
Making this youtube video was lots of fun while on trail. Hopefully it emphasizes the social aspect which makes this trail unique. Huge shoutout to Gary from Colorado and Miko from Germany who were great companions.
The West Coast Trail is probably Canada's most iconic backcountry multi day hike. It's located in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and operated by Parks Canada. Hope this article either helps plan your trip or inspire you to finally do the trail.
Unless you are a Vancouver Island local, most people's drive starts from Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal then along Highway 14 to Sooke and eventually Jordan River. If you don't have a car, look into the West Coast Express bus service which is very active during the summer months. Victoria is the big city and Sooke would be your last decent size town with resupply options. Port Renfrew does has a general store but it's limited so be sure to have your food and gear dialed upon arrival. A very nice place to stop for a driving break would be China Beach Provincial Park. This is also one of the trailheads for the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail which you could do as a warm up! (just kidding but seriously)
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| Highway 14 |
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| China Beach Provincial Park |
Upon arriving at Port Renfrew, my plan was to leave the car at the south end of the trail and use the West Coast Express Bus northbound to Bamfield the following day. My first night was spent camping at the Pacheedaht Campground near Jordan River. It is run by the local First Nations band and costs $20 per night. They have wifi which comes in handy since there is no cell service.
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| Port Renfrew Marina |
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| Pacheedaht Beach |
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| Pacheedaht Campground |
Parks Canada requires you to attend a mandatory morning briefing where they talk about hazards, tidal flow, wildlife considerations, navigation, and leave no trace ethics. Be sure to secure your pack (and food especially) away from the smart crows who could definitely ruin your day). The tides were too high along the beach which made the inland route our only option on the first day.
If you take the inland route from Pachena Trailhead, almost immediately you start ascending and descending ladders, something the West Coast Trail is known for. You also see artifacts that likely drifted to Vancouver Island from Japan.
Sea Lion Rock is your first viewpoint of the ocean (unless you take the coastal route from Pachena) and judging from the name it is a very good place to see wildlife. I heard the the sea lions right from the inland trail and unsuccessfully tried photographing them with my cell phone. You have to turn off the trail for about 500m to reach the viewpoint and I regret not spending more time here. As this was still just the first few hours since starting the hike I was probably determined to cover lots of miles for some reason. Seriously though why the rush?
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Pachena Lighthouse is another cool landmark along route. It is operated by the Canada Coast Guard and looked occupied while I was there. The vibe didn't feel like they were open to hikers though. A water source from a hose is attached to the side of the house but they claim it should only be used for emergency and requires filtering.
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| Pachena Lighthouse |
My first night was spent at Darling River. Lots of people were hiking northbound and enjoying their last few kilometers on trail. This would be a good place to trade and exchange food if needed. Although the Coastal Fire Centre had issued a fire ban, the majority of the West Coast Trail is located within the "fog zone" which states you are allowed to have campfires during low tide in the tidal zone - the only spot in the province where you are allowed while a campfire ban is in effect!
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| Darling River Campsite |
Waking up to good weather is always a treat on the west coast. July was a great time to be on trail. Good luck with the permit system that opens every January at 8AM PST. It is usually always 95% booked by the first few hours. Myself going solo is probably what resulted in getting the permit in July. I remember registering around noon on that opening day. It would be worth looking into the process of "walk ons" which means showing up at the trailhead on your desired day and asking the park staff if there are any openings. To my knowledge only 50 people are allowed to start each day and when people who register do not show up by 2PM they will allow walk ons. But I have heard rumours of this process being removed so double check before just showing up.
These pools were a great spot to eat lunch and soak your feet. Today I was hiking with these 2 people from Alberta. I was sitting next to them on the West Coast Express Bus to the trailhead and it was fun running into them on trail. We arrived at the first cable crossing over the Klanawa River.
Tsusiat Falls are probably one of the most common highlights along the trail. Many people camp here and the bear caches can get pretty crowded. It would have been a nice place to have a rest day. Swimming was really nice in the lower pools. For this reason, you should fill your water from the waterfall or the creeks above.
Back to hiking solo... The guys from Alberta who I was hiking with slept through a bad weather morning. I wanted to get a jump on the day since today is usually one of the longer days and I knew waiting for them at the water taxi crossing was always an option. I took the coastal route and crossed through Tsusiat Point right when the tide was changing.
