A recent Pacific Northwest road trip brought back memories of hiking the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island when I was in my 20s. On that occasion, I caught the ferry from metro Vancouver to Victoria, Vancouver Island, before heading off to walk part of the iconic West Coast Trail, which was a challenging but highly rewarding experience, in fact it was ‘the hike of a lifetime’.
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What is the West Coast Trail (WCT)?
The West Coast Trail is a multi-day backpacking trail along a remote coastal route on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
It’s an ancient route first used by local indigenous peoples for trade and travel. In 1907, it became the Dominion Lifesaving Trail to help with the rescue of shipwrecked sailors on this treacherous stretch of coast, which was fast gaining the nickname of ‘graveyard of the Pacific’.
Today, the West Coast Trail is part of the Pacific Rim National Reserve and is managed by Parks Canada – the WCT is 75 kms (47 miles) long and attracts over 7,500 intrepid backpackers each year.
Where does the West Coast Trail run from and to?
There are 3 entry and exit points for the West Coast Trail, each of which has camping options in case you need to stay there before you start the trail:
- Pachena Bay, near Bamfield – north
- Balaats’adt (Nitinaht Village) – midpoint
- Gordon River, near Port Renfrew – south
From memory, I caught a bus to the southern trailhead at Gordon River, near Port Renfrew, and hiked north. I cannot remember exactly where I left the trail (it was several decades ago), but recall catching a salmon hatchery boat from a small village back down the coast. As the boat did not operate every day, we had to time our walk to ensure that we reached the boat pick up village on the right day, so we had a deadline!
Today, it seems much stricter and there are no exit points other than the official ones named above, unless evacuation is required for whatever reason.
How long do you need to hike the West Coast Trail?
Obviously, this depends on several variables – fitness levels, conditions on the trail and the weather, but generally it takes 6-8 days. The rule of thumb is being:
- 2-3 nights from Pachena Bay to Nitinaht Narrows
- 4-5 nights from Nitinaht Narrows to Gordon River
Note – the advice is to allow a couple of extra days for your hiking adventure, just in case of bad weather and/or impassable rivers which require you to wait until you can cross safely.
I recall being on the West Coast Trail for around 4 nights, walking north from the Gordon River towards the Nitinaht Narrows, before needing to return to Vancouver to catch my international flight back to the UK.
What to expect on the WCT
The terrain on the WCT
The terrain on the WCT is rugged but beautiful – one minute you’re walking through dense, old-growth temperate rainforest, and the next you are walking on wild rocky beaches next to the crashing waves of the ocean. I was completely enthralled by the scenery which was majestic and mystical in equal measure.
There is a lot of rain in this area of the world, with rainfall averaging 330cm a year, so the paths on the WST can get boggy. We had to negotiate areas of thick mud on some parts of the trail paths but not to the degree where the mud comes over the top of your boots.
On the beaches, where you walk on rocks as much as on sand, some of the rocks were slippy due to wet moss or seaweed, so we had to be very careful with every step. Note – make sure that you have hiking boots with ankle support, to avoid twisting your ankle where its slippy.
There seemed to be a permanent mist or sea spray coming from the water, and some thicker fog. This made the walk very atmospheric, but also damp so it was difficult to dry our clothes once they got wet – avoid cotton and pick synthetic or merino wool materials.
Indigenous land on the WCT
Part of the West Coast Trail passes through First Nations land. We saw signs informing us that ‘You are now crossing the Nitinat Indian Reserve’ where the areas off the trail are private property, so you obviously need to stay on the paths and be respectful of that, as well as nature.
The adventure playground aspect of the West Coast Trail
There are several obstacles to negotiate on the WCT which make it feel like an adventure playground for adults (without making light of the challenges), such as:
Boardwalks – when in the forest, you will either be walking on the forest floor or on wooden boardwalks, where you need to ensure that you do not trip over tree roots or slip on wet, missing, or rotten planks. We periodically came across fallen trees which we had to navigate – climbing over, walking round or in some cases ‘through’ the tree if a way through had been made.
Step ladders – there are numerous wooden step ladders (over 100) on the WCT. Some of them are very high which can be a challenge to climb whilst carrying your heavy backpack because the weight of your backpack pulls you away from the step ladder, so make sure you don’t overload your backpack. Look out for missing rungs and be prepared to work around gaps on the ladders!
Cable cars – there are several steel cable cars which run on a manual pulley system which traverse rivers and streams. We found cable cars over dry riverbeds and some over water. Some of the cable cars worked perfectly and some were tricky to operate. Luckily, we didn’t have to wade through the water, which can be required sometimes.
Additional challenges of hiking the WCT
Wildlife encounters
There are bears in the area and so you need to follow the guidance on being ‘bear aware’. You should carry bear spray and know how to use it, and make sure to hang your food, toiletries, and smelly cooking clothes from tree branches or bear bars away from the tent. We followed all the precautions but luckily didn’t see any bears (or other dangerous animals) on the WCT trail.
