Due to the way the campgrounds are spaced out, and the placement of the difficult trail sections, most people use a 6 or 7 day West Coast Trail itinerary. When I first hiked the trail in 2004, we just winged it. But when I was planning my 2019 trip I worked out tons of options. …
Destinations
The West Coast Trail is a 75km multi-day backpacking trip along the West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Along the way, you’ll hike through the rainforest on rough trail, boardwalks and mud bogs, walk along sandy beaches, boulders, and slippery coastal shelf, cross rivers on high bridges and cable cars, and climb in …
The West Coast Trail is one of the best-known hiking trails in Canada. It covers 75km through some of the toughest and most beautiful terrain in British Columbia’s coastal rainforest. I first hiked the WCT 20 years ago. In fact, it was my first backpacking trip ever! I was SO unprepared! (But I still loved …
Getting to visit Lake O’Hara in Canada’s Yoho National Park is likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (Mostly because reservations are SO hard to get!) And you definitely want to make sure you have the right gear on your once-in-a-lifetime trip so you can stay warm, dry and happy. I’ve been to Lake O’Hara twice: One more …
In June, I spent a week in Yellowstone National Park. OMG, what an incredible place! I did a bunch of research about what to see before I went, but what I forgot to do was figure out what to bring. Yellowstone presents some unique challenges for visitors. It is located in the Rocky Mountains and …
If you hike in Vancouver, chances are you’ve done the Grouse Grind or at least heard of it. It’s a super steep hike up to the top of Grouse Mountain. It’s considered a bit of a local bucket list hike or a fitness challenge. And it’s so popular that hikers are now tackling a bunch …
If you want an introduction to outdoor activities in Vancouver, pick up a copy of Active Vancouver by Roy Jantzen. It’s got local recommendations for hiking, trail running, paddling, snowshoeing, cycling and more. Each adventure has a really cool “Eco-Insight” section with fun info about some of the plants, animals, climate or geology you’ll see. …
If you’re looking to explore some of Olympic National Park’s rugged coastline, I recommend hiking to Toleak Point from Third Beach. It’s a moderately challenging trail that travels along beaches and across steep headlands. The area around Toleak Point is dotted with dozens of offshore islands and sea stacks, making it really picturesque. Plus there …
No car? No problem! There are actually lots of hikes in Vancouver that you can get to on transit. In fact, some trails are actually better on transit since parking can be a problem. There are even a few hikes that are best done as a one-way trip, which is much easier to do when …
I’ve hiked to lots of alpine lakes near Vancouver, but so far I haven’t made it to the famous Rocky Mountains in Colorado. And that’s a shame since there are so many awesome hikes in Colorado. So I’m pretty stoked about this post. It’s from Colorado local Sarah Maurer of missadventurepants.com. She gives us a …