Juan de Fuca Trail
Contents
Introduction
The Juan de Fuca trail was built in 1996 as part of the Commonwealth games legacy in Victoria. The trail starts just north of Sooke and ends in Port Renfrew. The trail is 47 KM of beach and rain forest hiking. The trail can be done in either 4 or 5 days.
Access, Permits and Fees
The trail is not a loop; so you should arrange for transportation at either end. The South to North route seems to be the most popular. There is bus service that runs daily.
Itinerary
Day 1
- China Beach Trail Head to Bear Beach (9 KM - 4 hours)
- Some beach hiking to start; then into the rain forest with lots of switch backs.
Day 2
- Bear Beach to Chin Beach (13 KM - 6 hours)
- This is by far the most difficult section of the trail. There are 16 rivers to cross, each one requires a steep uphill climb to a river crossing, then a steep downhill back to the trail.
- Note: There is an optional 10KM return hike to the Sealion Caves.
Day 3
- Chin Beach to Sombrio Beach (7 KM 3.5 hours)
- Sombrio Beach to Kuitsche Creek (5 KM 2.5 hours)
- Kuitsche Creek to Parkinson Creek (4 KM 2 hours)
- Sombrio Beach is very nice; if you are doing the 5 day itinerary then stop hear and enjoy a day on the beach; otherwise press on to either Kuitche or Parkinson campsites.
Day 4
- Parkinson Creek to Botanical Beach (10 KM 4 hours)
- This is a very nice section of the trail; one with lots of water access and nice views of the ocean. Make sure to leave time to explore Botanical Beach at the end of the hike. Note: The bus leaves from Port Renfrew which is about a 1 hour walk from the Beach.
