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 extraordinary 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.
Goldstream Provincial Park and Mount Finlayson are beautiful places that are definitely a must-see on any visit to Victoria. Huge coastal rainforest trees everywhere. An impressively golden river, an abandoned gold mine and one of the highest mountains in Victoria. As soon as you leave your car you can feel the wonderful forest alive around you.
Goldstream Park is home to the annual salmon spawning run every fall and the rest of the year is just a wonderful world of centuries old Douglas fir and western red cedars. Several of the huge trees are estimated to be over 600 years old and you find some reaching to the sky and others laying dramatically along the forest floor. Hiking trails extend all over the park, but the Mount Finlayson trail takes you up above the forest to beautiful views of Victoria that locals cherish. It's a relaxing trail that only gets a bit steeper and challenging near the end. The summit of Mount Finlayson is about an hour by foot from the Goldstream Park parking lot and it's a short hike to a summit towering over Victoria. Don't let the relatively short trail fool you into thinking the trail is easy. The steep and challenging, final section arrives at one of the more breathtaking vantage points over Victoria... and the ocean beyond. As if it Goldstream Park couldn't get any better it does. Across the highway a trail leads to the mighty 47 metre high Niagara Falls. Getting across the highway to Niagara Falls is half the fun. An ancient tunnel under the highway takes you to the falls. Finding this tunnel is easy, though it is not marked on Goldstream Park mapboards, as it is not officially for hikers. It is a tunnel to channel water under the highway, however, it is an amazing and beautiful way to get to the falls and for the most part, the only way.
Parking along the side of the highway is only feasible if you are driving from the north, and even then, it requires an abrupt and unmarked parking area. The best option, by far, is to park at the main parking area for Goldstream Park and walking to the falls and train trestle via the tunnel. With so much to see at Goldstream Park it is no wonder why it is so popular and so generously equipped with picnic tables. There is also a nice visitor centre, concession stand and dozens of picnic tables. Everywhere you look you will find mapboards and informative, interpretive signs indicating what to see.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Squamish sits in the midst of some amazing places to hike. Garibaldi Park sprawls from Squamish up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north. Add to ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...