As you approach the creek crossing at Nitnat Narrows you have the option of paying extra to rent a cabin. On my map this campground was identified as "comfortable alternate accomodation" lol. The trail started to deteriorate here and with the small amount of rain we had in the morning some places were really muddy. I put on my gaiters for the first time somewhere around here.
The Nitnat Narrows water taxi was operated by the local First Nations and they were checking permits. When you pre pay the trail fee there are two water crossings which have 12$ each allocated to them.
This location is also the mid point along the trail with forest service roads that access Port Renfrew. I met a couple that were hiking northbound and were shaken up from all the ladders. They decided to leave the trail at this point after feeling shaken up from the ladders and bridges. Unfortunately the southern section has the majority of the ladders and technical terrain which means they were already through the worst of the trail. I had packed 6 days of food which was enough for a quick been there done that West Coast Trail experience but I wanted to slow down and spend extra days so when they offered me their leftover food I really appreciated it! You can buy full meals here and I heard amazing things about the barbecue salmon but it's pretty expensive. Not sure if that suggests a high food quality or just really hungry hikers, probably both. I settled for a loaded baked potato and it was awesome.
By this time the two guys from Alberta showed up and we all continued southbound. Fresh water is really scarce at this part of the trail so make sure you bring extra on the long day. I think I had 2 litres and that was fine. Alternatively you can buy bottled water here but that's a waste of money (and garbage) so don't do that.
After some technical terrain, here came the highlight of my trip, Cheewat Beach. It serves as a wildlife corridor for predators patrolling the surf during low tide. We saw the tracks of black bears and coastal wolves. Camping is not allowed, probably for this good reason.
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| Camping at Sandy Beach |
By this time the "trail legs" were used to the routine of eat / sleep / hike and I started taking more time to explore the points of interest including the Canada Coast Guard Carmanah Point Lightstation and Monique Knighton's famous burgers at Chez Monique. People were raving about how these burgers were the best in the world, but then again I'm always sceptical whether or not being hungry and eating dehydrated food the past 3 days had anything to do with it. Nevertheless, I feel it's a good idea to support local and there were many people taking a break here who I later found myself spending more time with on trail.
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| Carmanah Lightstation |
Funny story. The guy on the left Gary (from Colarado) had dropped his buff somewhere along trail and Miko (from Germany) had found it and decided to throw it in his pack. A couple days later at Chez Monique's restaurant, it came up in conversation that Gary lost his beloved Buff that he got in Nepal then Miko pulls it out of his pack and returns it to him.
This location had a problem with mice in the evenings and throughout the night. I had found and claimed a nearby cave and slept soundly without any mice problems while other people were getting holes in their bags and through their tents - plus I didn't even need to use the tent fly.
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| Camping near Walbram Creek |
Today was up and down ladders and across boardwalks pretty much all day. I started hiking with Miko who was stoked that his hammock sleep system was working out. They brief you on a few ladders during the orientation meeting that are missing the occasional leg but that would only be an issue if you are descending and not being careful.
Day 5? This part of the trail was under construction and I met a few crews working on the boardwalks. If this trail sees 50 people starting each day, that would mean about 350 people are hiking the trail simultaneously. You notice many of the tree roots are sticking out of the ground which is likely being compacted from the constant foot traffic in key areas.
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| Camper Bay |
As I said before, you usually have the option of following the coastal route or staying inland. While the coastal route is more scenic, it is more technical especially on the southern part of the trail. You also need to make sure you time the tides correctly. They brief you how to do this at the orientation. Make sure you pack a watch or some device (other than a cell phone) for time of day.
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| An inland route through the rainforest |
Owen Point is another one of the main highlights. It's essential to time the tides correctly here. I arrived early then stayed at the point for several hours taking pictures for people while the sun came out. The costal route from here to Thacker Cove required lots of boulder scrambling. Apparently this is the stretch where most injuries and rescues occur. Thacker Cove is the first campsite from the southern part of the trail. It is only about 5km from the southern trailhead but due to the terrain and features, an average hiking pace for this section of the trail is 1-2 km per hour. While at the northern end of the trail you can hike at a normal pace of 4km per hour.
The end. Wahoo - what a great trail!
Especially if you get lucky with the weather like I did ;)