Planning Your Hike on The West Coast Trail

Planning your time on the trail; how many days to complete, and where you'd like to stay along the way can be fun and well worth the effort. Now I know there are a lot of logistics to just getting on and off the trail but this post is just about when you're actually on the trail,  I have shared some of the other details on a different post.

Most people spend 5 - 7 days on the trail; I have done it in 4, 5, & 6 days. While it is doable in fewer days I think 6 is the perfect amount of time, allowing you to set a pace that accommodates enjoying every part of the trail while not killing every day of your precious holiday time. Remember part of your holiday will be used up getting to and from the trail unless you’re lucky enough to live on the Island. 

There are campsites all along the trail, all in my opinion are great, however some come with better views and some are less crowded. When planning your timeline it's important to evaluate how much you want to hike each day and plan your campsites accordingly. Remember when hiking the WCT you must also take into consideration the tides, that if too high, will cause delays.

Well let’s get into it shall we . . . 

How Long?

First and foremost, how long do you want to be on the trail?

As I've stated above I recommend 6 days as the perfect amount of time needed, but everyone is different and your hike should be personal, you've probably heard or read people suggesting you must "hike your own hike", and I agree 100%.  What is really nice about the WCT is that the options are almost endless. I have run into school groups that had been on the trail for a couple weeks; seems like way to long for me, but they seemed to have had a great time, and if the weather is nice, why not.

Which Direction?

Once the how long is out of the way you will need to choose which direction you want to hike the trail. Recently the Park has opened up the option to start or end your hike from the half way point at Nitinat, but I am only focusing on the trail as a whole. That leaves us with two options, Pachena Bay and Gordon River trail-heads.

Gordon River (South)

The Gordon River trail head is located on the South end of the trail in the small town of Port Renfrew. The actual trail head has to be reached by Ferry from the West Coast Trail Information Centre where you will register and complete a mandatory orientation for the trail.

It is important to realize that the south end of the WCT is definitely the more challenging end of the trail, of this I can testify.  Some feel that it is better to hit this part of the trail first while they are fresh and strong, allowing for the trail to become easier as the trip goes on.

I have gone this direction twice and as a teenager I found this to be true, but as an adult with 20+ additional years under my belt, I sing a different tune. This part of the trail beat me up so bad that I never really did recover and the whole trail seemed just as tough as I became more tired.  

The Gordon River

Pachena Bay (North)

The Pachena Bay Trail Head is located on the North end of the trail, 5 km south of the small town of Bamfield. The trail begins right at the Information Centre where again you will register and complete a mandatory orientation for the trail.

This end is easier (much), and many people will start at this end hoping they will allow the trail gradually getting harder to warm them up for all the fun ahead, also accommodating a lighter pack for the harder end. This is the group I fall in, and how I hiked it the last time. I found that this is exactly how it worked for me; I danced along most of the trail, enjoying every part of it. One thing to note here is that only on the last outing was I into ultra-light hiking, so I'm sure that played a part. 

You know your skill set, and you are the only one carrying your load, so enjoy choosing your own path.

Pachena Bay Trail Head

Which Campsites?

Now that you've decide how long and which direction, it's time to figure out which campsites you'd like to stay at. This will be determined mainly by how far you want to hike each day and secondly which of the campsites you think you'll enjoy the most.  Remember that the south end the trail is harder and will take more time to hike, in some cases a km/hour is realistic for groups.  This will mean that on the north end you will hike longer distances while on the south end you will shorten your distances but not your duration.

Here is a list of all the recognized campgrounds along the trail complete with a short description, I must thank the good folks at victoriahiatus.com for most of this info along with some of the pictures:

