Alberni-Clayoquot A, British Columbia

PARKING: Park in the Radar Hill lot on the west side of the Pacific Rim Highway, 7.3 miles (11.7 km) south of Tofino. Make sure you buy and display a parking pass at the kiosk or you will get a ticket. I have seen it happen. There is a large sign for Radar Hill so you should not miss it, but if y...

In the summer of 2016, myself and three others decided to hike the West Coast Trail (WCT) on a bit of a whim! We naively, and courageously, choose the WCT as our first major backpacking hiking trip - we thought it would be best to throw ourselves into a hike that has earned a reputation for being...

Mount Arrowsmith resides in the heart of Vancouver Island between Nanaimo and Tofino within the Alberni Valley region. At the height of 1817m this peak boasts being the tallest point on the southern half of the island. With it's easy access it is surely the most visited and summited mountain on t...

This is a gorgeous beach with so much going on. It's a quick walk from the parking lot (about .8 miles), or you can do the entire Botanical Beach Loop which is 3.5km. Go at low tide for amazing tidal pools and exploring caves if the tide is at its lowest. You can beach hop and climb up to some...

Mt. Arrowmsith's claim to fame is the tallest mountain on "southern" Vancouver Island. Standing at 1,819 m (6,000 ft), it barely squeezes into the top 50 of the Island, as it stands no chance against the peaks of Strathcona, which you can see gazing north from the summit!The advantage of Arrowsmi...

Cox Bay is best known for its surf, but for an incredible view with minimal effort, scramble your way through the forested hills on the southern end of beach to let sunset soak in. From the northern end of the beach near the parking lots/access trail, walk 1.5km south until the beach turns into f...

You can park at the public beach parking at Cox Bay Beach Resort and make your way out on to the beach. Once you are on the beach, head north until you get to the "Sunset Point" trail sign. The trail walks through the woods for ~100m until you join up with a boardwalk that takes you out to the po...

This park is a great stop right on the side of highway 4 heading to or from the Tofino area. If you are heading to Tofino on Vancouver Island, this park is hard to miss. There are signs for it and easy parking on the side of the highway. There are two loop trails on either side of the highway, an...

Cape Flattery, the most northwesterly point of the lower contiguous 48 states is accessed via an easy trail which includes many board walks and sets of stairs. Maintained by the Makah Tribe of Indains, the trail provides spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, Tatoosh Island, nearby rocky cliffs...

Green Mountain is located out in the Nanaimo Lakes area and used to be a ski hill back in the 60's. There was a lodge and even a t-bar to get you up the hill (both of which are nothing more than dilapidated remains now). The mountain's ski-based past becomes apparent as you hike up through countl...

The starting point depends a lot on the time of year and snow level. On a bad snow year you can get all the way to the old ski area base. Depending on the road conditions, however, be prepared to snowshoe/skin in anywhere from an extra 3 to 5 km (2-3 mi). The Rousseau Chute route is an alternativ...

Just minutes from downtown Tofino, Chesterman Beach is a great spot to catch the sunset, go for a run, or just walk down the beach towards Frank Island. The parking lot is just seconds from the beach.Head to the right and scramble on the rocks to find a spot near the point, or walk to the left do...

Beyond surfing, skim boarding, biking, and hiking, there are plenty of beaches to comb and coastal tide pools to explore near Tofino BC. The best rocky coastal tide pools are between North Chesterman and South Chesterman beach just 3.6 miles south of the town of Tofino. This area is also known as...

This is no walk on the beach. There are many ascents and descents that range from not so steep to hold on for your life as the mud cliff crumbles steep. You might think 200m of elevation gain isn't much, but it is a constant ascend and descend trail in the moderate-difficult sections.A high level...

The loop trail is a short 3.5km trail that is well maintained and open year round. There's negligible elevation gain and aside from the odd slippery section the trail is easily accessible for all ages and skill levels. It is definitely busy in the Spring and Summer months but is manageable in the...

The trail from Cameron Lake to the top of Mount Cokely (5302') provides the most ready access to the alpine on Southern Vancouver Island. The route is straightforward and non-technical, albeit physically challenging. Expect to spend 6-8+ hours if hiking the entire route described below (which we ...