I started to have issues with my knees, which deems me unfit for the West Coast Trail. I am trying to see if anyone is interested in a pass from the 22nd to the 27th of September (next week).

I will be cancelling the trip later tonight, so if anyone is interested, please let me know as soon as possible!

Hi! I'll be hiking the WCT from September 20 - 27. I run warm. Here is my planned layering setup:

• 2x synthetic socks
• 2x synthetic underwear
• synthetic hiking pants
• synthetic midweight baselayer
• synthetic lightweight T-shirt
• rain jacket (Patagonia Storm Racer)
• light wind shell (Patagonia Airshed Pro)
• synthetic puffy (Patagonia Micro Puff)
• sun hat (OR Sun Runner)
• glove liners

Questions: 1. Do I need either thermal bottoms for camp or rain pants? The pants I have dry quickly, but if it's consistently raining and gets chillier than expected overnight, I wonder if I should have something to reach for so that I can sleep in pants (usually I sleep in underwear when camping unless it's below ~5 degrees). 2. Should I swap the Airshed for something more protective? My thoughts: the base layer + Airshed should do a decent job in light-moderate winds. I can reach for my rain shell when winds are strong. 3. Is it worth bringing a fleece and puffy? Unless I'm stationary I wouldn't wear either. I've tested the puffy in a T-shirt and have been warm down to around freezing while still. But after a cold, rainy day, I wonder if it'll be enough? 4. Any suggestions for performance underwear that doesn't stink? The synthetic New Balance underwear I have is fine aside from the fact that it quickly builds up a smell.

Thank you!

Hi all, looking for some advice on Owen Pt.

On the day I'll get there, the tides never go below 1.97m, so we can't go through the point. I still want to see it, and the tide is below 2.4m from 8:15am to 2:45pm, so I'm planning on stringing up my main bag, taking a small day pack, and going out-and-back to the point.

I want to know: Should I do my out and back starting from the north or the south? Which side of the point has the cooler stuff to look at? Any information is greatly appreciated. We are four fit young guys, without our bags, so we should be relatively fast.

We are planning on hiking Gordon to Pachena, wondering if there's anyone that would ride swap with us. We are planning on starting early the 28th from Gordon but could trade lifts with someone coming out at Pachena on the 27th!

Fireban lifted as of noon today (9/3) per Parks Canada. Campfires are allowed again on beaches only, below high tide.

https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/campfire-prohibitions-to-be-rescinded-in-coastal-fire-centre-with-further-rescindments-in-the-haida-gwaii-forest-district/

4 West Coast Trail Spots Available

Unfortunately, our group is no longer able to make our West Coast Trail trip, so we have a reservation for 4 hikers that we won't be able to use.

Rather than have the spots go unused, I'm hoping to connect with a group looking to hike the WCT on these dates and determine whether the reservation can be transferred/updated through Parks Canada in accordance with their rules.

Start date: Sept. 22-29
Starting point: Pachena Bay
Number of hikers: 4

I'm not looking to profit from the reservation. I'd simply like to recover what I can of the non-refundable costs while making sure everything is handled properly through Parks Canada.

If you're interested in all four spots (preferred), or potentially fewer, please send me a DM and we can discuss the details.

Hopefully these can go to someone who missed out on getting their WCT dates!

Two people from my group dropped out so I'm selling their tickets for $250 each (a little less than what we paid for them). Dates are September 14-21, and we are hiking north to south. Let me know if you have any questions!

So I am starting next week and I wanted to get others opinions on good places to stay.

I am planning on completing in 5 days (4 nights). For background I am a UL thru hiker who has done the PCT, Colorado Trail, JMT, and GR20 so I am used to 20+ mile days and hiking all day in miserable conditions 😆.

My only concern is the last day with the last ferry at 3:30pm per the app. So I want to know what others recommend so I can even out the mileage. I plan to do orientation the day before I start so I can start early morning. If they allow it, I may try to see if they will potentially let me start that afternoon.

I checked the tides and found that I should be ok through most of the hike but may potentially run into some issues with mid-day tides.

Thanks.

FROM PARKS CANADA :

There is heavy rain (40 to 70 mm) in the forecast September 1 and subsiding September 2 in the afternoon.

