A Guide to hiking the Juan De Fuca Trail

Jan 22

Introduction & Basic Information

The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail stretches along 47 kilometres on the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island. Hikers can choose to enter the trail at one of four trailheads allowing for completion of the full length or part of the trail.

I hiked the entire trail in August 2021, in fact, it was not only my first coastal hike but also my first multi-day backpacking trip. Spending 4 days in nature through a variety of weather, terrain, and scenery taught me so much about perseverance and just how much you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. While planning for this hike I could not find as much detail as I would have liked so I decided to compile everything I learned throughout my planning as well as actually completing the hike into one place. If you’re planning on hiking the Juan de Fuca (or are on the lookout for your next backpacking trip), look no further.

*Views of the ocean along the Juan de Fuca Trail*

*Hiking on day 3 of 4 - Juan de Fuca Trail - August 2021*

Quick Facts

Length: 47 kilometres (29 miles)

Elevation Gain: 1,450m

Location: Southwestern Vancouver Island - BC, Canada

Time: 2 - 5 days for the full trail

Best time to go: June to September

Difficulty: Hard (this is obviously subjective more on this below)

Cost: $10 per person, per night

Terrain: Coastal hike over various terrains; forest, beach (sand and rocky areas), stream crossings, etc. The area receives a lot of rain and therefore the trail is often very muddy and can flood

Juan de Fuca Map

Image from BC Parks (click here for printable version)

Logistics

The Juan de Fuca trail can be hiked north to south or south to north. The distances and destinations along the way are included on the map above but since I hiked the trail north to south, I often found the simple task of calculating the kilometre marker backwards was annoying so I’ve done this for you to the right. There are kilometre markers the entire way along the trail, for every single kilometre. This is great so you know where you are but can be mentally challenging as sometimes it takes way longer than you’d think to see the next one. I will go into this more below (in the “How many days should I take?” section), but for now just know that because of the terrain you move slower than you might expect.

How to get there?

In short, you will need to get onto Vancouver Island and drive to the trailhead. If you are coming from the mainland, the easiest thing to do is take a ferry to Victoria and drive from there. If you are coming from farther away then I recommend either flying into Victoria if possible, or flying into Vancouver and then taking a ferry to Victoria and driving to the trailhead. Below is a map - keep in mind your starting point will depend on where you are beginning the hike.

What direction should I hike?

In short, I don’t think it really matters. When I was researching the trail I read that people recommended north to south (Botanical Beach to Chin Beach) because the trail was harder in the north so your last days (when you’re more tired) would be easier. I did not find there to be a huge variation in the difficulty along the trail. It was all pretty similar to me so I would say to hike in whichever direction works best for you.

We chose to hike from Botanical Beach to Chin beach which meant leaving the car at Chin Beach and taking the shuttle to Botanical Beach on Day 1 in order to begin the hike. You can also start at Chin Beach but you will have to take the shuttle on your last day in order to get back to your car. I figured that we would be exhausted and the thought of having to add on a shuttle did not sound fun. The second reason we ultimately chose this direction was because the shuttle drops you off about 2 kilometres from the trailhead at Botanical Beach. Yup, you read that right. Again, making this extra walk at the end of our multi-day hike did not sound ideal so we chose to get all the logistical inconveniences out of the way on day 1. This worked out well and for these reasons, I recommend hiking north to south.

If I start and finish in different places, where do I leave my car?

I slightly touched on this above, you leave your car at either end of the hike and take a shuttle either before or after your trip depending on the direction you pick. You can book a shuttle here and it costs $30 per person.

The pickup at Chin Beach is on the main highway so you will need to park and walk up the hill out of the parking lot and wait on the highway. There is no sign or bus stop but you will likely see other hikers and know you’re in the right place. Go ahead and cross the street and wait on the other side so it’s clear to the bus driver you are waiting. We had no issues at all with this but just make sure you don’t miss it because if not you’re going to be left making your own arrangements and I don’t imagine that being easy.

How many days should I take?

