Hesquiat Trail

This trail is on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It's jsut south of the Nootka trail, and on the northern border of Clayoqout Sound. It goes around the Hesquiat Pennisula.

Trailhead is usually Escalante Bay. Access is either by float plane or water taxi, from Gold River or Tofino. I found it to be cheapest to go by float plane from Gold River (Air Nootka).

+0.0km Drop off in Escalante Bay. Plenty of camping options.

+5.0km Small surge channel. Easily passable at tides below 2m. Higher tides make crossing tricky.

+9.5km Barcester Bay. Nice campsite. Main creek remains brackish quite aways upstream. There is a small partially hidden waterfall near the northern side of the Bay that is a better water source.

+14.5km There is apparently a cabin somewhere in this cove (in the forest).

+15.5km Homais Cove. Nice campsite. Small stream for water. May have to hike into thick young forest to ger good flow.

+17.0km A boulder field begins. It continues on for ~11km. There are some sections with exposed tidal shelf, some sections covered in logs and the size of the boulders varies throughout.

+19.0km Estevan Point Lighthouse. This point has the distinction of being the only point in Canada shelled during WWII, supposedly by the Japanese.

+21.0km Small stream and possible campsite. Grassy area, but boulder's underlay the grass.

+21.0km-24.0km There should be another small stream somewhere in this section.

+24.0km Very small stream and possible campsite. There is barely enough beach to camp on at a 3.7 m tide. Any higher wouldn't work. The stream is just a trickle on the sand and isn't much better in the forest. Might not exist in summer. (This was in May during a rainstorm)

+27.0km Hesquiat Village (IR). Only one family still lives here. There is a small stream just past the "village" that was no problem to cross at low tide, but may be more difficult at high tide. Allegedly there is a birdge upstream on the IR.

+28.0km Approxiamte end of boulder field.

+34.0km Teahmit IR. Nice campsites by two streams. Better water at nothern stream.

+35.0km Le Claire Point Easier to round at low tide. Apparently there is a bypass trail.

+36.0km Bypass Trail.

+37.0km Possible campsite in forest. Not much beach at high tide. Water from creek is brackish. Bypass trail at end of cove.

+41.0km Boat Basin. Cougar Annie's Garden. Camping possible on beach.

+43.0km Hesquiat Lake Dock (decrepit) The is where Air Nootka will pick you up if that is your chosen transport.