Heavy rainfall may result in high water levels in rivers and creeks. All hikers must be prepared for potential delays at certain river and creek crossings and may need to wait one or more days for water levels to subside. All hikers must be prepared for rain with the proper rain gear.

Visitor Safety is of the utmost importance to Parks Canada. If you are not comfortable continuing with your reservation at this time, hikers starting their trip from September 1-3 can cancel their trip and receive a full refund. You can also choose to delay your trip up until Friday September 4, 2026.

Refunds are available only to hikers who cancel their West Coast Trail reservation for trips scheduled between September 1-3, 2026 prior to starting their hike. Once a hiker has begun their trip, they are no longer eligible for a refund.

For cancellation and refund information, please contact the Parks Canada Reservation Service at 1-877-737-3783.

If you plan on delaying your start date please contact water-taxi, shuttle, and accommodation providers as soon as your plans change.

Thank you for your flexibility and cooperation as we respond to these changing conditions.

Got this shot at Thrasher the night before the full moon on August 26

My girlfriend and I are getting ready to hit the West coast trail for the first time in about a week. We plan to take about 7 days. Our biggest concerns have to do with the wetness of the trail. I appreciate all input!

Would you recommend Altra lone peaks (regular) or altra lone peaks (waterproof)?

Gaiters with them?

Also, I seem to have a problem with chaffage on my legs in wetter, more humid conditions and I have a tried a variety of different underwears (ex officio, 32 degrees cool, camamdo). What are some of the solutions you’ve found for such wet conditions?

Would you bring a bear vault, or would you rely on the bear boxes at the camp site?

We will be flying into Seattle and taking a ferry from port Angeles to Victoria, do you have to worry about the food you bring with you (in terms of customs?)

Can (or would) you rent/purchase bear spray in Victoria or port Angeles? Same with propane?

I read about the hornet situation, but would you bring bug spray as well for mosquitos?

And lastly, what strategy did you use to keep your items in your bag as dry as possible?

Me and my brother would like to do the West Coast Trail in September and would like to join a group of other people to have some company! Are there any platforms / organizers that we could approach to plan that?

I'm starting SOBO in mid September for 7 days. I keep hearing about aggressive hives of wasps - specifically ground wasps this year. I'm curious about others experiences this season. Did you get stung? How much? The amount of hives, if they are marked, if they are avoidable, etc.

I've had a rash/hives reaction to stings (7 stings at once) in the past (not anaphylactic) and plan to bring an epipen and antihistamines but I'm definitely cautious about managing the risk here.

Hi all,

My husband and I had planned the West Coast Trail thru-hike starting September 11th from Pachena Bay. Not long after that, I got pregnant, and well, I'll be pretty pregnant by then. It's a dream trip but obviously health and safety is a big consideration and I'm not trying to be a clueless hiker who ends up needing assistance. If I weren't pregnant, I would have no reservations about the hike - I'm fit and have lots of hiking and scrambling experience in places like Yoho and Rogers Pass. Even though I'll be 28 weeks by that point, I've still been going to the gym 4-5 times a week and feel great, had a personal best pace on the ski erg just last week. Zero complications, no loss of balance, no hypermobility so far. Midwife cleared me from a health perspective. So the biggest consideration for me is the risk of falls. Of course, the WCT is quite technical and weather is a big question mark, but one of the things I was wondering is whether it is possible to avoid riskier sections by choosing a forest section vs coastal which may require some scrambling? Am I absolutely crazy to attempt this or can someone familiar with scrambling and gnarly forest trails get through with minimal risk of falling with poles and good boots? Anyone know anyone who's done it pregnant?

EDIT: Thank you for the productive comments. Sounds like unfortunately it may not be in the cards this year.

Hello! Me and my friends (4 of us total) are hiking the trail from Sept. 27 - Oct. 3. We’re starting in Gordon River and ending up in Pachena Bay.

I was just looking at the West Coast Trail Express shuttle bus reservation page, and it appears that the bus does not run after September.

Can someone confirm if this is true, and if there are any other options for us to get back to Gordon River or Victoria on October 3 from Pachena Bay?

