Trip 301 - September 7 (Thursday), 9 (Saturday), 11 (Monday) and 15 (Friday), 2023.

Juan De Fuca Trail Hike

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park

Near Sooke, BC (West of Victoria)

Page 7 of 8

Botanical Beach to (near) Parkinson Creek (km 47 to 39) and back

Juan De Fuca Trailhead Locations:

1) China Beach (easternmost) - about 37 km west of Sooke BC via Hwy 14, 75 km west of Victoria.

2) Sombrio Beach - about 58 km west of Sooke BC via Hwy 14.

3) Parkinson Creek - about 68 km west of Sooke BC via Hwy 14.

4) Botanical Beach (westernmost) - about 76 km west of Sooke BC via Hwy 14, in Port Renfrew.

Liked in General: Shoreline views, tidal pools, grottos, waterfalls, three suspension bridges, several fine forest scenes, shade in the forest, no bugs.

1) China Beach to Bear Beach - Pete Wolfe Creek suspension bridge, Mystic Beach and Bear Beach shoreline views and grottos, Mystic Beach waterfall, meeting Brandt's cormorants.

2) Sombrio Beach to Chin Beach - garbage cans at Sombrio Beach parking lot, some sand at Sombrio Beach, a few tidal pools at Chin Beach, excellent grottos (with natural ceiling art) at Chin Beach, meeting a passing seal at Chin Beach.

3) Parkinson Creek to Sombrio Beach - Minute Creek suspension bridge, waterfall view from the suspension bridge, Sombrio Beach.

4) Botanical Beach to km 39 (2 km east of Parkinson Creek) this page and page 8 - excellent tidal pools near Botanical Beach, several fine shoreline views.

Of Note in General: Camping and overnight parking fees required, high tides may cut off beach/trail access, numerous mud stretches, frequently damaged infrastructure (ladders, bridges, boardwalks), bear scat, the trail is popular, uneven ground, rocks and roots, stones of all sizes on the beach, very slippery stones in grottos and on the beach, hiking poles and boots are highly recommended. Very limited /nonexistent cell phone coverage along the trail - it might be possible to get a signal from a USA carrier (beware of roaming charges!). The entire trail is in the tsunami hazard area - head to higher ground or inland in case of an earthquake.

1) China Beach to Bear Beach - log bridge at 6.3 km is missing railing on one side, steep ladder on approach to Bear Beach.

2) Sombrio Beach to Chin Beach - Sombrio Beach location is very popular, and the parking lot is small - may have to park along the access road during busy times. Steep unbarricaded drop-off at the first waterfall viewpoint. Very slippery stones at the top of the waterfall - extreme fall hazard, do not approach.

3) Parkinson Creek to Sombrio Beach - not much to see on this stretch of Juan De Fuca Trail.

4) Botanical Beach to km 39 (2 km east of Parkinson Creek) this page and page 8 - overnight camping is not allowed on Botanical Beach parking lot, a whole lot of bear scat (much more than on the rest of the trail combined), tricky Yauh Creek log crossing, rogue waves hazard near Botanical Beach.

Vancouver Island, Victoria & Gulf Islands Backroad Mapbook (9th edition) Coordinates: Page 4 (Jordan River) C4-B4-A4 and Page 3 (Port Renfrew) G4-F3-E3-D3-C3.

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Juan De Fuca Marine Trail is a multi-day 47 km-long hike on Vancouver Island along Salish Sea between China Beach (East of Sooke BC) and Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew, BC. Both trailheads are easily accessible by vehicles via Highway 14 (West Coast Road), allowing for a one-way hike via a shuttle. Also, because there are two other vehicle-accessible locations along the trail (Sombrio Beach and Parkinson Creek), it is possible to hike Juan De Fuca Trail in series of one day hikes, which is exactly what we did. On Day 1, we hiked from China Beach to Bear Beach (km 0 to 9) and back. On Day 2, we went from Sombrio Beach to Chin Beach (not to be confused with China Beach! - km 29 to 21) and back. On Day 3, our hike was Parkinson Creek to Sombrio Beach (km 37 to 29) and back. And, on Day 4, we went from Botanical Beach to km 39 (2 km West of Parkinson Creek) and back.

