Victoria has a staggering number of hiking trails that almost always reach something amazing.. and radically different. From Goldstream Park's spawning salmon to the marvellous Goldstream Train Trestle. You can hike dozens of beautiful, coastal kilometres in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park and East Sooke Regional Park. Victoria is a hiker's paradise.
TheWestCoastTrail
The West Coast Trail traces a route along a 75 kilometre section of Vancouver Island's hostile west coast. The trail looks over the Graveyard of the Pacific, home to hundreds of shipwrecks over the centuries. The Graveyard of the Pacific necessitated the construction of the West Coast Trail to save lives from the frequent shipwrecks.
Radar Beach is one of the countless places that makes this part of the world so amazing. It is difficult to get to due to it having an unmarked trailhead, steep and muddy trail, and considerable climbing and crawling above and below fallen trees. Where the other popular beach trails in the area have elaborate and expensive boardwalks and stairs, Radar Beach does not.
The trail begins at the end of the Radar Hill parking lot. Indiscreetly, a well used trail disappears steeply down towards the ocean, and within minutes you find yourself clinging to a rope as you ascend steeply. The trail is easy to follow in the daytime, however, you would have great difficulty keeping to the trail after dark. You would be smart to have a light with you in case you linger at the beach longer than planned. Though it's only just over one kilometre to the beach, it may take you over 40 minutes to get there. There is, along with some rope assisted sections, plenty of mud avoiding, root jumping, log crossing sections that slow you down. The mud can generally be avoided, but if you're worried, don't wear shoes you don't want dirtied. Once at the beach you will quickly realize that there are multiple beaches. One massively beautiful beach with rocky points on either side. To the right the beach has an interesting rock outcrop, great for climbing over and an amazing place to sit and watch the sunset. To the left the beach extends into the trees with a small channel of water. Crossing the water is easy, then getting to the further beaches requires a bit of climbing, depending on the tides. The further you walk, the more beaches you discover. But also, the more difficult they become to get to. The steep points of land jutting into the ocean rise steeply and are thick with sharp foliage and keep out the less determined wanderers. A sign just inside the trailhead indicates no camping at Radar Beach, but if you were to, one of these further beaches would be ideal. Even more remote than this already remote place and spectacularly beautiful.
Make sure to take a look at Radar Hill as well as the Radar Beaches. It's a quick and easy walk from your car to the top of Radar Hill and the views are great. Definitely one of the few places in Tofino where you can see above the forest see where you are. Almost everywhere else in Pacific Rim Park you are engulfed in trees or down by the ocean. From Radar Hill you rise above everything and there is even a mapboard at the summit naming the visible landmarks you can see on a clear day. Owing to Radar Hill being a military construction you can drive right to it. The 100 metre walk to the top of the hill and viewpoints takes only five or so minutes.
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