Ancient Cedars & Rocky Bluffs - The Wild Pacific Trail

Part 1 - The Lighthouse loop - Part 2 - The Artist Loop

About the Author:

Writer, adventurer and advocate for sunrise, Sarah Beewell likes to share her latest hiking adventures.

How to get there: From the Highway 4 junction of Tofino/Ucluelet, go left/South on Peninsula Rd. to Ucluelet (4km)

Parking Lots: The main parking lot is at Tugwell Field on Forbes Rd.From there,walk north on the bike path along Peninsula Road,approx. 10 minutes. Pull-off-the-road parking can be found on the west side of Peninsula road, where there is signage marking the Wild Pacific Trail.

Map:  http://www.wildpacifictrail.com/map.html

How far from Ukee/Tofino: 2km from downtown Ukee, 41km from downtown Tofino

Trail Distance: 1km Loop (AncientCedars) +1.5km (Rocky Bluffs)
How long it takes: 15 minutes + 40 minutes (return)
Number of Stairs: 0
Equipment Required: None
Parking permit required: No
Closest Tsunami Safe Zone: Tugwell Field on Forbes Road
Toilets Available: No
Wheel Chair Accessible: No
Level of Difficulty:Moderate (due to increased incline)

Ancient Cedars Loop

There are increasingly spectacular views as you continue on past the Artist Loops of the Wild Pacific Trail on Vancouver Island’s Wild West Coast. While the grade of the walk is rather easy, this section does seem more wild than the first two sections. In the depths of the Wild Pacific temperate rainforest you will find giant redwoods with their cores disintegrated to the ground.

They have been here for hundreds of years, stoically overseeing the rest of the forest’s growth. Western hemlocks can be found growing up and around the old redwood behemoths and old Sitka Spruce trees growing high in the humid conditions they love so well.

This section of the trail showcases the natural beauty of this special environment, including untouched examples of raised root systems, mosses, fungi, lichens and ferns. It’s a unique opportunity to get so close up to such rare rainforest delights.

The Wild Pacific Trail Society have sculpted a hiking trail that is not only beautiful, it is also thoughtful. With careful attention to keep the eco-system safe, small paths have been forged around the base of the most interesting trees so as to allow up-close access without sacrificing the surrounding flora. To peek into the core of a giant Red Wood is to slip momentarily into an ancient abyss and imagine what may have built a home in these natural forest shelters over the years.

Cedars are the tree of life on this coast.These ancient trees have been used to make building materials, medicines, clothing and were even carved into sea-faring canoes. The uses for this tree by First Nations people is vast, and you can find out more about the traditional uses of Cedar here.

Wild Pacific Trail - The Rocky Bluffs

A continuation of The Artist Loop, the Rocky Bluffs section of the Wild Pacific Trail is where this adventure really gets your heart pumping. The short inclines as you approach the bluffs are an attainable challenge added to this wondrous walk in the woods.

Boasting beautiful views up and down the Pacific coast, here the iconic BC tree-lined vistas mix with broad-faced rock cliffs, otherwise known as bluffs. What this creates is a rugged terrain which has been sculpted by withstanding thousands of years of gale-force winds and near constant bashing by the tide and rain.

On a clear and calm day, the rocky bluffs make for a beautiful backdrop for painters and photographers or for anyone wanting to simply enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. On a rainy winter day, however, these barriers of rock stand strong against the raging waves of the sea, making for an epic stormy scene.

The sheer bluffs continue North for many kilometres past the end of the current trail until they meet up with Half-Moon Bay at the entrance to the Pacific Rim National Park. While the Wild Pacific Trail project is still in early days, nearly two decades afterit’s birth, there is much work left to do.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the proposed trail extensions and what you can do to help realize this Wild Pacific hiking dream, Click Here.

"We have this diamond in the rough and here I am polishing away at it"

- Oyster Jim

The Wild Pacific Trail

The man with the dream and the plan to create this wondrous walk in the woods is “Oyster Jim”Martin. It has been his enthusiasm and persistence that has paved the way for this free public use trail on some of the most rugged and lush plots of land.

The vision of Oyster Jimis to create an accessible nature experience which embraces green trail building practices which allows people to catch a glimpse of this temperate rainforest in all her glory. The end goal of the Wild Pacific Trail Society is to create a spectacular trail system on the outer coast from Amphitrite Lighthouse to the beaches of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

The care and concern for the preservation of the local flora and fauna is apparent when walking this trail. The twists and turns that the trail takes have been carefully calculated to protect the beautiful and wind-blown ancient trees, while allowing us adventurers the most majestic scenery of the coastline fromvarious viewpoint decks.

The summer of 2014 saw the Wild Pacific Trail Society introduce Interpretive Walks to the Wild Pacific Trail experience. These outdoor classroom opportunities are for adults and kids alike and are focused on the natural and cultural history of the Peninsula.  TheSummer Program is free of charge thanks to partnerships with funders such as The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, the Raincoast Education Society,the Ucluelet Aquarium and the District of Ucluelet.

Whether you're looking for a sunny and temperate summer hike or a winter storm-watching adventure, the Wild Pacific Trail is the perfect natural playground for an outdoor excursion that you won’t ever forget.

Please feel free to show your appreciation for all the people past and present who have been dedicated to making the Wild Pacific Trail such an unforgettable Nature experience by donating to the future of the Wild Pacific Trail here:

Donate Here

If you’ve ever visited the Wild Pacific Trail on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia, we want to hear about what you miss most from your time here in Ucluelet.

Resources

Hiking the Wild Pacific Trail Part 2 - The Artist Loop

Hiking the Wild Pacific Trail Part 3 - Ancient Cedars and Rocky Bluffs

Pacific Rim National Park Parking Permits

Tsunami Safe Zones Information