West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail is an old life saving trail that used to be used to rescue people from shipwrecks along the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island. It stretches 75 km from Port Renfrew in the south to Bamfield in the north, running through the Pacific Rim National Park. The Bamfield end is somewhat flatter and begins more gently than the Port Renfrew end. You can get shuttles from Victoria to either trailhead. There is a reservation and quota system in place for the trail, although they do accept a certain number of walk on hikers a day. Check the official Parks Canada site for current numbers. You can reserve your spot three months in advance, I think all told it costs about 75 bucks for the permits and reservation (can someone confirm?). The trail passes through amazing stands of old growth cedars, hemlocks and Sitka spruce, along pebble beaches, sandstone shelfs and over massive rock headlands. There are lots of ladders to help you get up the bluffs and cable cars to help you cross the creeks so be forewarned if you are afraid of heights. The trail itself is flat in some parts, with sections of up and down and plenty of ladders and some (very slippery) boardwalks through the boggy parts. Walking along the beach is surprisingly tiring, but nice. There is a good chance you will see wildlife, whales, bears etc...if too many people haven't scared them off. The best time to go is mid June through early or sometimes mid September, depending on the weather. May can be OK, depending on the year, but it will probably be rainy. Many people get into trouble by underestimating how much rain you can get on the West Coast at any time of year, especially at the beginning and end of the season. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE RISK OF HYPOTHERMIA, ESPECIALLY AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE SEASON. It can get pretty chilly, and even with the best rain gear you will probably be pretty miserable (speaking from experience...). The mud is brutal, even after a dry spell, so make sure you have good boots and lots of socks and blister stuff. The trail itself is well marked, bring tide tables (available on the web) and know how to read them so that you can do some sections on the beach without getting caught by impassable headlands or surge channels. I think it's best to take 6 or 7 days and do the trail at a leisurely pace so you can really explore, hang out on the beach, check out the tide pools, etc. (you are paying for it after all!). The nice thing about the quota system is that the trail, though busy, does not get overrun....

Link to Parks Canada - Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada with more information on the West Coast Trail: http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index_e.asp