Camp at San Josef Bay

This trek allows for easy access to an incredibly picturesque, white sandy beach. The trail meanders through the lush Pacific Northwest forest for most of the trip and then follows along a beach for the last part, ending at the camping areas.

The hike begins at the Cape Scott Provincial Park parking lot and follows a well-used path for 900 meters, then takes a left turn before heading toward the beach. Follow the trail for another kilometer until you reach a fork; turn right, soon after you will cross a bridge that brings you within view of a part of the beach. The abundance of wildlife that includes bears and wolves, are common in the area, so an awareness of your surroundings is imperative. When you emerge from the forest you will find yourself on a long stretch of flat sandy beaches where the views of the surrounding bay are spectacular and provide an ideal place to stop for lunch. Camping is allowed at the first and second beaches, but the second beach located one kilometer further down offers a more secluded area.

The route to the second beach follows along the tree line of the first beach, after approximately 750 meters you will arrive at a point that divides the first and second beach. The traverse to the second beach is cut off at high tide so plan your trip accordingly. Very unique aspects to this area are the wonderful rock stacks that emerge like towering pillars from the sand. Walking through these stacks gives an almost surreal feeling.

There is a trail at the end of the second beach that leads to Mt St. Patrick. The trail up to Mt St. Patrick is nothing more than a goat path and is steep in sections. ¾ of the way up the trees start to become smaller and start to share resemblance with bonsai trees. The top of the mountain offers vistas of the surrounding beaches and bays and is a wonderful day trip from San Josef Bay.

As mentioned, wolves and bears are abundant in this area so storage of food supplies in the caches provided is extremely important, additionally, pets must be kept in sight at all times.

Thinking about making this a day hike? Check out this adventure: https://www.theoutbound.com/ca...