Thus, we hiked the entire Juan De Fuca Trail except the part from Bear Beach to Chin Beach (km 9 to 21) and a small part between km 37 and 39. The Bear Beach to Chin Beach part was not possible to do in a day hike, and the part between km 37 and 39 was all in the forest (like the most of Juan De Fuca Trail, by the way), and we wanted to save time to explore Botanical Beach area, arguably the best part of this entire hike.

The main attractions of Juan De Fuca Trail are: three long suspension bridges, fine shoreline views at beaches and (sometimes) from the trail in the woods, wonderful tidal pools at Botanical Beach (and a few much smaller ones at other beaches), very interesting grottos at some beaches, several waterfalls, and a few interesting forest scenes. Campers would certainly enjoy spending time at the beaches (mostly made of stones, small and large), and will likely have a whole lot of other people nearby at all times aside from, perhaps, the coldest and wettest months of the year.

What surprised us is that, despite being a marine trail, the vast majority of hiking has to be done in the woods. There are no major elevation changes, so it's a fairly easy trail to hike from that perspective, but the biggest challenge comes from numerous slippery sections and rather frequently worn-out wooden infrastructure (ladders, bridges and boardwalks), presenting somewhat complicated and, sometimes, fairly dangerous conditions in many parts of the trail.

Also of note, while there are pit toilers at all the parking lots and some campsites along Juan De Fuca Trail, the garbage cans can only be found at the Sombrio Beach parking lot! There are no garbage cans at the Botanical Beach lot (there is a free public dump in Port Renfrew, open during business hours only), and none at China Beach lot either (however, there are garbage cans at China Beach campground, about 1 km east of the lot). Overnight parking and backcountry camping requires a fee. Parking around Port Renfrew is complicated. No overnight camping is allowed at the Botanical Beach lot, and there is a forest service road fairly close by (just east of Port Renfrew), but it does not have a good level spot for parking, unless you manage to find one.

Furthermore, there will likely be a whole lot of mud on this trail if you hike it at any time aside from, perhaps, late Summer and early Fall. But hiking during the drier season also means that the waterfalls along Juan De Fuca Trail (there are a few) would not be as impressive due to a much smaller volume of water.

Finally, there are no fresh water taps anywhere along the trail. Be prepared to have your water boiled or treated, especially if you plan on having a multi-day hike.

* All trail distances are based on a GPS odometer and are approximate.

175. The last but certainly not the least is the hike from Botanical Beach (the western end of Juan De Fuca Trail in Port Renfrew) east to km 39, just 2 km shy of Parkinson Creek. The reason we did not hike the last 2 km of this stretch of the trail was because it appeared to be all in the forest (as per a GPS trail map), and we wanted to go back and spend more time exploring very impressive tidal pools near the Botanical Beach. This proved to be the right decision, as the sun came out in the afternoon, making otherwise rather gloomy views that much more interesting. Here is a Google Maps location of Juan De Fuca Trail - Botanical Beach parking lot. Note a circular trail at the bottom - that's Botanical Loop Trail, covered in the next trip report. While Juan De Fuca Trail follows Botanical Loop Trail for about 1 kilometer, it's technically a separate hike. To get to Juan De Fuca Trail without hiking the entire Botanical Loop, start on the right side (if facing the map), or east side of the loop, get down to Botanical Beach and make a left turn. Juan De Fuca Trail is not shown on this map, but it's definitely there.

176. We are westbound on BC Highway 14, entering a small town of Port Renfrew at the end of this highway.

Port Renfrew welcome sign

177-178. On the corner of Highway 14 and Deering Road (which leads to Lake Cowichan) is a Canada Post outlet, as well as an electric vehicle charging station. But, quite importantly, there is a Port Renfrew branch of Vancouver Island Library, which has a free 24 hour Wi-Fi signal, especially important considering no cell phone reception (at least for Telus) in Port Renfrew. We were able to get an iffy signal from the USA at the Botanical Beach parking lot, but that came with a hefty roaming charge on top. You may also be able to get Wi-Fi at the Port Renfrew Visitor Center located on Highway 14 just east of this intersection, but the Visitor Centre is open seasonally, and it is not clear if Wi-Fi is available outside of business hours.

