Vancouver, Whistler & Vancouver Island - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 819

West Coast Trail Unit
The 75km West Coast Trail is BC's best-known hiking route. It's also one of the
toughest. It's not for the uninitiated, and there are two things you'll need to know before
tackling it: it will hurt and you'll want to do it again next year.
Winding along the wave-licked rainforest shoreline between trailhead information cen-
ters at Pachena Bay, 5km south of Bamfield on the north end, and Gordon River, 5km
north of Port Renfrew on the southern tip, the entire stretch takes between six and seven
days to complete. It's open May to September; access to the route during the mid-June to
mid-September peak season is limited to 60 overnight backpackers each day and reser-
vations ( 877-737-3783, 250-726-4453; www.reservation.pc.gc.ca ; nonrefundable reservation fee
$24.50) are required. All overnighters must pay a trail-user fee ($127.50) plus $30 to cov-
er the two short ferry crossings on the route. All overnighters must attend a 1½-hour ori-
entation session before departing. If you don't have a reservation, some permits are kept
back for a daily wait-list system.
If you don't want to go the whole hog (you wimp), you can do a day hike or even hike
half the trail from Pachena Bay, considered the easier end of the route. Overnight hikers
who only hike this end of the trail can leave from Nitinat Lake. Day hikers are exempt
from the large trail-user fee but need to get a free day-use permit at one of the trailheads.
West Coast Trailers must be able to manage rough, slippery terrain, stream crossings
and adverse, suddenly changing weather. There are also more than 100 little (and some
not-so-little) bridges and 70 ladders. Be prepared to treat or boil all water and cook on a
lightweight camping stove (you'll be bringing in all your own food). Hikers can rest their
weary muscles at any of the basic campsites along the route, most of which have solar-
composting outhouses. It's recommended that you set out from a trailhead at least five
hours before sundown to ensure you reach a campsite before nightfall - stumbling
around in the dark is the prime cause of accidents on this route.
West Coast Trail Express ( www.trailbus.com ) runs a daily shuttle (May to September)
to the trailheads. Book ahead in summer.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Ucluelet
POP 1600
Smaller and less touristy than Tofino to the north, Ucluelet (yew-klew-let) has more than
a few charms of its own and is a good reminder of what Tofino was like before the re-
sorts arrived. For some good reasons to stick around in 'Ukee' - including a dining scene