The Best Hiking Trails in Vancouver Island

A wide, gravel path called the Beach Trail leads you downhill from the parking lot. Glimpses of Bilston Creek can be seen through the trees. This is the creek that feeds Sitting Lady Falls....

Lady Falls is a stunning waterfall formed by Cervus Creek plummeting off of a sheer 98-foot cliff into a narrow valley far below. This sheer waterfall is decidedly different than the other waterfalls in this guidebook for Strathcona Provincial Park, as it's one massive, thundering torrent crashing on the rocks below! The hike to reach the overlook is short, but it's fairly steep....

Lower Myra Falls is a stunning series of cascades located on the southern end of Buttle Lake. It's a long, remote drive down tight, twisting roads to reach Lower Myra Falls, but the reward is well worth the effort! The hike to the falls follows a steep but well-maintained path along a reinforced gravel surface....

Lupin Falls is the smallest of the waterfalls included in this roundup in Strathcona Provincial Park, and yet this hike is one of the most rewarding. On this short loop, you'll traverse through a deep section of the rainforest, walking beneath towering trees and through an understory of fern and moss....

Nymph Falls Provincial Park is a small park located just north of the town of Cumberland. The marquee feature is obviously Nymph Falls: a lengthy series of small cascades where the Puntledge River flows over undulating rock slabs....

Elk Falls is a thundering 25-meter (89-foot) waterfall that crashes off a vertical cliff in the Campbell River. The path to a series of viewpoints of this visually-impressive plunge is a popular hike....

Elk Falls is a thundering 25-meter (89-foot) waterfall that crashes off a vertical cliff in the Campbell River. The path to a series of viewpoints of this visually-impressive plunge is a popular hike....

Unlike most hikes, this descent is at the beginning. You’ll start out on a flat forested path and make your way past massive tree stumps, notched by the old style of springboard logging....

The hike to Mystic Beach is along a well-used section of the Juan de Fuca Trail (it’s the beginning or the end, depending on which direction you hike it). You can also camp down at the beach and turn this hike into an overnight adventure....

Sombrio Beach is part of Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, from here you can hike to two unique waterfalls, one inside a slot canyon and another that pours directly into the ocean from a hidden cove....

This route is typically completed as a 1 or 2 night backpacking trip, and includes the option to visit San Josef Bay, or you could choose to Skip this and just head back to the parking lot, although I promise you San Josef Bay is well worth the short hike, and makes for an awesome campground too! The inland section of this trail is very well maintained with lots of boardwalks, although these can be extremely slippery when wet....

The final day on the North Coast Trail takes you onto the Cape Scott Trail, which was the first established trail in the Provincial Park back in 1973, although settlers first arrived here long before then....

This is the start of a week long trip down the world famous West Coast Trail (WCT). As this is a through hike, you need to arrange transport to and from the trailhead....

Day 3 on the West Coast Trail (WCT), is arguably the most scenic day on the trail. It is a long day, but well broken up with plenty of places to stop along the way....

Day 4 on the trail is another mostly coastal day, with more pristine beaches, another cable car crossing and plenty of wildlife. You start the day with a beach walk towards the lighthouse, if you time it with low tide you can follow the coastline all the way to the lighthouse....

This is a gentle start to a 4 day backpacking trip on the Juan De Fuca Trail. The trail starts at China Beach Trailhead and as this is a through hike you will need to either drop a car at the end of the trail, or use the West Coast Trail bus to shuttle you back to your car....

The final day on the Juan De Fuca trail is the longest of the trip. The terrain here is less challenging than in other places, but this is probably the worst section for mud....

The hike to China Pots is one of the most popular hiking routes in the Cumberland Forest. This mellow 3.2-mile round-trip jaunt is a great leg-stretcher leading to a fantastic destination without requiring an epic adventure (like many hikes in BC)....

Winding its way along a beautiful and rugged coastline, hiking this trail is a true wilderness experience. It can be hiked in either direction but it is generally done north to south because reaching the trailheads is slightly easier this way, and it also means that you tackle the toughest part of the trail (the southern half) with a relatively light rucksack having consumed some of your supplies during the northern half of the trail! Before embarking on the hike, be aware that a permit is required and these can be obtained by calling Hello B....

The hike begins with a nice scenic trail through the forest, which has great views of the blue waters of the Elk River, and lots of wild flowers if you go in the right season....