Port Renfrew BC

Port Renfrew library and post office

179. Just follow Highway 14 to the very end, and you will get to Juan De Fuca Provincial Park - Botanical Beach.

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park Botanical Beach sign

180. Plenty of parking here and even picnic tables and pit toilets, but no garbage cans. Free Port Renfrew public dump is available (during business hours) to dispose of any garbage, large or small. It is located by Highway 14 west of the intersection shown in photo #177.

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park Botanical Beach parking lot picnic tables

181-182. There are two trail entrances (close to each other) by the parking lot. Take the entrance on the left (east) side if you want to head straight to Juan De Fuca Trail while bypassing the rest of the Botanical Loop Trail.

183. At 650 meters from the trailhead. Juan De Fuca Trail and Botanical Loop Trail are combined here.

Juan De Fuca Trail and Botanical Loop Trail

184-185. At 860 meters you would go past a 46 km mileage marker, and would reach this information stand at 1.03 km from the trailhead. Juan De Fuca Trail continues on the left side, while Botanical Loop Trail makes a right turn. A red square in photo #185 indicates Botanical Beach parking lot, and a red circle shows our current location.

186. Juan De Fuca Trail at 1.15 km from the trailhead. The trail goes through the forest with frequent beach access points.

Juan De Fuca Trail near Port Renfrew BC Canada

187-188. At 1.68 km, we are at one such beach access point. Coordinates: N 48⁰31.456’ W 124⁰26.011’. Elevation: 10 meters.

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park British Columbia Canada

189-192. It's a very picturesque location. Left to right.

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park

193. We visited this location on the way back, and were taking a photo around here...

Hiking in Juan De Fuca Provincial Park near Port Renfrew British Columbia

194...when we stepped on this extremely slippery stone, slipped, slid down, fell into the water, and broke the camera after whacking it against the ground in the process of falling down. Good thing the hike was almost over by that time. Wet and with a broken camera...watch out for slippery stones!

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park near Port Renfrew BC

195. At 1.8 km from the Botanical Beach parking lot we have reached the 45 km marker. Just like in the previous days except for the first one (when we went west first), the following distances would be between the two mileage markers heading east.

196. Juan De Fuca Marine Trail at 70 meters between km 45 and km 44.

Port Renfrew Hiking Juan De Fuca Trail

197. And, just 30 meters later, we have reached arguably the best part of Juan De Fuca Trail - a beach with numerous fantastic tidal pools. There are a few tidal pools elsewhere, but this is THE place to be, if you are a fan of tidal pools. Coordinates: N 48⁰31.423’ W 124⁰25.850’. Elevation: 15 meters. Make sure to visit during low tide.

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park British Columbia

198. This beach heads east for about 500 meters and reconnects with Juan De Fuca Trail at coordinates: N 48⁰31.385’ W 124⁰25.681’.

Juan De Fuca Marine Trail

199-201. Let's go east, and start with these tidal pools.

Juan De Fuca Trail tidal pools

202-203. Heading further east along the beach.

Juan De Fuca Provincial Park tidal pools

204. Neat.

Tidal pools near Port Renfrew BC Canada

205-206. Please, note that it is illegal to remove any plant or living organism / organic matter from tidal pools. Also, please stay out of tidal pools to avoid contamination.

Tidal pool in Juan De Fuca Provincial Park

207. A bit further east.

Hiking in Juan De Fuca Provincial Park near Port Renfrew BC Canada

208. And another tidal pool. It's like looking into an open air aquarium with small fish, tiny crabs and other organisms going about their daily business among the kelp and stones.

Tidal Pool British Columbia

Our Juan De Fuca Trail Hike trip report concludes on Page 8.

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