Day 1 on the West Coast Trail hiking south from the Pachena trailhead is a fairly relaxing first day. Your first beach, Pachena Beach is a lovely, wide, sandy arch that stretches to a thick wall of forest on either end. As you look past the beautiful beach and size up the thick wilderness that hides the start of the trail, you can't help but be struck by the vast jungle rainforest. The trees are so thick that they spill over the ocean and you can't see even a few metres beyond the abrupt, rocky coastline.
Pachena Beach is a wild & pretty start to the WCTPachena to Darling River is mostly easy hikingSea Lion Haul Out Rock is found at 9kYou can visit the Pachena Lighthouse at 10kSee your first WCT shipwrecks at Michigan & DarlingSwimming at Darling Falls is wonderful & secludedDarling Beach is less busy than Michigan Beach
The beaches on this stretch are not the nicestLow tide reveals a bit of an ugly shorelineThere are not a lot of great tent sites 
Prologue 1: The West Coast Trail 2: When to Hike & Fees 3: Trailheads 4: Getting There 5: Considerations 6: Campsites 7: Shipwrecks 8: Routes 
Day 1 Pachena to Darling Day 2 Darling to Tsusiat Day 3 Tsusiat to Carmanah Day 4 Carmanah to Walbran Day 5 Walbran to Cullite Day 6 Cullite to Camper Day 7 Camper to Thrasher 
Michigan Creek at 12k Darling River at 14k Orange Juice Creek at 15k Tsocowis Creek at 16.5k Klanawa River at 23k Tsusiat Falls at 25k Cribs Creek at 42k Carmanah Creek at 46k Bonilla Creek at 48k Walbran Creek at 53k Cullite Cove at 58k Camper Bay at 62k Thrasher Cove at 70k
What is most striking about the view from the beach is the utter lack of humanity. No signs, no people, nothing. You can imagine this view as it would have been a thousand years ago. Or just a century ago when the Graveyard of the Pacific was earning its ominous name. If you look out from Pachena Beach, not far past the entrance of the bay you will be looking over the shipwreck sites of the Alaskan and the Soquel. Hidden from view under the waves, you won't get to see and touch your first West Coast Trail shipwreck until you get to Michigan Creek at 12k. Here you will find the massive boiler of the Michigan that wrecked here in 1893. Starting the West Coast Trail from Pachena Beach you will notice the trail markers start from here and you will soon spot the 1 kilometre marker. They continue until the 75 kilometre marker just before the trailhead exit at Gordon River. Hiking to the 14 kilometre mark at Darling River is a good distance for your first day on the trail. Having a nice place to camp is a very important part of the West Coast Trail. As you will likely be camping at 5, 6 or 7 different campsites out of a possible 13 campsites along the trail, picking the best ones make your adventure much more memorable.
After you are dropped off or park your car at the Pachena Bay trailhead in Bamfield you will have to do the mandatory orientation session at the little West Coast Trail building. Through the trees, and just a few metres away you catch your first glimpse of what lies ahead on your hike along the wild West Coast of Vancouver Island. A beautiful, big sandy beach, with forest extending on ether side like two giant tree covered arms. Pachena Bay is wonderfully tranquil and surprisingly devoid of people or structures. Staring out at the bay you can't see any signs of humanity and wonder why there are no people enjoying this gorgeous place. Then you recall the long journey you took to get here and realize how relatively few people live in this area. Also, along this quiet and wild coast, there are no shortage of great beaches. The next beach over is probably just as nice, and the next one and the next one after that. West Coast Trail day 1 continued here..
