Hiking the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
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The Juan de Fuca Trail is a 47km marine trail that starts at multiple areas (China Beach or Botanical Beach being 2 of the popular). Starting at Botanical is about a 3 day trek to the other end of this 1-way route. Plenty of chances to see wildlife, from bears to whales. Dense rainforests and changing eco-systems along this west coast hike. Duration: Multiple days.
This is no walk on the beach. There are many ascents and descents that range from not so steep to hold on for your life as the mud cliff crumbles steep. You might think 200m of elevation gain isn't much, but it is a constant ascend and descend trail in the moderate-difficult sections.
A high level of fitness and experience is required because if you hurt yourself, it’s a hard walk to get out of the trail, sometimes 10km of walking through mud and forests with no cell reception to call for help.
Beach walking is possible in a few 1-2km stretches, but keep an eye on tide forecasts.
We backpacked and hiked the trail, while some people packed in surfboards to surf the Pacific swells in the evenings. Our highlight was just chilling in the evening, resting our weary feet and watching the campfire burn.
If you're going, note that even if the weather has been beautiful for weeks, it is constantly muddy on these trails. The rainforest climate of the Pacific Northwest coast means the weather can change in an instant as well.
Always set up camp on high ground, know your tide changes, and understand the distances from one camp to the next. Be sure to pay for parking and get your camping permit at the same time at any of the trailheads.
On the drive back to Victoria BC, stop in Sooke at the 17 Mile House. Amazing carbs and beer after a long hike and sometimes music bingo!
Before you go, google and print a Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Map (found on the BC Parks Website).
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