China Beach Southern Vancouver Island Best Sandy Beach
The West Coast of Vancouver Island has some magnificent beaches and China Beach is no exception. Long and sandy with incredible views of the Olympic Peninsula and soaring old growth. China Beach is a great easy coastal hike near Victoria. If you are interested in wildlife or photography China Beach can be a great place to spot eagles, whales, and seals.
Orca sightings on this coast are surprisingly common as far as whale sightings go.
China Beach Waterfall Hike Info
Note: China Beach and the whole Juan De Fuca suffered substantial storm damage. Parts of this trail are blocked by deadfall and require climbing under or over large logs.
- Difficulty: Normally Easy – See Note
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 70m
- Distance: 2 km round trip
- Time: 30 minutes each way
- Opening Times: Trail is open year round
- Dogs: Dog friendly trail make sure pets stay leashed
China Beach Views
The nicest beach on Vancouver Island?
China Beach is a great sunset spot
How To Get To China Beach
China Beach can be accessed from the Victoria or the Lake Cowichan direction. If leaving from victoria it is only a 35 minute drive from Sooke and about an 1:10 from Victoria.
Leaving from Lake Cowichan it is a scenic 1:40 minutes passing Port Renfrew and Sombrio beach.
Make sure you park in the China Beach trailhead parking and not the Mystic beach parking. Mystic beach trailhead is the first lot on your right China beach trailhead is further down the hill to your left.
The trail leaves right from the parking lot and has a convenient trail map at the beginning. Once you get to the beach the waterfall is super easy to find. You are looking for the China Beach day use trail and not the Juan De Fuca trail.
China Beach Hike Directions
The trail is very easy to find and start directly in front of the China Beach day use Car park. There are simple restrooms at the car park and as well by the beach.
Big car park with a bathroom and clear trail map
Once you reach the parking lot, you’ll find plenty of spots, though it can get crowded, especially on sunny days. There are also pit toilets and signs providing information about the area, including the hiking trails and the famous Juan De Fuca route.
The trail starts fairly easily through beautiful old growth.
2025 Deadfall on the trail, under or over!
Scenic platform over the ocean
Walking out to the beach
China Beach
Sunsets on the West Coast of Vancouver Island are no joke!
Surfing At China Beach
China Beach has a pretty decent beach break best surfed in winter with NW swell. It has a sandy bottom and can be a great spot to learn on the southern West Coast close to Victoria. Definitely check the swell and webcams before you head out if your are planning to surf. On stormy and bigger swell days it can be fun to chill on the beach and watch the surfers from the beach. There are no gear or board rentals so if you need gear stop in at West Coast Outdoor in Sooke or rent in Victoria.
Camping At China Beach
There is great frontcountry camping available May 15 – Sept 28 you can reserve here on the BC parks site. Reservations are strongly recommend for nice summer days and long weekends. The site is well maintained but a little bit of a walk down the hill to China Beach. The big perk is you can drive right into your site. If you prefer carrying in and camping on the beach Sombrio is a great option!
Vehicle Access At China Beach Campground
Vehicle access at the campground is great and there is a loop if you have an rv or trailer. No 4×4 is required here. 78 full drive in sites with firepit’s are available but no electricity is provided.
Van Island & Juan De Fuca Bear Safety
The west coast of Vancouver Island Is home to estimates of between 7000 – 12000 black bears. This is great for your chances of bear sighting but it also means some precautions should be taken.
Always hike with bear spray and make noise while walking through the forest. Black bears are usually fairly shy by nature and will do their best to avoid people. Unfortunately some of the bears close to the Juan De Fuca area have become semi habituated to people and can approach.
Never feed the bears and make your presence known and look large if threatened. Try and stay calm, don’t run and get ready to use your bear spray if needed. Usually looking big and speaking calmly to the bear lets it know you are not food and should be left alone.
Best Time To Visit China Beach Falls
China Beach is a great visit year round. It is particularly rugged and peaceful in winter. Dress warmly and get the beach to yourself. In summer the beach is far busier with campers and day trippers as its a great place to hang out.
Bring layers it can get chilly even in summer
Where To Stay Around China Beach
If camping isn’t your vibe the best place to stay around here is the Jordan River and Shirley area. They are both super small and Jordan River only really has a coffee shop and single restaurant so make sure you stock up on groceries before your visit. There are tons of beaches and surf breaks in this area and its a great spot to spend some time. If you want to stay somewhere a bit bigger you can opt for Sooke or Port Renfrew. Port Renfrew is also quite small but has a store a pub and some good restaurants. Sooke is closer to Victoria and has everything you could need.
Where To Stay In Jordan River
Jordan River has some incredibly cool wild feeling guesthouse options. I have listed some of the more unique and recommended ones below.
The Rad Shack – A lost in the forest tiny house
Pipers Nest – Cute modern detached tiny house with outdoor clawfoot
Oceanfront Nature Retreat – Beautiful modern cedar cabin looking right at the ocean
Tips for Your Visit
- The West Coast can be cold and wet even on a nice day. Extra layers, a beach blanket and a good jacket are always wise to have.
- Leave no trace reminder Juan De Fuca is a particularly sensitive wildlife area don’t encourage bears and wolves by leaving food out.
- Wolves do frequent the area so make sure to keep pets leashed
If You Have More Time On The West Coast
If you have some more time for exploring why not explore some more of the beaches in the Juan De Fuca area. We hiked to all of them when we did the Juan De Fuca and you can see the pics here!
You are also right beside the trail to Mystic beach and it’s seaside waterfall.
Sombrio Beach and its hidden waterfall is a great way to spend a day and easily one of the prettiest beaches on the island.
