The Juan de Fuca Ridge and the Juan de Fuca Plate, a tectonic plate underlying much of the coastline he explored, is named for the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Lots of up and down along the trail and in wet conditions all this would be extra muddy. Our mystical campsite, right on the beach, had wide views (of course), and a swing hanging from a precariously positioned down-sloping log, a waterfall going straight into the ocean, only accessible at low tide, and a little waterfall right behind our tent that soothed us to sleep and provided us with a convenient water source. We are in training to hike the Juan de Fuca trail and expect to start our trip on April 12,2013. It was lucky that we nabbed one of them, since just a moment later part of that large group came hiking back along the beach looking for a site… We had our dinner right by the beach and collected some salmon berries to supplement our oatmeal the next day. This was an introduction to the real Juan de Fuca Trail, which differs from that oh-so-easy mystical trail leading to Mystic Beach… To say that the trail is muddy is a bit deceiving, it is more like travelling directly through a Robin Hood worthy bog, in sections. The west coast of Vancouver Island can be a very wet place. Our journey north continues on the Juan de Fuca trail, this time heading from Bear Beach to Chin Beach. Especially on weekends. Located on Southern Vancouver Island, The Juan de Fuca trail is a MUST do for trail runners seeking a true coastal experience. The forest is often lush first-growth forest, miraculously saved from the saw, unlike the unlucky trees just a few hundred meters up the slope – the protected area is very narrow. We drove out via the back road to Lake Cowichan, and then to our good friends Jan and Warrick on the Cowichan River. It’s not an easy trail, so our pace was slow. The Juan de Fuca trail on Vancouver Island is a fun multi-day hiking adventure that will take you through beaches, forests, and mud pits. Getting to the trail head, on Vancouver Island, involved a 45 minute drive, a 45 minute wait for the ferry, a 1.5 hour ferry, and a 2 hour drive. Some of the hiking was along the coast, such as the next section, going north from Sombrio Beach. You don’t have to put the note on your car, the rangers actually said it was a bad idea – encourages car theft…. We tackled the Juan de Fuca from North to South and have gathered a few tips if you’re planning on hiking the trail…. Despite the Juan de Fuca Trail being a coastal hike, most of the hiking is in the forest. The trail was dry that weekend, … It is also a great warm-up/training hike for the West Coast Trail. So heavy that lifting it required an orchestrated series of moves, which ended with an impossible to suppress grunt. From log bridges to walk carefully across (one dad explained to his daughter that her ballet training would come in handy here—good balance and strong legs are required for hiking too!) Just a casual early May swim in the river... friends in high places. The Juan de Fuca trail has some sections that can be hiked on the beach. This was an introduction to the real Juan de Fuca Trail, which differs from that oh-so-easy mystical trail leading to Mystic Beach… To say that the trail is muddy is a bit deceiving, it is more like … The next day we headed on to our second camp at Bear Beach. No shoulder, full of blind corners, roller coaster hills, and plenty of traffic including lots of RVs. you may … He said that his shins were rubbing the gumboots he was wearing. I thought we had over-ordered, but we all wolfed down our food with no problems. We finally had an idea of how to find out why… by asking him! The rest of the family survived (only Maya was cold), and we celebrated with a huge meal. On this day Neil was hiking even slower than before. Home › Backpacking › Juan de Fuca Trail – Trip Report. Hikers should be prepared for uneven ground and slippery … Down at the beach, we came across a few tent sites. So tough! The Juan de Fuca Trail is a 47km thru hike on the west coast of southern Vancouver Island. Both trails can be quite technical depending on conditions, but the Juan de Fuca has multiple beach access points with parking lots. … All Rights Reserved. The Juan de Fuca trail is a much cheaper and easier to access trail than the West Coast Trail. Great for my meditation rides at 7 mph along the back lanes where I live in West Sussex. so that’s why some people hike with gaiters, or at least don’t be afraid to get muddy! The Juan de Fuca Trail continued to present us with new challenges that day. Expect hours of negotiating mud if it has rained at all, slippery … Click HERE for more details. It is also a great warm-up/training hike for the West Coast Trail. You don’t want to be pushing it the entire time, take a few minutes to stop and smell the skunk cabbage! We went back and forth, and finally decided to get up early and try to do it. