Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it. Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim National Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last. The Islands in the area are often separate Provincial Parks.
TheWestCoastTrail
The world famous West Coast Trail is found not far from Ucluelet. Bamfield is home to the northern trailhead to this wonderful trail known for its 80 foot ladders, stunning beaches and regular encounters with shipwrecks from the Graveyard of the Pacific.
Esquimalt Lagoon is a wonderful stretch of beach that extends two kilometres, separating the lagoon from the ocean. The beach is made up of wonderful, powdery sand and driftwood logs. Looking out from the beach you as you sit on a massive and ancient, driftwood tree, with weathering that makes it dry, smooth, gleaming white. A perfect seat to take in the view.
The view you see is a perfect stretch of sand, littered with improbably idyllic driftwood logs. In the unexpectedly close distance you see the United States. Snowy mountain peaks of the Olympic Range in the fuzzy distance. Partway between these mountains in the US and the Lagoon where you sit, a jut of land stretches out similar to the distant mountains, but dark coloured, instead of fuzzy grey. The few kilometres greys the view, whereas the three or so kilometres to the jut of land at the end of the beach does not. It contrasts with the distant mountains in a hypnotizing way. The Lagoon is officially called the Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary. But for those of us that grew up in the area, it is simply the Lagoon. A place where you surreptitiously went to drink beers with your friends when you were 16. Or a decade earlier, watch your dad scuba dive from this same ancient driftwood log seat. He would walk into the ocean and disappear. We would trace the smooth, dark surface for 15 minutes until finally a ripple in the surface down the beach. He would back out of the water to the beach and the yellow, mesh bag full of sea creatures. When you are 6 years old and a Dungeness Crab is pulled from the ocean and set in front of you on the sand it is something you never forget. Like a giant, armored spider, its claws extend menacingly toward you. It crab walks back to the ocean, all the time facing you with those giant claws. More crabs come out of the bag, and bright purple starfish. Occasionally dad would return with monstrous Lingcod he savagely speared with his speargun. What a marvel of creatures live just beyond view, under the surface.
The Lagoon, you soon discover growing up here, is not the only one. Further down the beach, about 4 kilometres away is another similarly beautiful bit of paradise, Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park. Albert Head, the large finger of land that stretches out into the ocean has another lagoon just beyond it. Witty's Lagoon is another hidden bit of serenity. A hidden wilderness world that somehow managed to survive development and become a park. A wonderful park, hidden well inside Metchosin, a rural suburb of Victoria.
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 ...
The Nuu-chah-nulth (aka the Wickaninnish Trail), has the amazing distinction among all the other beach hikes in the Tofino-Ucluelet corridor, in that it is flanked on one side by the amazing, and historic ...
Meares 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 ...
Radar Beach is one of the countless places that makes this part of the world so amazing. It is difficult to get to due to it having an unmarked trailhead, steep and muddy trail, and considerable climbing and ...
Thetis Lake Regional Park is a very popular Victoria park that contains several lakes. Lower Thetis Lake, Upper Thetis Lake, Prior Lake and further out, McKenzie Lake are all within this amazing park. A ...
Fort Rodd Hill is astonishingly beautiful and incredibly interesting as a tourist attraction in Victoria that most never see. This fact is amazing as it is wonderful and unquestionably, or at least arguably, as ...
Mount Tolmie is another beautiful, easily accessed mountain in Victoria with 360 degree ocean and city views. On a clear day you can spot Mount Baker far off in the distance in the US. There are some short ...
Grass Lake(aka Grasse Lake or Grassie Lake) is a moderately difficult trail to a beautifully remote lake far in the wilderness of Sooke. Popular for swimming and escaping the world. It is a beautiful and ...
Day 6 on the West Coast Trail is another short, yet brutally challenging day hiking between Cullite Cove and Camper Bay. The ladders and mud sections are numerous as you snake your way through the thick ...
Day 5 on the West Coast Trail is a stunning, very difficult and tremendously enjoyable day of hiking. Walbran Creek is gorgeous campsite to wake up to. Your tent will open up to a sweeping view of Juan de ...
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The route from Darling River to Tsusiat Falls is just under 12 kilometres and quite a lot of that distance can be hiked on the beach. From Darling River you can take an inland route or walk along the beach. ...
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 ...