Vancouver Islands Hidden Waterfall Sombrio Beach Juan De Fuca
Sombrio beach and the hidden waterfall
Sombrio Beach and its slot canyon waterfall, located along the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island, is an amazing spot for surfing, hiking, camping or just hanging out. Even if you don’t find the falls Sombrio beach is definitely worth visiting. It is one of the prettiest beaches on the island and worth the trip by itself. If you have the time I highly recommend checking it out. The Juan De Fuca trail less famous than the west coast trail but equally as beautiful, runs from Port Renfrew through Sombrio beach and all the way to China beach. We hiked the whole thing as an overnight on a tight weekend once and it was incredible. Read more about it here!
Sombrio Beach is also a great spot to surf when the swell runs the right direction. I have linked to the surf forecast here! if you are not a surfer the break is fairly close to shore so its a great place to watch!
And on top of all that there is Vancouver Islands most unique waterfall.
This is what you can expect to see at the beach and the waterfall!
Sombrio Hidden waterfall hike info
- Difficulty Level: easy – moderate – walking up the slot canyon and the rock beach can be slippery
- Elevation gain: basically nothing
- Distance: 2km round trip
- Time: 1 – 1.5 hours
- Go on a weekday to avoid crowds Sombrio beach is popular
Finding The Hidden waterfall at Sombrio beach
To be honest I read a lot of blogs and this waterfall was still hard to find. I am going to do better and lay it out super simply for you so anyone can get there. So the first thing you want to do is bring gumboots. The slot canyon is kind of a mini river/stream and its far more enjoyable to just be able to walk up it instead of avoiding the water. If you don’t have gumboots you will be okay but its usually quite wet and sometimes muddy. Many people can’t find the waterfall cause it feels a bit far walking on the pebble beach and they are unsure of direction. This causes most people to turn around before they get there. Just trust the directions below with the obvious markers and you will get there!
Park at Sombrio beach parking – full directions at bottom
This road can be kind of rough sometimes but it was doable in a corolla (slowly) as of December 2024.
from the parking you are going to walk about 5oom down hill on the trail to the fork for West and East Sombrio beach. They are both beautiful but you want to go east to see the waterfall. If you are facing the ocean you are going to want to take the left trail to East Sombrio. If you crossed a suspension bridge you are heading west and have gone the wrong way.
once you have reached the beach go left again and just keep walking to the point. If you are lucky there will be some people surfing to watch. This is a great spot to take a seat and hang out, and or have a picnic.
Keep walking along the beach until you get to rock point / cliff with rock caves on your left. Don’t even worry about looking for the trail until you have passed these caves. You know your going the right way if the rock wall is on your left and beaches has changed from big rocks to smaller pebbles
Keep walking until you see the public washroom. Pass the bathroom and take the obvious stream opening up the slot canyon. There are some little decoy streams that could distract you but just remember to go past the washroom keeping it on your left and walk up the obvious entrance.
This is the right stream to follow up! Once you are here its only about a 5 minute walk up the canyon to explore.
There ya go how easy was that! I wish I had these directions when we tried to find it,.
BEST TIME TO VISIT SOMBRIO
While the waterfall is becoming more well-known, it still remains a relatively hidden gem. Try and visit early morning or weekdays and you will probably have the whole place to yourself. Summer weekends can get busy, as many people from Victoria and other parts of Vancouver Island do day trips to Sombrio Beach. In the summer and spring the slot canyon is a greener moss and has a bit of a different look. We went in November for photo reference.
CAMPING ON SOMBRIO BEACH
Sombrio Beach is a great Vancouver Island Camp spot. It has several backcountry campsites available all year with platforms on the west side of the beach and on beach camping in the East side. East Sombrio Beach, where the waterfall is located, is the most popular area, as its pretty close to the surf break and has some fairly level sandy spots with wind breaks. If you prefer a quieter experience, West Sombrio Beach is a great alternative, with a more “secluded “chill” atmosphere. Sombrio is unique because it’s one the few places where you are allowed to actually camp on the beach and have fires. It is a bit of a walk trekking all your stuff down but definitely worth it.
Camping at Sombrio Beach requires a backcountry permit, which can be obtained through BC Parks. You don’t need to book in advance, but it’s a good idea as it can get busy on weekends and in summer. You can pay by drop box at the trailhead or online in advance (bad reception at beach). The fees are $10 per adult per night and $5 per child per night. Rangers regularly patrol the area because its part of the Juan De Fuca trail so this is probably not one to try and camp for free at.
HOW TO GET TO SOMBRIO BEACH
Sombrio Beach is part of Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, located on the southern end of Vancouver Island. If you’re coming from Victoria, the drive will take about 1 hour and 50 minutes. From nearby Sooke, it’s only about an hour, and from Jordan River, it’s a quick 30-minute drive. For those coming from the Port Renfrew area, the journey will take about 22 minutes. If you prefer a scenic drive, consider taking the Pacific Marine Road from Nanaimo through Lake Cowichan. This route, which takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, offers beautiful views, though it also passes through areas of active logging. There are some great old growth forest areas around here. The famous fairy creek that the protestors are trying to protect is close to this highway.
Once you reach the area, set your GPS to Sombrio Beach Trailhead (be aware that cell service is limited in this region your phone is probably not going to work). I had no reception on Virgin but Megs had decent signal with Telus. The road leading to the trailhead is 2 kilometers of bumpy washed out road. While it can be a bit rough, it’s passable for most vehicles, but something with clearance is preferred. We did it in a corolla with no issues just had to drive slowly. 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.
WHERE TO STAY TO VISIT SOMBRIO
Most people drive and do day trips from Sooke or Victoria but I think you miss the west coast vibes that way. Definitely recommend staying in some of the smaller towns like the ones below.
We are big fans of the Port Renfrew area. Its only about 25 minutes away from Sombrio beach and has a kind of lost wild west coast vibe. It kind of reminds me a bit of Uculuet before it got popular. There are a ton of amazing accommodations in Renfrew and its great value for Canada. Expedia’s most recommended stays.
The next closest spot is Jordan River another great surfing town. Jordan River is great but its fairly small so you want to stock up on supplies before you go. If you are looking to explore the more southern beaches like Mystic, China and Chin beach this is a great place to stay as well. There are some incredible lost in the forest air bnb’s here like this one.
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 and you can see the pics here!