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The Juan de Fuca trail stretches along the southern shore of Vancouver Island, from China beach (outside of Jordan river) to Port Renfrew. Thanks for subscribing! It’s going to cost you $10 per campsite, per night, per person. Driving along the Juan de Fuca road, while everyone else was napping, I thought back to a before-kids trip on which we had cycled this very road. Terrain is varied and can be hiked in 10 K day-trips, the most … Finally, after many months of procras, Hanging out on Hornby Island! Not as remote as the West Coast Trail (WCT), some of the … The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail was a challenging coastal experience. (And we preferred it). If you’ve already done a few overnight hiking trips and you want to push yourself a little further, the Juan de Fuca trail is an awesome next step that will take you through 4-5 days of natural wonders, waterfalls, and lots and lots of mud. In the early afternoon, we finally arrived to Botanical Beach, just one km or so from the actual end of the trail. At the beginning we also had to get used to our super-heavy packs. The Juan de Fuca Trail has plenty of ups and downs, especially on the section between China Beach and Bear Beach. In retrospect we were very glad we skipped that middle part, since especially with all the rain at the end, it felt like we “just made it” as is, no room for an extra 11kms. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Luckily we had brought another option for him, his Native sandals. The entrances from beach to forest trail … The other way around you could do Bear Beach -> Chin Beach -> Sombrio -> Car. It took some convincing to get him to step right into the mud with the semi-open and very low sandals, instead of trying to avoid it (near impossible), but eventually we gained some speed. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. I thought about how this is just a reflection of humans being remarkable in their ability to get used to difficult situations. So, we ended up hiking 36km instead of 47km, and didn’t end up using our extra day of food. The West Coast trail and Juan de Fuca trail are two multi day coastal hiking trails starting very close to one another outside the town of Port Renfrew and running in opposite directions on the … Then again, things look different from the driver’s seat…. In the meantime, I caught a ride easily into town, and spent the extra time checking my email while waiting for the shuttle. It’s famous for the extensive tide pools, so we explored a bit, under heavy rain, and hiked out. That sounded not so appealing, but after looking into it, it was actually the perfect site – off to the side, on its own, unlike the other sites that were all together. Thanks! the trail is EXTREMELY muddy. The shuttle dropped me off at the turnoff for Sombrio Beach, and I mostly ran down the road, still in heavy rain. By the time we reached Bear Beach, we were seriously doubting our ability to hike the whole trail, given our very slow pace, which often dropped to one km per hour. The Juan de Fuca Trail connects China Beach, about an hour up the coast from Victoria, to Botanical Beach just outside of Port Renfrew. Carrying all your gear as well as a 15kg (or more) toddler in any conditions would be challenging enough. It’s going to be muddy, bring hiking poles! Located on the west coast of southern Vancouver Island, Juan de Fuca … On that note, don’t pitch your tent where the tide might hit it…. The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is a strenuous, multi-day hike in a rugged and isolated environment and park users should plan accordingly. We seriously lucked out with the weather on our trip, sunny blue skies, without a single drop of rain. It was here that we were passed by a very large group, apparently with seven tents… COVID concerns aside, given that each campground there only has maybe ten reasonable sites, that seems kind of irresponsible. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Prepare for mud on the Juan de Fuca if it’s just rained a lot, the mud puddles can be big enough to swallow hiking boots whole. The West Coast Trail was. If the weatherman calls for sun, don’t trust them! The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is a great shorter less difficult alternative to the West Coast Trail. Oh, and after you’re done the trail – don’t forget to stop at Shirley Delicious for an amazing post-trail treat! The descent to Bear Beach is on a staircase that has been fashioned from a large log, and feels like it’s been taken out of The Beach. They had a cozy fire going for us, and of course some yummy home-baked desserts. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Discovery Islands: It’s a Wild World (Video), Discovery Islands Loop: Minimum Planning For the Win, Brazeau Loop and More: Two Weeks in the Rockies. Well done for being so flexible, having a good time despite the conditions, and getting everyone home safe and sound! Established as a provincial park in 1995, the Juan de Fuca Trail … Luckily our first day was short, and ended at the appropriately named Mystic Beach. Similar to the West Coast Trail but shorter and much cheaper, the Juan de Fuca trail has a similar natural setting with fewer ladders. 6 Things to know about the Juan de Fuca trail. Luckily, given the multiple access points, we could skip the next section – we hiked back out via Mystic Beach, spending another lovely and mystical night there, and back out to the car. Too late to move our tent, but we found somewhere else to cook at least. Sample itinerary: From North to South we managed to Botanical Beach -> Sombrio -> China Beach -> Mystic Beach -> Car. #boulderingr, Influencer. I so look forward to the episodes of your wonderful family adventures. On the ferry, we had the semi-mandatory soft-serve ice cream, and then enjoyed a surprise viewing of a group of dolphins. The Juan de Fuca is the lesser known trail along the west cost of canada. It rained again during the night, and some more in the morning, but it was nothing compared to what was to come. On a normal year one could probably rely on hitchhiking, but were weren’t sure that would work (or be fair) this year. Actually, it was only the hiking part that was short. 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