Juan de Fuca Provincial Park

Juan de Fuca Provincial Park is on the south-west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada.

Understand
There are four main areas to the park: the China Beach Campground, the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, the China Beach day-use area and Botanical Beach.

A major feature of this park, the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, follows 47 kilometres of wilderness stretching along the western shoreline of the southern Island. There are four trailheads to the Juan de Fuca Trail at Juan de Fuca East (China Beach), Sombrio Beach, Parkinson Creek and Botanical Beach. Although most of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is designed for strenuous day or multi-day hiking/camping in this rugged and isolated area, some easy to moderate day hiking opportunities to the beach or along the trail are available starting from the trailheads.

History
The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail was created through the Commonwealth Nature Legacy to commemorate the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, BC. The park is approximately 1,500 hectares (about 3700 acres) with a continuous wilderness hiking trail following about 47 km (29 miles) of coastline.

This general area of Vancouver Island was known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific" for the number of shipwrecks that occurred here. Both the Juan de Fuca Trail and the West Coast Trail (which begins just to the north of the Juan de Fuca) were part of the lifesaving trail scratched into this rocky coastline.

The trail takes its name from Juan de Fuca, the Greek maritime pilot who served the Spanish king Phillip II. Juan de Fuca is also the name of the strait separating Vancouver Island from Washington State.

Landscape
As its name implies, the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail follows the coastline of Vancouver Island. Primarily second-growth trees, there is the occasional old-growth. The coast is rock--often sandstone--carved into shape by the ocean. Beaches are primarily pebble or rock, although some, like Sombrio, are sandy.

Flora and fauna
This is bear country, and it borders on whale country. Expect black bears and cougars while hiking. You may see bears, but it is unlikely that you will see a cougar as they are very good at remaining out of sight.

Juan de Fuca Provincial Park offers ample opportunity to view larger marine mammals, including Grey and killer whales, which can often be spotted feeding just off the points. The best time to see Grey whales is during their migration from the Mexican coast to Alaska in March and April. Seals and sea lions can also often be seen playing offshore. Occasionally Orca (or "Killer") whales can be seen.

Climate
Temperate rain forest. In this area, daily temperatures rise above 30°C (86°F) on an average of one or two days per year and fall below -5°C (23°F) on an average of only 2 nights per year. During the winter, the average daily high and low temperatures are 8.2°C (47°F) and 3.6°C (38°F), respectively. The summer months are equally mild, with an average high temperature of 19.6°C (67°F) and low of 11.3°C (52°F).

This may seem like mild weather, but hikers can feel very chilled especially if soaked by rain or waves. Hypothermia is a very real possibility.

Nearly two-thirds of the area's rainfall occurs between November and February, with July being the driest month on average. August and September frequently experience morning fogs.

Get in
On the west coast of southern Vancouver Island, Juan de Fuca Provincial Park extends from China Beach, just west of the community of Jordan River, to Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew. The park is accessed by vehicle at various points along West Coast Highway 14 between Jordan River and Port Renfrew. The China Beach campground is adjacent to Highway 14 just east of the China Beach day-use, 35 km west of Sooke and 36 km east of Port Renfrew. Nearby communities include: Port Renfrew, Sooke, Victoria, Duncan.

The southern trailhead is at China Beach, the northern at Botanical Beach. There are two others midway at Sombrio Beach and Parkinson Beach. Most of the beaches have access trails, but they have no parking other than roadside, and are poorly marked and not intended for general use.



See and do
At the west end of Juan de Fuca Park is, one of the richest tidal areas along the west coast. Botanical Beach also has a unique shoreline framed by ridges of shale and quartz, which jut up through the black basalt to form huge tableaus. Botanical Beach is the western terminus for the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail and a popular day trip destination for visitors wishing to observe this sensitive and unique ecosystem. Wildlife viewing is best done at low tide, when visitors can walk out across the flat sandstone and granite outcroppings to view tide pools filled with brightly coloured marine life.

When visiting Botanical Beach, please look in the tide pools only – do not touch the marine life. Do not remove, collect or disturb any tide pool life, shells, plants, flowers, kelp, etc. Even touching the water in a tide pool with sunscreen on your hands can create an “oil slick” that could kill the vulnerable creatures in this sensitive ecosystem. Remember to bring your camera, as photographs make great souvenirs.

Special Features: This park contains numerous special natural features, including waterfalls, grottos, old growth forest, estuaries, tide pools and shale and quartz rock formations.

Hiking

 * The western section of the park around Botanical Beach has two smaller trails: Mill Bay and Botanical Loop. The Mill Bay Trail accesses a small pebble and shell beach; portions of this trail are steep. Parking for this trail is at the Mill Bay Trailhead, beside the road to Botanical Beach. Botanical Loop Trail connects Botanical Beach and Botany Bay. This is an easy to moderate walk.
 * China Beach trail: A scenic 1 km trail leads from the parking lot through mature forest to the beach. A large viewing deck offers views of the beach and Juan de Fuca Strait. This is an easy to moderate, fairly steep trail.
 * Second Beach Trail: Second Beach can be reached from the China Beach campground via stairs and a 1 km long fairly steep gravel trail. The 15-20 minute hike (each way) through the mature forest of Sitka spruce, Douglas fir and Western red cedar leads visitors to the great rolling breakers of the sea.

Fees and permits
Vehicle accessible camping fee: $20 per party/night. You can reserve sites online.

Backcountry camping fee: $10 per person/night (16 years of age and older), $5 per child/night (6-15 years of age). You can buy a backcountry permit online.

Camping
At the east end of the park is the vehicle-accessible and the China Beach day-use area. The campground is in a forested area with open understory, about 1 km east of the China Beach day-use area and the Juan de Fuca East (China Beach) Trailhead. Trails connect the campground to China Beach and the adjacent smaller Second Beach, located east of the larger China Beach day-use.

Most beach camping sites have food caches available. There is no camping at Botanical Beach. Vehicle camping is allowed at Parkinson, Sombrio, and China beaches, and camping fees do apply to overnight camping in the parking lots.

Forest camping is permitted (always check before hiking) at Little Kuitsche Creek and Payzant Creek. No open fires are permitted at either site.

Beach camping is permitted at Mystic, Bear, Chin, and Sombrio beaches. Fires are permitted below the high tide line only.

Backcountry
Sections of the Juan de Fuca are rated at "difficult" and "very difficult". These ratings are meant to be taken seriously. Between Chin and Sombrio beaches, hikers can expect climbs of 160 vertical metres (over 500 vertical feet) on a 7-km hike. The hike from Chin to Bear beach is rated as "very difficult".

This is the west coast of Vancouver Island, so there is water everywhere. But filter, boil, or treat any water taken from streams or rivers. Giardia ("beaver fever") is a real possibility.

Do not feed bears either intentionally or unintentionally. This means caching food properly, not disposing of garbage in the pit toilets, and packing out everything you pack in. A fed bear is a dead bear.

Stay safe
Some beaches are cut off at high tide. Information and tide charts are posted at the trailheads. Be aware that rogue waves have been experienced on the west coast and can easily sweep a person into the water.

This is backcountry, so have first aid supplies and skills. Weather can change rapidly, so be prepared. In many places, rocks remain slick year round.

Guided tours with experienced back country guides increase your safety. Guides take care of all the organization, know the trail, and know the best times to make this hiking trip.

Go next
Most beaches are connected to Highway 14. These trails are not always easy or well-marked, and can involve climbs of 180 vertical metres (600 feet). On the plus side, this means that you can exit the trail at regular intervals.