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.
Call Super Natural BC (tel. 800/435-5622 or 250/387-1642) after March 1 to schedule your entry reservation for the coming May-through-September 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$20) booking fee and C$110 (US$88) trail-use fee. If you want to try your luck, there are six daily first-come, first-served wait-list openings at each trail head information center -- Gordon River at the south end and Pachena Bay at the north end. The park service says you'll probably wait 1 to 3 days for an opening.
In and around Long Beach, numerous marked trails 1km to 3.5km (2/3 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 (2/3 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.
In 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$8) for adults, C$6 (US$4.80) for students, and C$2 (US$1.60) for children under 12. Open daily from 9am to dusk.
