Wild Pacific Trail The Best Hike In Ucluelet
Ucluelet And The Wild Pacific Trail
The Wild Pacific trail is a beautiful coastal walk along the rocky shores just south of town. It is hard to overstate how pretty this trail is and I make sure I visit every time I am near Ucluelet or “Ukee” as the locals call it. This really is a must do and see activity in the area. You have great chances of seeing whales here and the scenery is majestic.
Wild Pacific Trail Hike Info
- Difficulty Level: Easy To Moderate – varying trail length options
- Elevation gain: +- 40m basically nothing a bit of up and down
- Distance: 2.6 km round trip (Lighthouse Loop)
- Time: 1 – 1.5 hours
- Best Time – anytime particularly nice at sunset
- Dog Friendly – Yes Leash dog in case of wildlife
- Terrain – well maintained trail
- 4 x 4 – Not required parking paved roads
Sections Of The Wild Pacific Trail
The trail is found just outside of the town of Ucluelet and has 2 distinct sections.
Lighthouse Loop 2.6km
This the most famous portion of the trail and has your classic lighthouse and shipwreck views. This is the portion of the trail I walk most often. The lighthouse loop is 2.6km and takes about 45 minutes to walk at a relaxed pace. If you haven’t been here before make sure you do this section!
Big Beach To Rocky Bluffs + Ancient Cedars Loop 6km 1 way
This section of the trail starts at Ucluelet’s Brown beach right in town and walks along the coast past ancient cedars, and incredible lookouts. This section is 6km one way if you include the ancient cedars add on and is a great trail to walk, run or find a spot to yourself. There is far less traffic on this section but it is equally as beautiful. The famous Black Rock resort sits beside this section of the trail. This section of the trail should take you about 1 hour and 30 minutes to walk.
Finding The Wild Pacific trail
The trail is fairly easy to find and pops up right away on google. When you get to Ucluelet keep going straight along the main road Peninsula Rd until turning right on Coast Guard Dr. Coast Guard Dr leads you right to the parking and trailhead.
Where To Park
Lighthouse Loop
Brown Beach Trailhead
Ancient Cedar Trailhead
The Lighthouse Loop
The lighthouse loop is only about 2.6km and almost completely flat. It is a beautiful easy walk suitable for almost everyone. If you don’t feel like doing the full 2.6km loop you can easily just walk down to the lighthouse for fabulous views over the pacific. This can be an amazing place to storm watch in season.
The lighthouse on the Wild Pacific Trail
From the parking lot is an easy walk along this beautiful treed path around the peninsula with lots of spots to stop for views of the ocean.
Brown Beach To Ancient Cedars
This section of the trail has more dramatic rock sections and far less foot traffic. Stretching 6km you will have to walk back the way you come so factor that in when you decide how far you feel like walking. If there is someone to pick you up starting at the Brown beach and getting picked up at Ancient Cedars is the best of both worlds.
This is a fabulous area to walk your dog, but make sure you keep pets leashed there are frequent bear sightings.
There are lots of great spots to stop and sit or hang out.
Enjoying one the countless spots to watch the waves.
Where To Stay To Visit The Wild Pacific Trail
Ucluelet has a ton of amazing accommodation. If you are looking to stay close to the trail there are two great luxury options that really standout. For a full resort experience the Black Rock Resort is beautiful and sits right on the famous rock point for which it is named. You can walk right out your door onto the WPT from the lobby and the oceanside hot tub is awesome.
For something a little more secluded the Nami Project is also lovely. It has cedar barrel hot tubs, cold plunge pools and saunas with a view over the ocean all set in a classy Westcoast, Japanese inspired style. You can check it out here.
For Budget accommodation the C&N Backpackers is a simple but friendly with nightly events. Last time we stayed they had bonfires by the water and it was a great way to spend the night.
Best Time To Do The Hike
This hike can be done all year but its hard to beat a sunny day on the west coast. It is just so nice on this part of the island when the sun makes an appearance. No matter the weather the Wild Pacific Trail is a great little walk.
The Lighthouse Loop can be particularly impressive in storm watching season. Rainy Uke is a calming vibe in itself so make sure you get out there no matter the weather.
Driving Directions To Ucluelet
Ucluelet is best reached by car from the central island. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from the ferry terminal in Departure Bay Nanaimo. If you are coming from Tofino just head straight out of town and its about a 35 minute drive. There are lots of great stops on this road like Long beach and Florencia bay that are really worth your time.
How To Get To Ucluelet By Bus
If driving is not an option for you there are also shuttles with Island Link and the Vancouver Island Connector Bus. Ucluelet.ca has some great transportation options you can check out here. Any of the Tofino shuttles will happily leave you at the junction which is about 7km out of town and some will go all the way to Uke.
There is also local bus that does the route from Ucluelet to Tofino fairly regularly you can see the schedule here.
You can even sail on a passenger ferry from Port Alberni if you want to experience some of the old world before the highway was built.
What Else To See In Ucluelet & Tofino
If you are all the way up in Ucluelet it would be a shame to not pop into Tofino for a day. We are big fans of the Cox Bay Lookout it gives you a great view of my favourite beach Cox Bay. You should also stop at Long Beach to check out the flat expanse of sand, the surfers and the famous incinerator rock.
After the beach pop into town for a shop and some snacks. If you are looking for something quick Tacofino outside of town makes tremendous West coast style tacos. If you are feeling up to it the Canso plane crash hike is not to hard and a super unique experience.