• Michigan Creek km 12
• The beach is one of the least attractive. Michigan is the first or last campsite of the whole West Coast Trail, which usually means it crowded. Has an outhouse.
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• Darling River km 14
• The beach is a bit better, but the falls found just up the creek, hidden from the beach are very nice. Well worth checking out even if your just passing through. Has an outhouse.
• 
• Orange Juice Creek km 15
• A good beach with a good water source. Rarely used, so it can provide a nice quite place to enjoy your surroundings. No outhouse.
• 
• Tsocowis Creek km 16.5
• An OK beach with good water and much quieter than other spots. Has an outhouse.
• 
• Klanawa River km 23
• Beautiful beach with a big river, providing a great spot to camp.  Because it is close to the popular Tsusiat Falls campground it is often quiet and peaceful. The main trail runs to the cable car crossing which diverts the crowds away.  Has an outhouse.
• 
• Tsusiat Falls km 25
• Tsusiat Falls is a large campsite, a bit too large though. Almost everyone aims to spend a night here because of it's fame, so it's usually crowded. The falls are beautiful and I find it to be a great place to stop and see, however the sound of the falls can bother some when trying to fall asleep because they can be quite loud. Has an outhouse, but it's hard to find and inconvenient to get to.
• 
• Ditidaht Luxury Tents km 30
• These tents can be reserved, but they will cost. The price seems to rise every year, back in 2013 I paid $60 for the night for a tent all to myself, this year it is $90.00 per tent which can sleep up to 4 hikers. The water source is a small stream a short distance on the trail North of the tents. Has an outhouse.
• 
• Cribs Creek km 42
• The creek itself is quite beautiful, however, the beach is not great. It smells of rotting seaweed and the campsite is always crowded and not very inviting to spend the night. Has an outhouse.
• 
• Carmanah Creek km 46
• The beautiful Carmanah Creek flows through a beautiful beach, both are quite large.  There is a lot of room to spread out. This is one of the best beaches along the trail with spectacular views. Has an outhouse.
• 
• Bonilla Creek km 48
• Bonilla Creek campsite is relatively large and spread out. The forested area just off the beach has some great areas to pitch a tent under some shelter of trees. The Bonilla Falls are beautiful.  This is one of my favorite sites.  Has an outhouse.
• 
• Walbran Creek km 53
• Lots of room, beautiful and not too busy.  Has an outhouse.
• 
• Cullite Cove km 58
• Described as almost perfect, Cullite Creek is mind blowing beautiful. Comes with a picture perfect beach hemmed in by majestic cliffs.  Just off the beach, several campsites are laid out, hidden in the trees.  Because it's a little off the beaten track to get down into, it is rarely busy and most people don't even bother to check it out.  Has an outhouse.
• 
• Camper Creek km 62
• Camper Creek is beautiful, similar to Cullilte Cove there are cliffs on either side.  It is however due to location a busy site.  It's the first really good campsite from the Port Renfrew direction.  It is, however, quite large.  Has an outhouse.
• 
• Thrasher Cove km 70
• One of the smallest campsites, it is usually crowded. Thrasher is the first or last campsite of the whole West Coast Trail. Water can be sparse near the end of summer.  Has an outhouse.
• 

I have studied the map and from experience have concluded that there are 29 realistic options for hiking the trail in 6 days, here's a link to my findings:
West Coast Trail in 6 Days You've Got Options

There are more options, but for me, they really don't make a lot of sense. In fact, some of the 29 aren't perfect either, but will get the job done.  I have narrowed my choices done to a few that I think are almost perfect. I think it's important to point out that I am also including a relatively new option on the WCT, which is the Ditidaht "Luxury Tents", found near Tsuquandra Point nestled on Ditidaht First Nation Land just before km30.  These sites cost money but are perfectly located for those of us that want to hike the trail in 6 days. Below is their link, check it out:
Ditidaht Luxury Tents 

Inside the Luxury Tent

Another thing I like about this location are the gents that manage them, they are super friendly and love to share what they know about the land we have the privilege of visiting while on the trail.

If you’re interested, this year our group is going to stay at the following sites:
Night 1 Tsocowis Creek ~km17

Night 2 The Ditidaht Luxury Tents ~km30 

Night 3 Bonilla Creek ~km 48 (personal favorite)

Night 4 Camper Bay ~km 62.5

Night 5 Thrasher Cove ~km70

Whatever sites you pick, with the right attitude, you'll love them all and if your plans don't go as perfectly as you hoped, oh well just remember where you are and enjoy the ride.

What about the tides?

The tides do play a factor in how you hike this trail. If tides are perfect, it's great strolling the hard, yet slippery shelves that are only available when tides are low. There are many sections of the trail where we have the option of hiking the beach or hiking inland, frankly I choose the beach every time. Some complain about the soft sand and sinking, but I find with my lighter pack that it’s really not that bad and if you compare it and hard shelves to the muddy inland trail there's no better way to cruise along.

I mentioned in some areas you have options, however in others, you can only hike on the beach and some of these spots can only be crossed while tides are low enough. If you’re finding yourself not so lucky and the high tides are in the middle of the day, you'll just have to plan accordingly. Perhaps getting up early and enjoying a longer lunch is your only option; thank goodness you’re in one of the most beautiful places in the world, you won't get bored while on the WCT. Many of these spots come with their own entertainment; seals, sea-lions, whales, and of course a lot of seagulls.  Trust me, your feet will thank you as you sit on the beach with your pack off watching the waves.

Conclusion

Hopefully you've found this informative, there are other things to think about, part of what I love most about this trail are the surprises around every corner. Every time I've learned something new and almost immediately start planning how next time I'll do things just a little differently.

Soon I will post regarding gear needs and planning for food. 

If you have questions, feel free to ask. Happy trails.