Popular Areas
The Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is located on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. Stand in an ancient rainforest, gazing in awe as giant trees rise through mist and cloud to the sky. Kayak among clusters of alluring islands, where inner waters abound with marine life, and rocky shores are lined with twisted cedars, secret caves, and startling blowholes. Relax on soft-sand beaches and watch for whales, or in winter watch the storms that furiously pummel the coast.
Learn more about the Pacific Rim area
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve Communities
Port Alberni and the pastoral Alberni Valley serve as the gateway to BC’s west coast.
Tofino sits on a narrow peninsula bordered by Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west, north, and east.
Ucluelet is one of only a few population centres on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. Its name means "safe landing place" in the language of the Nuu-chah-nulth people who have lived here for at least 4,300 years.
- Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is situated on Vancouver Island’s rugged west coast, running from north of Clayoquot Sound to south of Bam field, and inland as far as Port Alberni.
- Port Alberni is the largest populated centre in the area, and home of the McLean Mill National Historic Site.
- Visitors stay in Tofino and Ucluelet, the area's most popular vacation destinations
- Hot Springs Cove, the only hot spring on Vancouver Island, is located north of Tofino and is accessible by boat or seaplane.
- The park is accessible from the mainland by car, and by BC Ferries or float plane.
The Pacific Rim feature dramatic old-growth forest and sprawling beaches, ideal for various outdoor recreational activities and wilderness and wildlife viewing. Learn about the area’s natural and cultural heritage at Pacific Rim’s interpretive centre, or head to Clayoquot Sound to explore one of the largest areas of ancient temperate rainforest left in the world.
There are many walking paths and hiking routes within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve including the 75km/47mi West Coast Trail (reserve a date well in advance). Walk along or lounge on the area’s expansive beaches, renowned for their soft sand and amazing scenery. Popular beaches include Long, Chesterman, and MacKenzie.
Boasting deep inlets, multiple islands and a surfeit of protected nooks and crannies, the area’s waterways were seemingly carved for kayakers Clayoquot Sound features beaches, headlands, old-growth rainforest, protected inner waterways, kilometres (miles) of rocky coastline, and a cornucopia of marine wildlife. The Broken Group Islands is one of the world's premier sea kayaking destinations. Discover more than 100 secluded islands and their sheltered waterways.
View nature at its most amazing and powerful. Approximately, 22,000 grey whales pass through the Pacific Rim en route to their Arctic feeding grounds in March and April, and from May to October many whales, such as humpbacks and orcas, call these waters home. Watch from land or take a guided tour on the water. Beginning in late fall and continuing through winter the coastal area becomes a coveted storm-watching destination as epic squalls beat down. Watch these storms from the comfort of luxurious lodges perched on beach cliffs.