The week before embarking on the more remote West Coast Trail, a friend and I did the Juan de Fuca trail on Vancouver Island.
The Juan de Fuca trail is a much cheaper and easier to access trail than the West Coast Trail. Both trails can be quite technical depending on conditions, but the Juan de Fuca has multiple beach access points with parking lots. So if you need to bail on the trail, it’s a much more viable option.
The West Coast trail has three land access points and that’s it. One of the reasons the trail fee is so high is to provide funds for helicopter rescues, which if something happens and you do need to be air-lifted out, you will not be charged for. That being said, I’m glad I did both!
There are tons of detailed guides online comparing the two, as well a bunch of resources from the Provincial (Juan de Fuca Trail) and National (West Coast Trail) Parks websites. If you’re considering one or both, I highly enjoyed them both but would definitely recommend some backpacking experience as a requirement for the West Coast Trail.
Now on to the fun stuff! See below for some pictures of the trail!
It’s hard to say much more about the trail the pictures don’t already show. We went in June, 2018 and were extremely lucky with the weather. Being on the West Coast, rain is a very real possibility and when that happens the trail turns to absolute mud. Even with a few dry days, the trail still had some pretty muddy but passable sections.
I may be a little biased, but I think Vancouver Island is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and getting out of the city to enjoy nature is the best way to experience it!