Vancouver Island

For all of these areas; Black Bears - and in some cases Grizzly Bears - are common; be bear aware. For information on bears in a specific area, contact park staff. For general guidelines on bear safety, visit the Parks Canada 'You Are in Bear Country' page at: http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/docs/pc/guide/nature/nature02_e.asp

Strathcona Provincial Park

Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island is B.C.'s oldest provincial park. This park offers many possibilities for multi-day backpacking trips. The two most common points to access the park are:

From Courtenay via Forbidden Plateau (gravel road) or Mount Washington downhill ski area.
From Campbell River to Buttle Lake (in Strathcona Park) area where there are several trailheads.

The elevation changes you can expect are less drastic in the Forbidden Plateau / Mount Washington area. If accessing the park from the Buttle Lake area, it is almost possible - after a significant elevation gain (eg. 1,000 metres is not uncommon) - to walk along ridge tops for days.

View of Buttle Lake from Flower Ridge Trail

West Coast Trail

This trail is in Pacific Rim National Park on the west coast of Vancouver Island and extends from Port Renfrew to Bamfield. The trail was originally constructed to assist in rescues shipwreck victims along this rugged piece of coastline. The distance - one-way - from Port Renfrew (west of Victoria) to Bamfield (west of Port Alberni) is about 75 kilometres. This is a difficult route and it can be very wet and muddy. Locals sometimes refer to the area as the "Wet Coast". Be prepared for adverse and VERY VERY WET weather conditions that can occur. This is a strenuous hike and recommended only for experienced backpackers.

Access to the trail is controlled by the National Park: ONLY 60 HIKERS ARE ALLOWED TO START DAILY, 26 AT THE PORT RENFREW END, 26 AT THE BAMFIELD END AND 8 AT NITNAT LAKE. A mandatory Trail User Fee is also charged for each hiker (Individual adult: $ 70.00, School and Not-for-Profit Groups doing the trail between May 1 and May 15: $ 30.00). Reservations are also available - and strongly recommended - for an additional charge of $ 25.00. Contact Pacific Rim National Park (see the "References and Further Information" page on this web site for a link to the Parks Canada website) to confirm trail fees, access restrictions, etc. before arriving .

If you find the above too much to deal with, there are other alternatives on Vancouver Island that offer a similar experience. Two to consider are:

Juan de Fuca Provincial Park:
This park is more or less an extention of the West Coast Trail but, DOES NOT actually connect with it. The 47 kilometre - one-way - trail extends from China Beach (just west of Jordan River) to Botany Bay near Port Renfrew. This is a strenuous hike and recommended only for experienced backpackers. Be prepared for adverse and VERY VERY WET weather conditions that can occur. A camping permit is required for each night from BC Parks. These fees are payable by self-registration at trailheads, bring exact change. For further information, contact BC Parks (see the "References and Further Information" page on this web site for a link to the BC Parks website).
Cape Scott Provincial Park:
This park is located at the very northern end of Vancouver Island (i.e. 563 kilometres from Victoria, 68 kilometres west of Port Hardy). This is a rugged and magnificent area with many kilometers of ocean views including about 23 kilometres of beaches. This is a strenuous hike and recommended only for experienced backpackers. Be prepared for adverse and VERY VERY WET weather conditions that can occur. A camping permit is required for each night from BC Parks. These fees are payable by self-registration at trailheads, bring exact change. For further information, contact BC Parks (see the "References and Further Information" page on this web site for a link to the BC Parks website).