Overview:
The West Coast Trail is a beautiful 75 km long trail along the coast of west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and runs between Port Renfrew and Bamfield. It offers a variety of terrain, including many wooden ladders (some very tall, some missing rungs), bridges, slippery boardwalks, logs, sand, and mud galore (gaiters highly recommended). While the elevation gain is never more than 230m, the difficulty lies in the mental challenge of carrying your pack through the obstacle course of fallen logs (under a log, over a log), mud (many of the mud puddles would be more accurately described as swamps), rocky terrain, sand, etc. However, the views are amazing, there are plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife (eagles, sea lions, bears, whales), and the sense of accomplishment at the end is worth every slip and fall in the mud.
The West Coast Trail is open between 1 May and 30 September. It is closed the rest of the year due to heavy rain and unsafe conditions.
Weather:
Although the weather between May and September is mild, it is variable. That is to say you may encounter rain, sun, or fog. You should assume that it may rain a couple of days during your trip and as such prepare accordingly. For example, the following items are a good idea: a couple of shirts, extra socks and underwear, rain jacket, and have your sleeping bag in a dry bag (and possibly your tent as well). The first time I did the hike (in the month of May) it rained for the first 3 days before the sun came out, then was quite warm for the remainder 3-4 days. The second time, end of July was mostly sunny the whole time. The third time (early August) alternated between rain, sun, and heavy fog (including one day such heavy fog that we were all wet). On sunny days, the temperatures can vary between 18 and 25 degrees C. As it is mostly humid, even when raining you can feel like you’re sweating. I generally wore quick-dry hiking pants that unzipped into shorts (and most of time just wore the shorts), gaiters for the mud, short sleeved quick dry shirt (and had a light rain jacket and light merino wool long sleeved shirt ready at the top of my pack).
Reservations:
To make a reservation, visit https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/activ6a/iii. Reservations for the West Coast Trail start in early January and spots fill up quickly (registration for this year will open Monday, January 7th 2019). There is a maximum number of people that can enter the trail each day. Make sure you have your intended start date in mind (and have a couple of alternate dates in case those days are full) when you go to register. Also, note that you can start the trail on the north end or south end OR you can also enter the trail half way at Nitinaht Narrows. This trail head is accessible by water from Nitinaht Village. From there you can go south or north. This is an option for people who prefer to only hike half the trail. My personal preference is to hike the trail south to north (Gordon River to Bamfield) as I prefer to get the muddier and more uneven terrain over with first.
The registration cost is $127.50 per person for the overnight user permit, $20.00 for the Gordon River ferry, and $20.00 for the Nitinat Narrows ferry. There is also a $24.50 reservation fee. If you are starting at Nitinat Narrows, the cost of the water taxi to get from the village to the trail at Nitinat Narrows is $62.50. If you cancel your trip more than 21 days prior to your start gate, you get your money back except for the reservation fee which is non-refundable and a small cancellation fee ($11.00 for online booking and $13.50 for telephone booking). For additional information about registration, visit the Parks Canada website: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/activ6a/iii
Getting there:
In order to get to your starting trail head (and leave at the other end), there are a couple of options, using either your own vehicle or the West Coast Trail Express shuttle. It is possible to leave a car at one end and drive back to the start point and leave a car there. One can also take the shuttle from Victoria to the start point and then take the shuttle again at the end. Many people park the car at the start and take the shuttle at the end OR park the car at the end point and take the shuttle back to the start point.
If you are flying to Vancouver Island and have no car:
You can take the West Coast Trail Express from either Victoria or Nanaimo. Please note that the shuttle runs once a day in both directions – leaves downtown Victoria at 6:45am and goes all the way to Bamfield stopping at several points along the way (including Port Renfrew, Gordon River trailhead (9:15am), Nitinat, Pachena Bay trailhead(12:30pm), and Bamfield). It then does the return trip, leaving Bamfield at 1:15pm. If you are coming from Nanaimo, a bus contracted by the West Coast Trail Express leaves Nanaimo at 8:30am and takes you to Cowichan Bay where you meet up with and transfer to the West Coast Trail Express shuttle.
As there is only one trip a day in each direction, it is important to ensure you are at the meeting spot on time, and to keep track of time on the last day of your hike when you are coming off the trail. It is also advised that you book the shuttle ahead of time, as there may not be enough space for you otherwise. (For service from Nanaimo, reservations must be made at least 48 hours prior to travel.)
