Wanačas Hiłḥuuʔis (Meares Island), Big Tree Trail
Activities & Adventures Hiking & Nature Trails
A walk in the woods through the rainforest ecosystem is part of the quintessential Tofino experience.
Rain or shine, the walks and hikes are sure to take your breath away with big cedar boughs, cliffside viewpoints, and wooden staircases that open into valleys of giant trees. Take in the incredible old-growth cedar trees, towering Sitka spruce and Douglas firs, amidst densely packed salal, salmonberry, and huckleberry bushes. This area is teaming with life under every fern.
The majority of the trails are in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve while the Tonquin Trail is in Tofino and the Big Tree Trail is within the Meares Island Tribal Park, a short water taxi or kayak from Tofino Harbour.
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
The Park Reserve has 9 official trails for walking and hiking. The most accessible are the Radar Hill Lookout trail and the Shorepine Bog Trail. There are a few trails, like the Halfmoon Bay trail and the access trail to the north side of Florencia Bay, that have several sets of stairs leading down to the beaches. The Rainforest Trail, separated into Loops A and B right off the Pacific Rim Highway, guides you to the heart of ancient rainforest, with interpretive signage along the way.
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Clayoquot Sound
Take your adventures a step further by island hopping. Travel by kayak or water taxi to access some of the more remote hikes, like the nearby Big Tree Trail in Meares Island Tribal Park. Walk 2.4 km (out-and-back total) along the boardwalk of hand-split planks to the awe-inspiring Hanging Garden. Hikers looking for a multi-day trek can boat to Flores Island and the Wildside Trail in Ahousaht territory.
Tonquin trail
This trail system begins along a short 800 m boardwalk at the north end of Tonquin Beach, accessed by Tonquin Beach Road. Tour the alcoves and small sea caves along the rocks at the beach, or carry on southbound along the trail. The staircase at the south end of the beach leads to another 3 km of trail, passing by beautiful rocky outcrops and viewpoints high above the ocean to the secluded, mostly rocky Third Beach, and quiet Middle Beach. There is an additional loop in the middle of the trail for those who need to stretch their legs and survey the vegetation.