Active Pursuits

The Hike of a Lifetime: the West Coast Trail

The rugged West Coast Trail has gained a reputation as one of the world's greatest extreme hiking adventures. Each year, about 9,000 people tackle the entire challenging 75km (47-mile) route, and thousands more hike the very accessible 11km (6 3/4-mile) oceanfront stretch at the northern trail head near Bamfield. Imperative for the full hike are a topographic map and tidal table, stamina for rock climbing as well as hiking, and advanced wilderness-survival and minimum-impact camping knowledge. Go with at least two companions, pack weatherproof gear, and bring 15m (50 ft.) of climbing rope per person. Only 52 people per day are allowed to enter the main trail (26 from Port Renfrew, 26 from Bamfield), and registration with the park office is mandatory. Most people make the hike in 5 to 7 days.

The West Coast Trail land is temperate coastal rainforest dominated by old-growth spruce, hemlock, and cedar. The topography ranges from sandy beaches to rocky headlands and wide sandstone ledges. Caves, arches, tidal pools, and waterfalls add variety to the shoreline.

If you hike the trail from May 1 through June 14 or September 16 to September 30, which the park service considers shoulder season, you no longer need reservations. Simply show up at one of the trail information centers at Gordon River in the south or Pachena Bay in the north, attend the orientation session, and set off. You will need reservations if you intend to hike the trail in high season, from June 15 through September 15. Call Super Natural BC (tel. 800/435-5622 or 250/387-1642) after April 1 to schedule your entry reservation for the coming high season. In summer, you can also contact the parks service (tel. 250/728-3234 or 250/647-5434; www.pc.gc.ca) for information. Make your reservations as early as possible. There's a C$25 (US$25/£13) booking fee and C$129 (US$129/£65) trail-use fee. If you want to try your luck, there are 10 daily first-come, first-served wait-list openings at each trail head information center. The park service says you'll probably wait 1 to 3 days for an opening.

Diving the Graveyard of the Pacific

The waters off the park's West Coast Trail are known throughout the world as "the graveyard of the Pacific." Hundreds of 19th- and 20th-century shipwrecks silently attest to the hazards of sailing without an experienced guide in these unforgiving waters. Underwater interpretive trails narrate the history of the area -- rated among the world's best by The Cousteau Society. Follow the links at www.3routes.com for an index of diving outfitters that serve Vancouver Island dive sites.

Tofino

Fishing -- Sportfishing for salmon, steelhead, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden char, halibut, cod, and snapper is excellent off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Jay's Clayoquot Ventures (tel. 888/534-7422 or 250/725-2700; www.tofinofishing.com) organizes fishing charters throughout the Clayoquot Sound area. Deep sea, and both saltwater and freshwater flying-fishing excursions, are offered. The company supplies all the gear, a guide, and a boat. Prices start at a minimum of C$110 (US$110/£55) per hour, with a minimum of 5 hours. A 10-hour fishing trip for four people on an 8m (25-ft.) boat costs C$995 (US$995/£498). A nonresident saltwater or freshwater license is available at tackle shops, which also carry BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide, BC Sport Fishing Regulations Synopsis for Non-Tidal Waters, and the BC Fishing Directory and Atlas.

Hiking -- In and around Long Beach, numerous marked trails 1 to 3.5km (.66 mile-2 miles) long take you through the thick temperate rainforest edging the shore. The Gold Mine Trail (about 3.5km/2 miles long) near Florencia Bay still has a few artifacts from the days when a gold-mining operation flourished here. The partially boardwalked South Beach Trail (less than 1.5km/1 mile long) leads through the moss-draped rainforest onto small quiet coves like Lismer Beach and South Beach, where you can see abundant life in the rocky tidal pools. The 1km (.66-mile) Schooner Beach Trail, just south of Tofino, passes through mature rainforest before dropping onto scenic Schooner Beach, at the northern end of the park's Long Beach. The Big Cedar Trail, on Meares Island, is a 3km (2-mile) boardwalked path that was built to showcase the old-growth forest. Maintained by the Tla-o-qui-aht band, the trail has a long staircase leading up to the Hanging Garden Tree, which is said to be between 1,000 and 1,500 years old. Many Tofino outfitters offer tours and boat transportation to the trail.