Check the Parks Canada website
Refer to the Parks Canada website for more information on the challenges of hiking the WCT, including advice on tides, tsunamis, dehydration, and what to do if you get injured whilst walking the WCT.
The rewards of hiking the WCT
The West Coast Trail is incredibly beautiful, and although it welcomes several thousands of visitors each year, feels quiet and almost untouched. The blend of temperate rainforest and wild coastal views provides an unforgettable backdrop for your hike.
Walking the WCT felt like going back to basics – I loved setting up camp on the beach, lighting a fire, heating up some food and gazing at the sunset, before going to sleep with the sound of the waves crashing outside the tent or the foghorn in the distance.
I honestly can’t remember what I ate whilst walking on the trail, but no doubt it would have been light and functional (probably dehydrated) rather than anything delicious. The fact that I can’t remember the food, tells you that it probably wasn’t very nice!
Yes, the distances each day were long and there were aches and pains, but walking in silence amongst gigantic trees was calming and therapeutic. Coming across a fallen tree, boggy boardwalk, ridiculously tall step ladder or awkward pulley cable car added an extra layer of interest and challenge to the hike.
Important to know about the WCT
Here are some things which are important to know about the West Coast Trail:
- The route is only open between 1 May and 30 September each year.
- I hiked the trail at the start of September.
- The route is regarded as a ‘challenging hike’ (I can vouch for that!) so you need to be fit and well to attempt the WCT.
- I had young legs and had just been hiking in the Rockies, so probably was fairly fit at the time.
- There are no facilities on the WCT, so you need to be a self-sufficient and experienced hiker to complete the trail.
- I wasn’t hugely experienced but had gained some experience of wild camping and taking bear precautions in the Rockies.
- You need reservations and national park permits to undertake the WCT (see below).
Preparations for hiking the West Coast Trail (WCT)
Read the Parks Canada website for up-to-date information on the WCT
The Parks Canada website offers a very thorough overview of the WCT and all the preparations you need to make in advance of your trip. I would have been grateful for all this information but had to rely on reading a book about walking the WCT and then asking lots of questions when I got to the trailhead!
Watch the Mandatory West Coast Trail Primer Video
A mandatory West Coast Trail Primer Video was introduced in 2024 with hikers’ wellbeing and safety in mind. You can either watch this video on-line, or at one of the trailhead centres.
Work out your travel plans for the start and end of the WCT
Working out the logistics of getting to and from the WCT trailheads can be tricky and needs some good planning:
- There is a bus, West Coast Trail Express, which takes 2 hours to get to the Gordon River Trailhead from Victoria. The West Coast Trail Express also connects the trailheads and continues to Bamfield in the north.
- If you are driving, there are car parks at the trail heads, but then you need to think about transport to get back to your car at the end of the hike – unless you have 2 cars and can leave one at each trailhead, this will probably be on the West Coast Trail Express
- Use taxis to get from Port Renfrew, or Bamfield, to the respective trailheads.
At the start trailhead for your hike
When you arrive at the WCT trailhead to start your hike:
- Register your hiking party at the WCT trailhead on the day before your departure.
- Pick up your WCT Backcountry Use Permits.
- Buy your National Park Entry Pass to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, which you need to carry with you on the WCT.
- Collect maps and information about key elements, such as, tide times, weather conditions, wildlife sightings, maintenance work on or damage to the trail.
Think about costs
The costs of hiking the West Coast Trail can add up as you will need to pay for:
- Reservation fee (to be allowed to buy a permit)
- Permit fee for the WCT
- Ferry crossings, where required – see Parks Canada wesbite
- National Park Entry Fee (Pacific Rim National Reserve)
- Travel from one trailhead to another at the end of the hike
- Onward travel from the trailhead – bus, taxis, fuel for car
Current rates and estimates mean that it could cost 500-600 CAD (£300) to complete the WCT.
Don’t miss the reservations opening in January!
Parks Canada now limits the number of overnight hikers each day on the WCT to prevent overcrowding and help reduce environmental damage, so you need to make reservations in advance.
Apparently, it can be quite a challenge (or lottery) to make successful reservations, either through the Parks Canada website, or on the phone to the Parks Canada Call Centre. Reservations open in January for the WCT season ahead.
Advice to make successful reservations for the WCT includes:
- Making a Parks Canada Booking Account in advance of the reservations opening to speed up your check out process.
- Be on-line by 8.00am on the day reservations open, and ready to press the reserve button.
- Have the required information ready to input when you make the reservation on behalf of you and your hiking group.
- If you are not successful in making a reservation, sign up to a Cancellation App which will alert you should slots become available, or join the West Coast Trail Facebook Group in case anyone is selling their slots.
Don’t miss the opportunity to try hiking the WCT – from my experience, the sense of achievement from hiking the trail was immense, and I didn’t even attempt the whole trail.
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