Accessibility

Plan your stay

Look for the accessibility option and icon in the accommodation or restaurant listings to assist with booking the location best suited to your needs. A number of Tofino businesses have undergone an accessibility audit with Spinal Cord BC in order to provide the information you might need. 

Trails and beach access

One of the highlights of a visit to Tofino is the natural wonder of the beaches, forests and inlets. Here is a list of trails deemed accessible for people with mobility difficulties, or who require a wheelchair, walker, or stroller. 

In Tofino

• MacKenzie Beach: the beach access from Hellesen Dr. has accessible parking, bathrooms, an entrance ramp and a Mobi-mat available to get you on the sand from the May long weekend until the Thanksgiving long weekend in October.
• Rainforest to Inlet Trail at Hotel Zed: a boardwalk trail to a viewpoint overlooking Tofino Inlet. 
• Tofino Multi-Use Path: a paved pathway with some flat sections and some rolling hills. This pathway starts in downtown Tofino and joins ʔapsčiik t̓ašii (pronounced ups-cheek tashee) in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. 

In the National Park Reserve 

• ʔapsčiik t̓ašii (pronounced ups-cheek tashee) Multi-Use Path (MUP): a paved pathway with some flat sections and rolling hills (2 larger hills at the south end of Long Beach and just north of Wick Rd). The trail intersects with most of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve parking lots in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and connects Tofino to Ucluelet. 
• Shorepine Bog Trail: this 0.8km loop is entirely boardwalk, over the Sphagnum moss and by the shore pines that are able to survive in acidic soil. Note that this boardwalk is narrow and uneven, and may make for a bumpy ride at times.
• Viewpoints: both the viewing decks at Radar Hill and Wickaninnish Beach at Kᵂisitis Visitor Centre are accessible.  

In Ucluelet

• Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet: paved wheelchair access is available at the lighthouse, and beyond if a gravel trail is manageable.  
   

Beach wheelchair rentals 

Borrow one of two beach wheelchairs at no cost from the Tofino Visitor Centre. The beach wheelchair is easily disassembled for transport, with large balloon tires designed to go on sand. It comes disassembled in a carrying case with assembly instructions included. 

The chair will require someone to accompany the person using the chair. It has a large turning radius, so you’ll want to give yourself ample room to turn around. This should be easy to find on the long stretches of sand in Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. You may borrow the chair for a maximum of 3 days and a $250 refundable deposit will need to be placed when it is picked up. 

Please fill out the beach wheelchair request form with your requested dates and our Visitor Services Team will get back to you with a confirmation as soon as possible.

Activities

Have you ever wanted to learn to surf or hear the breath of a whale as it breaks the surface of the sea? Many local businesses are working to eliminate barriers for accessing adventure including:  

• West Coast Aquatic Safaris: book a bear watching or whale watching tour aboard a covered vessel that is accessible via a ramp. The restroom aboard however is not wheelchair accessible.  
• Adaptive Surfing: take a surf lesson to feel the power of the ocean. Pacific Surf School, Surf Sister, and Tofino Surf Adventures offer adaptive surfing lessons. Call ahead to confirm availability.
• Ucluelet Aquarium: see just below the surface of the water with a visit to Canada’s first collect-and-release aquarium. Call ahead to gain access from the backdoor near the government dock known as “Whiskey Dock” or park near Pioneer Boatworks to access the ramp along the promenade to the front entrance. 
• Tofino Village Green: visit the Tofino Market at the Village Green on Saturdays from May until October. Please note that the Market is on a grassy part of the Green.