Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Location: British Columbia
Date Established: 1970
Size: 126,500 acres
Few people forget the first time they walk out onto seemingly infinite Long Beach, a 10-mile strip of undeveloped coastline set against a backdrop of lush emerald rain forest and distant mountains. One of Canada’s most visited tourist attractions, the beach attracts surfers, beachcombers, and marine life enthusiasts.
Park Facts
• Three-Part Park Skirting the western fringe of Vancouver Island, Long Beach is the most northern of three park units, a 34,800-acre chunk of beach-fronted coastal temperate rain forest, and since 2000, a core protected area of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The shoreline stretches roughly between the town of Tofino in the north and Ucluelet in the south.
• Long Beach Hideout Unknown to the world before 1959, when a road was punched across the width of Vancouver Island, the beach became an end-of-world refuge for draft dodgers, hippies, and surfers until 1970, when the beach settlements were evicted for the new national park. Much of the laid-back vibe of that earlier era remains.
• Water-Access Only Directly to the east of Ucluelet are the Broken Group Islands—an archipelago of more than a hundred tiny, rugged islands at the center of Barkley Sound, a popular kayak destination. Only about 13,950 acres of land is found across the 26,440 acres of ocean park area; this maze of waterways and channels is accessible by watercraft only.
• Shipwreck Path The southernmost area is the 10,130-acre West Coast Trail unit, named for the 47-mile hiking path through pristine rain forest between Port Renfrew and Bamfield. The trail was established in 1907 as an emergency rescue path for shipwrecked mariners after 120 people died when the Valencia ran aground on a reef near Pachena Point during a gale.
• Native Culture The unifying elements of these three different units are water, rain forest, and the native Nuu-chah-nulth culture. Present in the Pacific Rim area for thousands of years, these master mariners and whale hunters utilized the natural resources for trade and sustainability and often battled the waves of Spanish, then British (and later Americans) who descended on the coast in the late 18th century to exploit furs, timber, and whale oil. Today 7 of 15 Nuu-chah-nulth tribes maintain at least 22 small reserves within the park boundaries and nine at the border of the park; they are active partners in park administration and interpretive programs.
How to Get There
Long Beach is the only one of the park’s three units that can be explored by car—and you will need one. From Victoria: travel northwest on Hwy. 19, take the Hwy. 4 exit about 21 miles past Nanaimo. (Hwy. 4 is beautiful but dangerous: It has steep grades, little room for passing, and traffic congestion in the summer.) Budget three hours for the drive from Nanaimo. From Vancouver, take a ferry from West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal to Nanaimo and proceed to Hwy. 4. A right turn at the Tofino–Ucluelet junction leads to the Long Beach area. The highway runs through the park for 14 miles, with the town of Tofino at its end.
When to Go
For most activities at Long Beach, visit between June and Labour Day (the first Monday in September). Book ahead for accommodation during this time. For storm-watching and advanced surfing, the winter is best—fearsome winter gales can rip this coastline, conjuring waves 26 feet high, and dropping up to 19 inches of rain in a single day. The West Coast Trail is open between May and late September.
How to Visit
Most visitors stay for longer than a day, basing themselves in Tofino or Ucluelet. If a day is all you have, focus on Long Beach—roughly between the Tofino-Ucluelet junction and Wickaninnish Beach—where rain forest hikes, beach and tide pool exploration, and a surf lesson will easily fill a day.
Spend a second day whale watching and exploring the northern reaches of the park: Walk the sand dunes and tidal pools in Schooner Cove and look for wildlife in the sheltered, kayak-friendly Grice Bay. End the day with a dinner and walkabout in Tofino or Ucluelet (just beyond the northern park boundary), the best bases of operations for any park visit.
The weeklong West Coast Trail requires both advanced backcountry experience and substantial advance planning. The best way to see the Broken Group Islands is by boat. The Port Alberni-based M.V. Frances Barkley, a 120-foot passenger ferry, offers day trips through the islands June through mid-September.
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- This ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thoughtThis ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thought
- Why this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect senseWhy this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect sense
- When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
Environment
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- Listen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting musicListen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting music
- This ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrificeThis ancient society tried to stop El Niño—with child sacrifice
- U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?U.S. plans to clean its drinking water. What does that mean?
History & Culture
- Meet the original members of the tortured poets departmentMeet the original members of the tortured poets department
- Séances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occultSéances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occult
- Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?
- Beauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century SpainBeauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century Spain
- The real spies who inspired ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’The real spies who inspired ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’
Science
- Here's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in spaceHere's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in space
- Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.
- NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?
Travel
- What it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in MexicoWhat it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in Mexico
- Is this small English town Yorkshire's culinary capital?Is this small English town Yorkshire's culinary capital?
- This chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new directionThis chef is taking Indian cuisine in a bold new direction
- Follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood ForestFollow in the footsteps of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest