Tofino is Ucluelet‘s posh-er sister to the north, but we’re here to check out the Tonquin Trail – not to be pampered.
The Tonquin Trail is the MUST-DO hike on every tourists’ trip to the west coast of Vancouver Island.
From deep sandy beaches, to tidepools teeming with marine life, to rocks, trees and the sound of the ocean – we can see why this one can’t be missed.
If you get an early enough start you can have the trail to yourself, but you’ll have lots of company if you wait too long.
Layers are a must for the clouds and fog that roll in and out causing the temperature to swing up and down like a pendulum.
Don’t forget your camera, as you’ll have it out the entire time trying to capture the beauty of the area.
And sturdy shoes – the craggy rocks and tree roots on the trail can be hard on the ankles.
Most of the shoreline reminds us more of Maine than the Pacific Northwest.
The west coast of Vancouver Island isn’t easy to get to, and we don’t recommend it for a destination in itself, but if you’re here then this should be the top item on your list.
Home Depot
More Home Depot trees – this one with a massive limb doing a complete 360.
Unfenced Cliff
I still think we should remove all the warning signs and let things sort themselves out.
Tide Pools
Tide pools are microscopic worlds of their own
Seaside Retreat
It’s pretty amazing to have a coastline like this to yourself
Black Rock
The rock here is a wide variety of shades and textures.
Between The Rocks
Looking out from a sea cave at Middle Beach
Sea Stars
Orange sea stars really catch your eye, but the ochre sea stars are far more plentiful.
Sea Anemones
These bright green sea anemones are everywhere
Moving Along
It’s pretty cool to see a live sand dollar actually moving!
Striped Sand
The huge tidal swings leave ripples along the seashore
Tucked In
There are many small inlets like this along the Tonquin Trail.