Nearer to town, the paths in the 5-hectare (12-acre) Tofino Botanical Gardens, 1084 Pacific Rim Hwy. (tel. 250/725-1220; www.tofinobotanicalgardens.com), meander past theme gardens and old-growth forest and wind down to Tofino Inlet. Admission is C$10 (US$10/£5) for adults, C$6 (US$6/£3) for students, and free for children under 12. Open daily from 9am to dusk.

Kayaking -- Perhaps the quintessential Clayoquot experience, and certainly one of the most fun, is to slip into a kayak and paddle out into the sound. For beginners, half-day tours to Meares Island (usually with the chance to do a little hiking) are an especially good bet. For rentals, lessons, and tours, try Pacific Kayak, 606 Campbell St., at Jamie's Whaling Station (tel. 250/725-3232; www.tofino-bc.com/pacifickayak). The Tofino Sea-Kayaking Company, 320 Main St., Tofino (tel. 800/863-4664 or 250/725-4222; www.tofino-kayaking.com), offers kayaking packages ranging from 4-hour paddles around Meares Island (from C$68/US$68/£34 per person) to weeklong paddling and camping expeditions. Instruction by experienced guides makes even your first kayaking experience a comfortable, safe, and enjoyable one.

Guides from the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation also give tours on oceangoing canoes. Tla-ook Cultural Adventures (tel. 877/942-2663 or 250/725-2656; www.tlaook.com) offer paddle trips with commentary by Native guides to Meares Island (C$64/US$64/£32 per person) and other Clayoquot Sound destinations. Daylong paddle excursions explore traditional hunting and fishing grounds and end with a salmon feast (C$140/US$140/£70 per person).

Surfing -- The big lashing waves that the Pacific delivers to Long Beach have become popular with surfers. A number of businesses have sprung up to address the needs of surfers, including Pacific Surf School, 440 Campbell St. (tel. 888/777-9961 or 250/725-2155; www.pacificsurfschool.com), which offers lessons and camps for beginners, plus rentals and gear sales. A 3-hour group lesson is C$79 (US$79/£40); private lessons are also available. Live to Surf Inc., 1180 Pacific Rim Hwy. (tel. 250/725-4464; www.livetosurf.com), is Tofino's oldest surf shop, since 1984. It also has the largest selection of new and used boards, and offers lessons and advice on local beaches. For a wave report for Tofino, plus photos of Canada's top surfers, check out the very cool website www.surfcanada.ca.

Whale-Watching, Nature Tours & birding -- A number of outfitters conduct tours through this region inhabited by gray whales, bald eagles, porpoises, bears, orcas, seals, and sea lions. In addition, Hot Springs Cove, accessible only by water, is a natural hot spring 67km (41 miles) north of Tofino. Take a water taxi, sail, canoe, or kayak up to Clayoquot Sound to enjoy swimming in the steaming pools and bracing waterfalls. A number of kayak outfitters and boat charters offer trips to the springs.

March to October, Jamie's Whaling Station, 606 Campbell St., Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0 (tel. 800/667-9913 or 250/725-3919; www.jamies.com), uses a 20m (65-ft.) power cruiser as well as a fleet of Zodiacs for tours to watch the gray whales. In addition to whale-watching and hot springs expeditions, Seaside Adventures (tel. 888/332-4252 or 250/725-2292; www.seaside-adventures.com) offers bear-watching trips from May through September. Fares for both companies' expeditions generally start at C$80 (US$80/£40) per person for a 2- or 3-hour tour; customized trips can run as high as C$250 (US$250/£125) per person for a full day.

March to November, Remote Passages, Meares Landing, 71 Wharf St. (tel. 800/666-9833 or 250/725-3330; www.remotepassages.com), runs daily 2 1/2-hour whale-watching tours in Clayoquot Sound on Zodiac boats, costing C$79 (US$79/£40) for adults and C$59 (US$59/£30) for children under 12. The company also conducts a 7-hour whale-watching/hot springs trip at C$110 (US$110/£55) for adults and C$89 (US$89/£45) for children under 12. Reservations are recommended.

For bird-watchers, the protected waters of Clayoquot Sound and the beaches of Pacific Rim National Park offer fantastic birding opportunities. Just Birding (tel. 250/725-2520; www.justbirding.com) offers a range of bird-watching adventures, from walking tours of the beaches to paddle trips to bald eagle habitat to boat tours for offshore pelagic birding. Guided trips begin at C$79 (US$79/£40) per person.