The best walks and hikes in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve - West Coast Trail Unit

While hiking the West Coast Trail, look beyond the trees and see the red and white striped Pachena Point Lighthouse in the distance. It was built in 1907 following the sinking of the SS Valencia. It's a wooden, octagonal lighthouse, the light station and its inner grounds are currently closed to the public, but it can still be marvelled at from the main trail.

The Black River passes under the West Coast Trail on its journey out to meet the ocean. The bridge over the Black River provides a safe crossing over the swift coastal waters that flow through the dense forest. This trail is known for its gruelling obstacles, including over 100 vertical ladder systems, deep mud, and slippery boardwalks, but this bridge provides easy crossing and awesome views of the river below.

Cribs Creek flows through the middle of this campsite, dividing the sandy beach in two, before reaching a natural breakwater of rocks at the ocean’s edge. There are places to pitch your tent on both sides of the creek, along with little open forested areas behind the beach, though camping closer to the forest is advisable as the lower beach can flood at higher tides. There is an outhouse and two food lockers, but this spot fills up quickly because it sits in the middle of a 17-kilometre stretch with no other designated campsites. If the site is full, or you’re looking for a quieter overnight, Carmanah Creek Campsite is roughly 4 kilometres south along this same beach.

This is the official southern trailhead of the West Coast Trail, located on the north bank of the Gordon River, reached by a short ferry crossing from the Parks Canada Orientation Centre on the south side. The bow of the boat lowers to the shore, making it easy for hikers to step on and off the ferry. If you are stepping off the ferry heading north, you are immediately met with the first of many ladders, climbing steeply up from the riverbank into the dense rainforest above. If you’re a southbound hiker, there is a rope next to the ladder that raises an orange buoy into a tree, signalling the ferry operator on the south bank to come across and pick you up.

This donkey engine sits just off the trail and is a steam-powered winch once used in early logging operations, now covered in moss and ferns and slowly being reclaimed by the rainforest. A donkey engine worked by using steam power to wind heavy cables around a spool, hauling logs out of the forest, and this one is reported to have hauled itself up from the beach under its own power. It sits close to the highest point on the trail, making for a natural rest stop and an unexpected piece of industrial history in the middle of the wilderness.

Thrasher Cove sits well inside Port San Juan and is a small, sheltered, sandy spot with views across the strait toward the United States, giving it a noticeably different feeling from the wide-open Pacific exposure of other campsites along the trail. The cove is reached either by the beach route or by a steep descent on tall ladders from the Gordon River side, with tent spots scattered along the sand between boulders and a creek running through the middle of the camping area. There is an outhouse, bear caches, and a storage pole. This site fills up quickly, so it’s best to arrive early if you plan to camp here.

The sea caves at Owen Point have been carved out of the sandstone cliffs by centuries of crashing waves, creating huge circular openings in the rock face that you can walk through when the tide is below 1.8 metres. Inside, the smooth, rounded walls glow with vivid shades of green, yellow, and red from the algae and mineral deposits left by the sea, and through the opening, you can look out to a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Check your tide tables carefully before planning your approach, as the caves are inaccessible at high tide and the boulder field leading to them is a slow, slippery trek under any conditions.

This campsite sits in the middle of one of the most challenging and dramatic sections of the trail, with towering ladder systems in both directions and an impressive cable car crossing spanning the creek above. The creek flows crystal clear just steps from your tent, deep enough for a swim, with small sea caves accessible on the far shore and the Pacific Ocean a short walk away. The campsite has two outhouses, three food caches, and a pebble beach stretching along the ocean with additional forest spots that are ideal if you’re looking for a bit more shelter.