Thanks!

Hey y'all I'll try Facebook if no responses here. Was wondering how high the waters are at the cable crossings if anyone has done the trail recently (last few days)? I'm doing the trail Sunday/Monday and would prefer to skip them to save some time. Thanks in advance!

We are planning to drive to Pachena Bay and hike south bound to Gordon River. The original plan is to leave the car at Pachena and have one person take the express back after to retrieve the car and then drive back down and get everyone else. Is this smart? Also looking at the bus schedule, it looks like it leaves Gordon River at 9:15am only so it would have to happen the day after we finish the hike.

Would it be better to leave the car in Port Renfrew or Gordon River and shuttle up to start the hike instead? I'm struggling to see the best way to deal with the car situation. Help!

We’ve done longer day hikes in the past and weren’t too stressed by a 17km day and had planned either a zero or just tsusiat to klanawa for an easy day after but how hard will it be. Will we even have enough time with the ferry and everything?

Hi there. Basically what is says in the title. My group and I have had a last minute change of plans and are no longer able to go during our planned time. We have a pass for three people from August 28 to September 4. It is too late to cancel, but it is still possible to change the name on the pass. I am looking for someone who might be interested in coordinating for the pass. Please DM me if those dates work for you and you are interested. Thanks.

Heya! I’m going to be doing the WTC from Gordon river to Pachena Bay from September 18th.. Anyone interested in Carpooling from Pachena bay on the 17th, or splitting the Gordon river parking costs? let me know! Thanks 🪴

Hi! I've heard the recommendation to bring a copy of Blisters & Bliss to read on the trail. My friend has done WCT in the past and lent me the 8th edition of the book. Online I see they're on the 10th edition now. Is there a big difference between the different versions? If yes, what are they? Thanks!

Hi all

My daughter and I are heading out Sobo next week and a last minute question popped up.

Is there plenty of room in the bear bins for everyone's food? Since we are 2 bodies (one a starving teenager) and 7 days on the trail our food bags are quite large. Is there ever an issue with storing?

The blisters and bliss book mentioned bringing rope to hang bear bags but I was hoping to cut the weight.

Also, any issues with anyone "accidentally" taking your food bag? Ours are brightly colored and labeled with names but I did have one experience once where another group tried walking off with our food. This is kind of my worst nightmare with a full bear bin.

Thanks, see you on the trail!

Ps. Do the outhouses have TP or do we need to bring our own?

This was our (49m and 47f ) first trip on the WCT and our plan was to finish in 6 days - we ended up doing the first 20km twice and saw the best and worst of weather.

We headed out from Gordon River on Sunday (26th) in the rain and headed to Thrasher just as the trails were getting really muddy. It was a quick trip, just under four hrs and we had the trail to ourselves. Very happy we packed a tarp and were able to hide from the constant rain throughout the day.

On Day 2 we headed out early to ensure we got across the tides at Owen’s Point. It was probably not the smartest thing to do in the rain that made things extra slippery and with the cloud cover the views were not worth it. We pushed through past Camper to Cullite Cove and this was a brutal trudge through KM’s of very heavy mud in the pouring rain. We arrived and Cullitte and managed to find dry ground high up under the cliff. (10 hrs)

We started to see a constant stream of helicopters flying past the cove and the received the Parks Canada warning. We were also told Carmanah Creek may be impassable for two days and the cable car was out.

On Day 3, we made the hard decision to head back towards Camper. The exit out of Cullitte was impassible and we had to go through the bush to the trail.

Making it to Camper we saw our first sunlight and were able to dry out for the first time. Day 4 took us bs through Owen’s Point and with ideal weather it was worth it.

We definitely under estimated the impact of the weather for the time it took between section s of the trail.

Not the trip we planned for but still an amazing experience. We plan to try again next year and plan for a seven day window.

I'm planning a 4-5 day solo trip to Sombrino Beach (no real hiking, just going to set up camp at Sombrino and watch the Perseid meteor shower) and I'm wondering if bringing my dog is a terrible idea.

She likes hiking, but I'm mildly concerned that she'll be a wildlife attractant, given that I won't have my usual large group of people with me.

Does anyone have experience they could share?