Nootka Trail

West Coast Wilderness at its finest. The Nootka trail is 40km of pure undiscovered wilderness. Float planes and water taxis, wolves and whales, beaches and waterfalls. The Nottka trail has everything to make it a classic Canadian hike except one thing, the crowds. Owing to its remote location the Nootka Trail sees at most 500 people per year, a significantly smaller number than the West Coast trail’s roughly 7,000 visitors. It’s a sure thing our group will be enjoying large sections of this trail with only the gulls and other wildlife to share it with. 

The Trip

Our Nootka Trail hike begins right in North Vancouver at the Lonsdale Quey where our shuttle will pick you up. From there we continue onto the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and the ferry over to Vancouver Island. So if you fly into Vancouver you won't need a rental car, just your hiking equipment, as you can take transit right to the pick-up. If you are from Vancouver, just leave the car at home and join us in the shuttle and relax as we head over to Gold River.

Once on Vancouver Island, we have a 3.5 hour drive to Gold River, a small village that was once a major hub for logging, pulp and paper. It is here where we will hitch a ride with our friends from Air Nootka. 45 minutes aboard a Beaver or Cessna brings us to within a kilometer hike of our first camp at Starfish Lagoon.

Over the next three days we will hike along the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. Timing is essential as we need to cross tidal lagoons and surge channels. Our hike initially sticks right to the coast line but as we work our way South the trail takes a few turns inland along bluffs overlooking the Pacific and gives us even better chances of seeing grey whales and rafts of sea otters.

Throughout our hike we’ll have four nights camping. Our first site is at Starfish Lagoon to be followed by Calvin Falls, Beano Creek, and Sunrise Beach

On our final morning we hike the short trail from Sunrise Beach to the famous Yuquot or "Friendly Cove", where British explorer Captain Jame sCook first set ashore.
After a morning exploring the coast here, we’ll find our way back to Gold River aboard the MV Uchuck III, a vessel that began its life as an American Yard Minesweeper, was adapted to the logging industry and now cruises the waters of the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Of course, once we’re back in Gold River it’s time to saddle up and head back to Nanaimo and the mainland satisfied with so many beautiful days hiking the quiet Nootka trail.

The Nootka Trial Stats at a Glance

• Distance: 40 km
• Duration: 5 days
• Peak: 47 m
• Gain: 577 m

Campground Details

First Beach aka Louie Bay Lagoon

Starfish Lagoon is the starting point to our journey on the Nootka Trail. Its protected waters provide a great place to disembark the plane. After a muddy kilometer long hike we arrive at our first campsite, First Beach. 

First beach aka Third beach is a wide sandy beach flanked by rugged rocky points. The campsite is tucked just inside the forest’s edge giving some protection from the wind. There is a small creek at the north end of the beach but be aware, the water is very tannic (tea-colored). It is safe to drink after filtering or boiling. 

Calvin Falls

Positioned in the middle of the beach beside its namesake waterfall, Calvin Falls is a great place to arrive and a hard place to leave, it's just that beautiful . The Falls cascade seemingly out of nowhere onto the rocks and sandy beach below. It is a great place to swim on a hot afternoon. For the adventurous, there is a rope to pull yourself up the side of the falls to the potholes above for an even more private experience in the potholes. 

You don’t have to climb the potholes though, the bottom of the falls is a great place for a “Nootka Shower.” 

There are two places to camp at Calvin Falls. Directly on the sandy beach or a spot on the raised driftwood platforms and grassy patches on the forest’s edge. If you are a light sleeper, the roar of the falls can be louder than the ocean so bring ear plugs. 

Tucked just inside the forest’s edge on the south side of the creek is a well worn path leading  to a basic wooden outhouse. 

Beano Creek

Beano Creek is a welcome sight after hours of hiking along pea gravel. The camp itself sits on a huge mound of clean pebbles that gets moved around and reconfigured by waves and storms. In 2022, a green throne-style outhouse was added to the north side of the creek, making it one of the more serviced wilderness camps on the trail. Beano Creek is also one of the few spots on the trail where hikers are likely to encounter other people, as a surf break nearby has attracted a small community of cottagers.

Beano Creek is a great source for potable water. It is also a major corridor for wolves and black bears so being diligent with your food and waste is important. 

There is a pit toilet at Beano Creek, located along a well-established trail leading into the forest near the campsite. 

Sunrise Beach

Sunrise Beach is a beautiful sandy beach tucked into a small cove. Early morning light washes over the valley and is a fantastic place for whale watching. 

Sunrise Beach caps off the longest and most difficult day of the trek — a roughly 9 km stretch with 300 metres of elevation gain and loss as hikers work their way around Maquinna Point through pocket beaches, sea caves, and stunning coastline. 

There is a small stream at the back of the beach though it can be very slow-moving in late summer. You will definitely want to filter this water as it moves through thick brush.

There is no pit toilet at Sunrise Beach. Therefore, we will need to use Leave No Trace Principals here.

Bathroom Facilities and Leave No Trace

Toilet facilities on the Nootka Trail are basic but have improved in recent years. Seven "green throne" open-air toilets were installed along the trail located at Third Beach, Skuna Bay, Calvin Falls, Beano Creek, Calcium Creek, the Pocket Beaches, and the Sea Caves area. Most of these toilets are three sided open pits with great views of the Pacific Ocean. Buoys mark the outhouse trails leading into the forest at camps where they are installed, so hikers know where to look. 

At many locations like Third Beach, or smaller pocket beaches, there may be no outhouses at all. In these cases, we must practice Leave No Trace principles:

• The Intertidal Zone: In some coastal environments, it is recommended to go in the "intertidal zone" (the area between low and high tide) so the rising tide can wash everything away. However, check current local guidelines from the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, as this is a sensitive cultural area.
• The Cathole: If you go in the forest, you must dig a hole at least 6–8 inches deep and at least 60 meters (200 feet) away from any water source or camp.

Waiver & Risk Management:

As you know, outdoor activities involve numerous hazards including, but not limited to, avalanches, crevasses, rockfall, slips and falls, equipment failure, poor weather, etc. And while we do our best to anticipate and mitigate these hazards we cannot completely eliminate them. So, as with anything fun, you will be required to sign our Participant Release to take part in one of our courses or trips.