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The
West Coast Trail is situated within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is built on an
old lifesaving trail and telegraph route designed to aid mariners shipwrecked
along this portion of the coast. This "Graveyard of the Pacific" has claimed
over 240 ships with many lives lost since 1803. Efforts to protect mariners
included building a lighthouse at Cape Beale in 1874 and the telegraph
line from Cape Beale to Victoria in 1890. The lighthouse at Carmanah Point
was also constructed in 1890. In 1906, the steamer "Valencia" was wrecked
on the coast costing 126 lives and inducing the government to upgrade the
telegraph line to a lifesaving trail and adding a lighthouse at Pachena
Point. Ships continued to founder along the coast until improved navigation
allowed ships to pass more safely. In the 1970s, Parks Canada upgraded
the trail to what is used today by thousands of hikers every year.
national park fees
trail fee: $70
ferry fees: $25
reservation fee (optional): $25
total cost per hiker $120
The West Coast Trail is located on the
edge of the great Coastal Temperate Rainforest and the Pacific Ocean. This
location provides a rich assortment of marine and terrestrial life combined
with a range of topography.
Marine mammals such as Steller’s sea lions and
Grey whales may be seen from the shoreline. Countless other marine creatures
such as purple starfish, Giant Acorn Barnacles, Hermit Crabs, Whelks, Limpets,
Purple Urchins, and Red and Green Anemones can be found along the shoreline
and tidepools. The geological formations found along the shoreline include
sandstone ledges, sandy beaches, rocky headlands, caves, tidal pools, and
waterfalls.
Reservations can be made by calling Super Natural
B.C. Reservation Services at the following telephone numbers:
663-6000 (Greater Victoria)
1-800-663-6000 (toll free Canada / USA)
+1-250-387-1642 (Overseas / other North America)
Within the rainforest are gullies, streams
and rivers, bogs, and cliffs. The dense forest is dominated by large coniferous
trees such as the western hemlock, western red cedar, and Douglas-fir.
Some of the largest trees in Canada are found along or near the trail.
A large western red cedar found near Cheewhat Lake measures 18.9 metres
(62 feet) around and 59.15 metres (194 feet) tall. The Coastal Temperate
Rainforest is characterized by trees of various ages, some up to 1200 years,
many different mosses and lichens, and a dense overhead canopy and undergrowth.
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