Trail Rating 7Meares Island was the centre of dispute in the 80's when the Nuu-chah-nulth protested Macmillan Bloedel's intent to log the island.  The Nuu-chah-nulth together with environmental groups blockaded the island and fought in the courts.  The court ruled that until the Nuu-chah-nulth's land claim to the island was settled, no development can occur on the whole of Meares Island.

  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ProExtremely wild, remote feeling rainforest
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ProImpressively enormous ancient trees
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ProThe Hanging Garden Tree is 1500yrs old!
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ProThe trail is fun to hike & always changing
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ProRescued from clearcutting in the 80's
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ProBoat taxi ride is always fun
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ProOften have the whole trail to yourself
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ConThe trailhead beach is ugly & dirty
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ConWaiting for taxi pickup can be long
  • Clayoquot Hiking Trails ConTaxi ride makes the trail a bit expensive

Clayoquot Hiking Trails

  Easy Hiking TrailThe Big Tree Trail  Easy Hiking TrailHot Springs Cove  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailLone Cone  Easy Hiking TrailNuu Chah Nulth  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailRadar Beach  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailRadar Hill  Easy Hiking TrailVargas Island  Virgin Falls  Easy Hiking TrailWild Pacific Trail

Victoria Hiking Trails

  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailAvatar Grove  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailBear Hill  Easy Hiking TrailEast Sooke Park  Victoria Hiking TrailElk/Beaver Lake  Victoria Hiking TrailEsquimalt Lagoon  Easy Pay Hiking Trail VictoriaFort Rodd Hill  Easy Hiking TrailFrancis/King  Victoria Hiking TrailGalloping Goose  Easy Hiking TrailGoldstream Park  Easy Hiking TrailGowlland Tod  Easy Hiking TrailGrass Lake  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailJohn Dean Park  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailJuan de Fuca Trail  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailLone Tree Hill  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailMill Hill  Steep, Dog Friendly TrailMount Douglas  Easy Hiking TrailMount Tolmie  Easy Hiking TrailSooke Potholes  Victoria Hiking TrailSpectacle Lake  Easy Hiking TrailThetis Lake  Victoria Hiking TrailWitty's Lagoon

This tremendous victory enabled the creation of the Big Tree Trail and its breathtaking star feature, the Hanging Garden Tree.  This monster of a tree.  A Western Red Cedar, estimated to be older than 1500 years, is enormous.  18 metres around and magnificently tall, it easily is included among Canada's greatest trees.  A nice boardwalk takes you from the trailhead to the Hanging Garden Tree.  Most people return from there the same way.  You can however, continue on and do a circle route taking in some more of the amazing, and unexpectedly pristine forest, that was the centre of such a chaotic battle not so long ago.  If you walk the circle route, expect to take over an hour though, as the huge trees take a while to look at.  The Hanging Garden Tree is particularly interesting as, like many other ancient cedars, is hollow on the inside.  In fact you could fit five people inside quite easily!  Tofino Water Taxi can ferry you to the trailhead from Tofino for a pretty good price ($30 return), and often at a moments notice.

The Big Tree Trail Map

Tofino Water Taxi Boat View

Big Tree Trail Trailhead Dock

The Big Tree Trail

The Big Tree Trail

The Big Tree Trail

The Big Tree Trail

The Big Tree Trail Huge Cedar

The Big Tree Trail

The Big Tree Trail

The Big Tree Trail

Directions to The Big Tree Trail

Boat Taxi to The Big Tree TrailThe Big Tree Trail is located on Meares Island, just a short boat taxi ride from Tofino. Tofino Water Taxi located at 750 Campbell Street, across from the Co-op Gas Station. If are driving toward Tofino, look for Poseidon's Adventure Centre on your right just past the Co-op Gas Station. Their water taxis depart from the First Street Dock. The boat taxi drops you off at the boat dock on Meares Island at the start/finish of the Big Tree Trail. They will return at an agreed time depending on how long you will likely take to finish the trail. They are very helpful and knowledgeable about everything in and around Tofino, so will give you great advice on hiking the trail and what to see.  For most hikers, they will arrange to come back to pick up 2-3 hours after dropping off.

Big Tree Trail Directions Map v2a

Tofino's Best Hiking Trails!

Radar Hill is definitely one of the Tofino sights not to be missed.  It's a quick and easy walk to the top and the views are beautiful.   Definitely one of the few places in Tofino where you can see above the ...
Read more
Lone Cone is the wonderful cone shaped mountain that dominates the skyline in Tofino.  It is just 6k from Tofino on the north-western end of Meares Island.  Lone Cone is an incredible hike to do while in ...
Read more
At 53 metres, Virgin Falls is quite an impressive sight.  You walk through the short, two minute forest trail to reach it and it fills your view.  It is located in a beautiful oasis it has created.  A large, ice ...
Read more
Hot Springs Cove is a wonderful day trip from Tofino.  Lots of whale watching companies offer whale watching/hot springs tours for very reasonable prices.  The boat ride is out on the open ocean is quite fun ...
Read more

West Coast Trail Guide 2023 1

Explore BC Hiking Destinations!

Whistler Hiking Trails

Whistler is an amazing place to hike. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous thing about Whistler is that Garibaldi Provincial ...
Read more

Clayoquot Hiking Trails

Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it.  Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last.  The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
Read more

Victoria Hiking Trails

Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails.  Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness.  Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn ...
Read more

The West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...
Read more