If you are starting (or ending) or your hike at Nitinaht Narrows, the West Coast Trail Express stops at Nitinaht Village (north end of Nitinaht Lake) at 11:45am on the way to Bamfield and then at 2:25pm on the way back to Port Renfrew and Victoria. A parking lot is available at Nitinaht Village.
The detailed schedule for the West Coast Trail Express can be found at http://trailbus.com/west-coast-trail-schedule/
You can also view the maps that show you the exact locations of the stops at: https://trailbus.com/terminals-map/
If you have one vehicle:
Getting to Port Renfrew (and the Gordon River trailhead) is an easy 2 hour drive from Victoria west along Highway 14, which is paved the entire way. If you stay in Port Renfrew overnight, you can drive to the Gordon River trailhead in the morning and leave your car at a parking lot near the trailhead for a fee of approximately 40$ for the week.
In order to get to Bamfield from Victoria, you have two driving options:
- Drive to Lake Cowichan, then follow the road that runs along the north shore of Lake Cowichan until you are past the lake, then follow the logging roads and signs towards Bamfield. The road is paved until Lake Cowichan and then becomes dirt/gravel for the remainder of the way. The total distance is about 200km but takes about 4 hours.
OR
- Drive to Nanaimo, and from there to Bamfield through Port Alberni. Going this route, you have paved highways until Port Alberni, then you need to take logging gravel roads to Bamfield. This trip takes approximately 5 hours and the distance is about 340km. If you are going to Bamfield from Nanaimo or Comox, the trip is about 4 hours. On the Bamfield side, (Pachena Bay Trailhead), there is a parking lot at the trail head free of charge.
Note:
* In both instances, when taking logging roads, follow the signs to Bamfield, and when in doubt follow the power lines.
* If you are taking a ferry to Vancouver Island, you have an option of taking the ferry to Victoria (Swartz Bay) from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal OR to Nanaimo from either the Tsawwassen ferry terminal or from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. For ferry schedules please see:
https://www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/
* If you are flying to Vancouver Island, you can fly into Victoria, Nanaimo, or Comox. The drive to Bamfield from Comox is similar to that from Nanaimo.
To get to Nitinaht Village (located near the north-most point of Nitinat Lake), drive to Lake Cowichan, then follow the road that runs along the north shore of Lake Cowichan until you are past the lake, then follow the logging roads and signs towards Nitinat.
With only one car, you can choose to drive to your starting point and leave the car there, taking the West Coast Trail Express shuttle back to your car at the end of the hike, or the other way around. Your direction of travel, where you are leaving your car, and any other plans you have may determine whether you go into Victoria or Nanaimo. That said, most people make Victoria their base, since it’s only 2 hours from Port Renfrew and 4 hours from Bamfield if you take the logging roads (as does the West Coast Trail Express).
Example:
If you’re leaving your car at Pachena Bay (Bamfield side) and starting your hike at Gordon River (Port Renfrew side) you would have to be in Bamfield prior to 1:15pm the day before you start hiking to catch the shuttle. Since you would get into Port Renfrew late in the day, you would need to spend the night there and start hiking the next day. It would also mean you don’t have a car to get to the trail head if you are staying at a hotel in Port Renfrew (the trail head is 4.7 kilometers away). That said, there is a campground next to the trail head if you prefer to stay there. Also, the West Coast Trail Express makes a stop at Port Renfrew before heading to the Gordon River trailhead. If you are taking the West Coast Trail Express make sure to call ahead of time and make reservations.
Please see the Where to Stay section below for suggestions of where to sleep the night before starting the trail.
If you leaving your car at Gordon River and starting at Pachena Bay, you would also need to spend the night at Port Renfrew, then catch the shuttle the next morning to Pachena Bay. The advantage of starting at Gordon River and having your car wait for you at the Pachena Bay trailhead is that 1) you can get on the trail earlier and 2) you have your car waiting for you at the end. The nice thing about having your own car at the end is that it doesn’t matter what time you get off the trail. That said, the shuttle timings are designed such that hikers coming off the trail can easily make it if staying at the last campground before the end. However, having a car at the end allows you can have a change of clothes (which is sooo nice) and a cooler with snacks waiting for you. It means you don’t have to crowd into the shuttle with other tired smelly hikers and can head into the town of Bamfield for a well-deserved burger and beer before continuing on back to Victoria or Nanaimo.
