Wild Pacific Trail - Ucluelet, BC

 

9k incl. Lighthouse Loop, Ancient Cedars and Rocky Bluffs  230 m elevation gain

The Lighthouse Loop was walking distance from our hotel so we didn't have to park and were also able to add Terrace Beach on the way.  It was a gorgeous sunny evening to see the southern tip of the peninsula.  This trail is a highlight reel of the rainforest/ocean scenery in the area.

We did the loop counter clockwise as there was a one-way restriction on it.  This took us through a number of beaches and viewpoints before arriving at the lighthouse and I think it worked really well.

Dare you cross the log of doom?  No, that's not part of the trail.

Evening light makes everything magical.  Some parts of the trail were quite dark with foliage overhead.  Another thing that reminded me of Hawaii. 

Every corner produced an interesting perspective as we headed south.  We kept an eye out for sea creatures.

There are always islands in the distance, I love that.

Amphitrite Lighthouse, for which the loop is named.  It got busy here so we figured there must be a parking lot nearby (yep).  Waves can come right over it during a storm, hard to picture during a warm still evening with no clouds in the sky.

I'm not sure I love or even get this.  New rule, if you split up you have to come back and remove your lock.

There's a little offshoot trail around a bog on the way back, well worth a detour.

The Ancient Cedars section of the trail is further up the main road, look for trailhead markers and parked cars.  There’s also another section of trail from Big Beach to here which would add about 4km one way.  

We enjoyed ourselves, I call this collection 'idiots in front of  big trees'.   After that you can do the Rocky Bluffs section for more sea views.  

We spotted an eagle (I left the camera in the car, don't do that) and a baby eagle shouting for his dinner.  A beautiful trail, thanks to the Wild Pacific Trail Society.  

We kept seeing this little family around town, in fact they were the welcoming committee as we checked in.  So it was lovely to see them again before we left.