Juan De Fuca Hikes
When most people think of amazing backpacking trails in Vancouver Island, they typically think about the legendary West Coast trail in the Pacific Rim National Park. However, there are other backpacking trails that are equally good such as the Nootka trail, the North Coast trail and the Juan de Fuca Marine trail. Located in the South West corner of Vancouver Island, the Juan de Fuca Marine trail is named for the strait between Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia in Canada and Washington state in America.
There’s also a fascinating bit of history on how the Juan de Fuca strait got its name. Ioannis Phokas or Juan de Fuca (the Spanish translation of his name) was a Greek Mariner in the service of the King of Spain – Philip II, during the 16th century. He was obsessed with finding the semi-mythical Strait of Anan, a strait said to connect the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The real deal was discovered by an explorer (Vitus Bering) in the Russian empire in 1728 & is now known as Bering Strait. The strait separates modern day Russia from Alaska, and is just 51 miles at its narrowest point. It is widely acknowledged that this was the land bridge (called Beringia) that humans used to migrate from Asia to North America.
Back in 1592, Juan de Fuca claimed to have found the Strait of Anan. Except, his latitude coordinates matched more closely with the present day Juan de Fuca Strait, and not the Bering Strait. When Captain Charles William Barkley, an English maritime fur trader set sail his ship – the Imperial Eagle, and rediscovered the strait in 1787, he named it in honor of Juan de Fuca.
At 47 kilometers, the Juan de Fuca Marine trail picks up where the West Coast trail ends and is a relatively easier trail to do. It is ideal as an entry level backpacking trip and offers spectacular natural beauty, excellent hikes, and marine wildlife viewing. You will constantly run into old growth forest, waterfalls, rugged beaches and tide pools in your hikes here.
While the whole trail typically takes 4 days to complete, there are multiple access points to the trail to allow you to customize the sections you want to do or pick up short day hikes to glorious beaches. All four of these access points are right on the beautiful highway 14 that meanders the coastline – Botanical Beach, Parkinson Creek, Sombrio Beach and China Beach.
Considerations
- The trail is just under an hour and a half from Victoria, BC on highway 14.
- There are no facilities throughout the trail. The last place to stock up would be Sooke (if you are starting from the East) or Port Renfrew (if you are starting from the West).
- Don’t be carried away by the short distances for the hikes to beaches. The terrain is very rugged here, and the hikes can vary in complexity from moderate to very difficult.
- Even though the park is open 365 days a year, the best time to visit would be June through September.
- The park tends to get rain drenched often, so be prepared for wet weather and slippery & muddy trail conditions. Good hiking shoes, and rain jackets are highly recommended.
- There is no cellphone signal throughout the park, and you will need to be self sufficient on visits here.
My favorite day hikes:
1. Sombrio Beach
Massive waves perpetually crash onto the shore of the crescent shaped Sombrio Beach, making it a famed windsurfing destination in Vancouver island. The beach is popular with both hikers and surfers alike. Wildlife is abundant as well, with animals trying to feed off kelp strewn around the beach.
From its parking lot, the Sombrio Beach Trail is just a short 0.9 mile out and back hike with 72 feet of elevation gain. The first part of the hike is through a wide crushed gravel trail down the hill (it is definitely much easier getting to the beach than returning to your car). Keep walking until you see the trail fork, with a sign pointing to the left to “East Sombrio” and right to the “Kuitshe Creek”. Turn left.
Shortly thereafter, you should see the forest open up to a spectacular rocky beach with tents and driftwood everywhere.
And now on to the best feature of this beach, something so hidden that few locals know about – a cave that opens up to a hidden waterfall!
To find it, you’ll need to do a bit of searching. It isn’t terribly hard to locate, but is easy to miss if you are not paying attention.
Head left on the beach and walk a short distance until you see a tiny creek emptying into the ocean from the forest growth to your left. Follow the creek up the hill. You will have to be careful here – the path is both rocky & highly slippery, and at certain places you might need to step into the cold creek itself.
You’ll finally reach the entrance to a lush green moss covered cavern. Nothing prepares for you the incredible sight inside – a gigantic waterfall crashing on to the floor with full force from high above. The brilliant contrast of the sheer whites of the waterfall and the shimmering emerald of the grotto make it an instagram worthy shot. We clicked away to our heart’s content and spent a few moments in silent amazement at this surreal natural wonder before heading back.
2. Mystic Beach
When I was living in Victoria, I had spent many a Saturdays on this beach gazing out at the beautiful coastline. Mystic Beach is one of the most scenic beaches in the Juan De Fuca area, and the hike is as pretty as the beach itself. With an elevation gain of 200 feet, the hike is just a 2.5 miles round trip, and is very family friendly.
The trail is unmarked but is easy to follow and well maintained. The hike is through a lush green rainforest and it does tend to get swampy at places, especially during the rainy season. Once you get to the beach, the scenery is incredible with views stretching out to the rugged coastline and the mountains of the Olympic National park in Washington. You will also find a rope dangling up from the cliff above right next to a tiny waterfall. Give yourself at least three hours to do the hike and spend time at the beach.
3. Botanical Beach
Depending on where you start, Botanical Beach is at the start or the end of the Juan De Fuca Marine Trail. A short easy walk from the trailhead, the entire loop is about 2.15 miles and is a must-visit. Both sunsets and sunrises are gorgeous here. Most of the hike is through a beautiful temperate rainforest before finally opening up to a very rocky beach.
At low tide, the beach comes alive with spectacular tide pools. You will feel like you are on a treasury chest hunt – each tide pool with its own set of resplendent sea life. Sea Cucumbers, limpets, starfish, sea urchins, barnacles, sea anemones, chitons, periwinkles, mussels, you will find them all here. While the tide pools are a fantastic way to see sea life up close, please take care not to touch or disturb the sea life in any way. Also, if you can’t fight the urge to dip your hands, make sure you wash them thoroughly before doing so. Chemicals in bug spray and hand lotions can cause immense harm to the sea life. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos, and leave the tide pools intact for others after you to cherish.