This is going to depend on a variety of factors: how much time you have, how experienced you are with backpacking, how difficult/long you want each day to be, how fast you hike, and so on.

We did the hike in 4 days and I found that a very reasonable pace. I want to highlight that because of the terrain on the Juan de Fuca trail you will move slower than alpine hiking. I am used to hiking in mountains and usually do trails up to a lake or viewpoint. This trail is very different. You are not really moving very far up, it’s more like a series of small hills over and over. What makes this so much slower than alpine hiking is a combination of how muddy the trail is and the amount of exposed tree roots there are. Oh, the tree roots. You really need to watch your step or else you can trip and hurt yourself. I am clumsy so this was especially applicable to me. The mud makes it feel like you’re walking through quicksand and the tree roots make every step more precarious. I should also mention there are a lot of areas where you need to cross over log bridges or broken ladders so that will also slow you down. I averaged 30 minutes per kilometre and sometimes slower… it sounds VERY slow but believe me you will not move as fast as you do on an open mountain trail.

Anyway, take this into consideration and plan with your hiking group how much ground you want to cover each day and from there you can make a decision. Our 4 days were pretty solid and I felt like it was the perfect balance between hard work and an enjoyable trip. Another advantage of this trail is that you do not need to reserve specific campsites so you can adjust your itinerary if need be.

How do I book?

There are no specific reservations required, all you need is a backcountry permit for the amount of people and nights you will be hiking. This is a big perk as a lot of other multi-day hikes require reservations that are difficult to snag.

You need to enter your start and end point when registering but other than that you can hike and camp as you please. Only hike at designated campsites and in clear spots in order to respect nature and follow Leave No Trace practices. You can book the permit here or use cash boxes along the way. I recommend against this as it’s one additional thing to remember, but if you decide to go this route bring exact change as there’s no one working these boxes to give you change.

You can book permits 2 weeks before your trip and in my experience there was no issue with getting one. This is a nice change from some of the other very popular trails in BC that require you to be online ready to reserve the second they open.

*Using hiking poles and gaiters on the trail*

What do I pack?

Everything you would for any backpacking trip. I plan on making a packing list and guide so I will update that link here once that is up.

In addition to the usual, I highly recommend gaiters because of how wet and muddy the trail is as well as hiking poles to help with maneuvering through the rough terrain. I always bring poles and they are of course a personal preference but my friends and I repeatedly thanked ourselves for bringing them over those four days. Additionally, be prepared for rain - waterproof pants and jacket and a rain cover for your backpack are absolute musts.

How is the weather?

It rains A LOT. The rainiest month is November but you should be prepared for rain anytime of the year. We visited in August and our first night it poured. The amount of rain the area gets contributes to the muddiness of the trail. Other than the rain, it is pretty mild climate for Canada but as usual, be prepared for anything and bring extra layers and appropriate gear.

*Waking up at Bear Beach, Juan de Fuca Trail*

Where should I camp?

You can camp on any of the 6 designated campsites along the way. Since we did 4 days and 3 nights we chose to camp at Little Kuitsche, Chin Beach, and Bear Beach. This is completely up to your preference as well as how many days you are doing. The only thing I will say is I recommend camping on the beach at least one of the nights. It’s such a beautiful experience and you’ll miss out on some beautiful scenery, sunrises, and sunsets if you’re in the trees every night.

*Sunset on Bear Beach, Juan de Fuca Trail*

What about bears?

There are black bears in the area so always be prepared with bear spray. When camping it’s important to put all your food and scented items into the bear caches located at the camp sites. Otherwise, you can choose to use a bear bin. More information on bear safety can be found on BC Parks’ website.

Is it worth it?

Yes. If you like hiking and enjoy spending time outdoors, yes. Just know what you are getting yourself into and you will have a blast. I absolutely loved it, even if there were moments that were mentally challenging, I don’t regret a thing! If you have any other questions feel free to let me know. Best of luck and stay safe.

Happy hiking!

Maria Acosta