Hiking the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada
Linda Coss | Published on 7/13/2024
Our 2024 summer cycle trip to the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada became a hiking adventure when the weather turned into west coast wet!
Our destination was a recently opened 40 km (almost 25 mile) paved trail from Ucluelet to Tofino (two small towns along the coast), which traverses the peninsula within Clayoquot Sound. The area is characterised by wild natural scenery including lakes, inlets and ancient rainforest. Sandy beaches with year-round surfing facilities, for which Tofino is famous, are also part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
The hike we chose in lieu of cycling was called the Ancient Cedars Loop, which showcases old-growth Sitka spruce, western hemlock and giant red cedars (the oldest trees on the peninsula). Two behemoths are estimated to be over 800 years old and one measures more than 12 meters around at its base. Please note our photos give some sense of the wild beauty of the area.