Canada’s magnificent Pacific Coast hike that’s perfect if you’re short on time

Vancouver Island could be the perfect territory for summer hiking. The climate is mild and the scenery spellbinding, from the populated south with its easy-to-access beaches to the wild, windswept north and its whale-rich waters, via mountains, waterfalls and a lot of forest across its 460km length. There are many long-distance trails that showcase its many splendours, including the epic 800km Vancouver Island Trail along its spine, the challenging 58km North Coast Trail and the 75km back-country West Coast Trail. However, I am on the island for just five days, so instead I have come to the west coast to walk the Wild Pacific Trail, a more digestible 8km track. It starts in the small town of Ucluelet on a peninsula that dangles above a coastline known as the graveyard of the Pacific, due to the treacherous and unpredictable weather conditions that have caused thousands of shipwrecks over the centuries. Shorts The trail showcases this breathtaking coast, where the Pacific Ocean meets the edge of one of the world’s largest intact temperate rainforests, alongside beaches littered with huge pieces of smooth, bleached driftwood. The trail is more manageable at 8km long (Photo: Mark Sissons) The gravel path is split into three accessible sections (no need to pack heavy walking boots) that cut through this rainforest and can be completed in a single day – a flat 2.5km loop at the end of the peninsula, a more hilly 5km coastal trail and a short loop through cedar forest. For a hiker who is prone to overlooking the journey in pursuit of the destination, the modest length of this trail leaves plenty of time to pause and enjoy the quintessential Canadian outdoors. I set off on the largely flat path of the Lighthouse Loop – the original section of the path just 2km from the town at the southern peninsula – in fog. It is atmospheric but I am soon under bright blue skies, protected from the offshore wind by majestic trees that line the entire trail. And what trees: from ancient red cedars that have existed for more than 1,000 years and measure more than 12m around their base, to towering sitka spruce over 100m tall and western hemlock decorated with tiny cones, the Wild Pacific Trail is a delight for dendrophiles. The trail emerges to reveal the first vista of the Pacific and the Amphitrite Point Lighthouse on the rocky shoreline – a vital warning beside the churning ocean that plummets to depths of 60m just offshore, with frequent winter storms battering the rocky coastline. I head to Brown’s Beach on the edge of Ucluelet and the Rocky Bluffs section of the trail, which includes the Ancient ­Cedars Loop and the Artist Loops. At 5km, this is the longest continuous stretch and it feels much wilder. The trail alternates between hugging the coastline and detouring inland, where fallen trunks covered in ferns and neon green moss provide homes for new growth. A wolf on Vancouver Island (Photo: Destination British Columbia) The trail was conceived by fisherman “Oyster Jim” Martin. From the US, he moved to the area in 1979 and was struck by this picturesque coastline. He first proposed a trail for others to enjoy the area’s beauty in 1980, but it wasn’t until 1999 that the Lighthouse Loop opened. “It’s not a cookie-cutter path,” Tanya Nestoruk, a trail ambassador, tells me. “He bushwacked through this unforgiving landscape to highlight particular views and trees.” Martin is still involved with the committee overseeing the trail. At the western end of the coastal section, the Artist Loops include painters’ perches for anyone inspired by the turbulent water and big sky. The route rolls over small hills and stairs (there is also a “stroller bypass” dog-leg option) and, while it may require a bit more effort, it is here that I enjoy the most dramatic vistas of the wild Pacific. When the sun emerges, the ocean’s colours range from turquoise to cobalt to ice blue. Creaking, shifting and squeaking timber is a recurring sound, but more dramatic is the Pacific thundering on to the rocks. At one point, a bald eagle soars overhead, making a noise like a bicycle in urgent need of oiling while, in the distance, industrious woodpeckers drum away. I catch the faint buzz of a hummingbird, while bold American robins with their bright orange breasts make regular appearances, as does the adorably plump, black-masked cedar waxwing. Despite the existence of bears, sea wolves and cougars along this stretch of coastline and across the island – I spot a sign warning of a wolf in the area – they are rarely seen around the trail. Amphitrite Point Lighthouse on the Wild Pacific Trail (Photo: AutumnSkyPhotography/Getty/iStockphoto) “Wolves were almost hunted to the point of extinction on Vancouver Island until we learned that they have a key role in our ecosystem,” explains Nestoruk. “Here, we’re in a single territory of just six wolves that runs from Ucluelet to Tofino – about 40km. The past two years it was a male and a female, but then they had four cubs. Those cubs are teenagers now and starting to get curious, approaching dogs that are off-leash.” It is a similar story with bears and ­cougars. “They’re really shy and elusive – it’s rare that you’d see them,” she says. What I do spot are several solo walkers, alongside couples and groups of all ages and I enjoy conversation with trail walkers from the US, Germany and Canada. The trail is well-trodden and offers a taste of wilderness in a reasonably contained way that makes it ideal for both novice and more experienced walkers. The team behind the Wild Pacific Trail also runs free, naturalist-guided walks. I join a rock-pool and beach exploration session on log-strewn Long Beach, just below my lodgings at the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort. It is an opportunity to reconnect with a sense of wonder and curiosity that’s often missing from adult life. Nestoruk’s enthusiasm and knowledge are infectious – she has us all marvelling at iridescent seaweed, crustaceans and rockweed. The goal is to connect the Wild Pacific Trail with the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, around 5km up the coast. “I start from impossible and work backwards from there,” Oyster Jim said about creating this hike. I leave this special place with a renewed respect for the natural world and the people working to protect it. Getting there The writer was a guest of WestJet, which flies from Heathrow to Calgary, where domestic flights connect to Victoria on Vancouver Island. From here, it is a glorious four-hour drive to Ucluelet. Alternatively, fly direct to Vancouver with Air Canada, take the ferry to Nanaimo and drive 90 minutes to Ucluelet. Where to stay The Wild Pacific Trail runs through the grounds of the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, a hotel perched above Long Beach and enjoying views of the Pacific Ocean. Doubles from £130, blackrockresort.com More information supernaturalbc.comwildpacifictrail.com