If you have two vehicles:
All three times I hiked the trail, we had a group of 3-4 people and two vehicles. We wanted to start the hike at Gordon River right after the first brief available, we wanted to stay in Port Renfrew and driver ourselves to the trail head, and we wanted a car when we finished the hike. As such, we spent the entire day pre-positioning cars. This meant driving both cars up to Pachena Bay from Victoria (4 hours), leaving one car there, and then driving back to Port Renfrew for the evening (another 4 hours). At the end of the hike, we then had to drive back to Port Renfrew to pick up the first car instead of going straight to Victoria, which added about 2 hours to the trip. However, we enjoyed the flexibility of timings and having our own car at the end with snacks, drinks and clean clothes awaiting us. Also, as there were 3 or more of us every time, this ended up being cheaper than taking the shuttle (which costs 110$ from Victoria to Bamfield and 90$ from Victoria to Port Renfrew per person).
Additionally, if you choose to start the hike at Pachena Bay, then having your own vehicle is the only way to get on the trail early in the morning (as the shuttle doesn’t arrive there until 12:30pm).
Where to stay the night before the hike:
Port Renfrew:
There are a couple of different options in Port Renfrew. The first two times I hiked the trail, we stayed at the West Coast Trail Motel. The first time was in 2004. At that time, to my knowledge, there wasn’t too many other options. The motel is located at 17310 Parkinson Rd, Port Renfrew and can be reached at
They do not have a website to my knowledge.
Since then, a new hotel has been built, the West Coast Trail Lodge, which offers 10 rooms. For more information, visit https://wildrenfrew.com/wild-renfrew-lodge/
There are also many places available through Booking.com and Air BnB. The last time I hiked the trail we stayed at a lovely house (Port Renfrew Country Cottage) that we got through Booking.com. It had a kitchen, living room (with a fire place and tv), and 3 bedrooms. As there were 4 of us, this ended up being cheaper than staying at either the West Coast Trail Lodge or the Motel.
If you prefer to stay closer to the trailhead, or would prefer to not spend as much on accommodations, Pacheedaht Campground is located right next to the Gordon River trailhead. For reservations and additional information, please visit: http://pacheedahtfirstnation.com/pacheedaht-first-nation-contact-and-links/
Bamfield:
Bamfield is split into two sections, East and West Bamfield with only East Bamfield being accessible by car. West Bamfield is located across the Bamfield Inlet and can only be accessed by boat. A water taxi runs between East and West Bamfield. There are several small motels in Bamfield, the majority of which are in West Bamfield, including Pacific Gateway Lodge and Harbourside Fishing Lodge, both of which offer water taxi service for their guests and seem lovely. Harbourside Gateway Lodge also offers transportation to and from the West Coast Trail. Other West Bamfield hotels include Mills Landing, Imperial Eagle Lodge, and McKay Bay Lodge. The Motel – Bamfield and Kingfisher Marina are located in East Bamfield. As I have not stayed in any of those places I cannot offer my personal perspective.
If you prefer to camp near Pachena Bay, the Pachena Bay Campground is located near the trailhead.
For more information about the hamlet of Bamfield, how to get there, and what it has to offer, please visit: http://vancouverisland.com/plan-your-trip/regions-and-towns/vancouver-island-bc-islands/bamfield/
Nitinaht Village
If you are starting at Nitinaht and would like to attend the 8:00am registration and catch the 9:00am ferry, you will likely need to stay at Nitinaht the night before you start the hike. Accommodation can be found at the Nitinaht Lake Motel. Camping is available at the Nitinat Lake Campground. (You may also spend the night in Port Renfrew or Victoria, then take the West Coast Trail Express shuttle and attend the 3:00pm orientation.)
Getting started:
When you arrive at West Coast Trail Information Center at the trailhead, you will need to show your reservation confirmation in order to receive your permit. You will then get an orientation, which will tell you all about the trail, all the dangers, special precautions, etc. All hikers are required to attend the orientation. At Gordon River and Pachena Bay the orientation times are 10:00am and 2:00pm (and you may attend the 2:00pm registration the day before your hike if you wish to have an earlier start). At Nitinaht Village the orientations are at 8:00am and 3:30pm. All orientations are 1 hour. At the orientation, besides lots of useful information, you will also be given a waterproof trail map and the tides for the week. These are important as certain points along the trail can only be passed at low tide if you are taking the beach route. For more information about reservations, registration and orientation times and locations, please visit: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/activ6a/ii
Please stay tuned for Part 2 of the West Coast Trail blog post, where I will go into specific details about the campsites as well as preparations and gear.