Camping on the West Coast Trail—Rules and Best Spots

Introduction

Imagine hiking through ancient rainforests, across suspension bridges, and along breathtaking coastlines—that’s the magic of the West Coast Trail. For outdoor enthusiasts, it’s a bucket-list adventure. But camping here isn’t just about pitching a tent; it’s about respecting nature, staying safe, and planning smartly. This guide from someone that has hiked the trail 30 times covers everything from essential rules to the best camping spots, so you can enjoy hiking the West Coast while protecting its pristine beauty.

Rules and Permits for Camping on the West Coast Trail

Camping on the West Coast Trail requires preparation and adherence to specific rules. First, you’ll need a permit. The West Coast Trail booking system opens in advance, and securing a spot can be competitive—so mark your calendar! Fees help maintain this iconic trail and protect the surrounding ecosystem, and pays for the safety envelope that is part of Parks, that is, if you need to be evacuated, they are well set up to do it.

When it comes to camping, remember the Leave No Trace principles: pack out what you pack in, stick to designated campsites, and minimize your environmental footprint. The West Coast Trail Hiker Preparation Guide from Parks Canada emphasizes respecting wildlife and avoiding feeding animals. It’s a privilege to share this space with nature, so follow the rules and ensure it remains pristine for future hikers.

Best Camping Spots Along the Trail

Choosing the right spots to camp along the trail can make or break your experience. The West Coast Trail map is your best friend for identifying key locations. Thrasher Cove is a favorite for its sheltered setting, while Tsusiat Falls offers stunning waterfalls and plenty of space to camp. For panoramic views, Cribs Creek is hard to beat. Each of these sites is strategically located along the West Coast Trail distance of 75 kilometers, providing rest points for tired hikers.

Keep in mind that some campsites can get crowded, especially during peak season. Early arrivals can secure the best spots, but always be courteous to fellow hikers. It is your responsibility to ensure that any campers arriving also have a space to camp. If you are spread out over an area, tighten up to only what you need so others have space. Arriving at a campsite early is not license for you to spread out and block others from use. Use your West Coast Trail Hiker Preparation Guide to plan ahead, balancing convenience with the opportunity to explore.

List of Campsites

Here is a list of the designated campsites along the WCT, ordered from north (Pachena Bay) to south (Gordon River). You can download the West Coast Trail map and follow along.​

1. Pachena Bay (km 0)
   • Starting point (or ending point) of the trail-this is not part of the park, but is owned and run by the Huu-ay-aht First Nation.
   • Facilities: Outhouses, wash house, showers, flush toilets
   • 
2. Michigan Creek (km 12)
   • Michigan Creek is the first (or last) camp on the trail. It is a very big camp, stretching way down the beach. If there is no fire ban, there is wood about 300 m up the beach toward Pachena Point. The area up the beach and around Pachena Point is bear habitat. There has been continuous sow and cub activity there for at least the last 15 years. The last few years, the grown cubs are frequently in the camp when the first campers arrive for the day. They live between about km 7 and km 16 at Tsocowis Creek. Keep an eye out at all times in this area. This creek is dangerous during rains. Michigan Creek is a great place for watching whales. They are often around Pachena Point, and sometimes come in just off the rocks at Michigan.
   • Facilities: Outhouses, food storage lockers.
   • 
3. Darling River (km 14)
   • Darling River camp is a nice spot to hang out for lunch, but the camping is not the best. The beach is quite sloping here.There is enough space for a fair number of campers, but not the most comfortable. If you need a swim and wash, the waterfall about 150 m up the river has a wonderful pool. When it is raining, the river rises fast and can become very dangerous. Along with Michigan Creek, these two present significant risks during heavier rains. They rise fast and subside fast, but while high, they can knock you over and take you out into the ocean. With a pack on, they can hold you under if you can’t get out of the pack-cross only with all straps undone.
   • Facilities: Outhouse, food storage lockers.​
   • 
4. Tsocowis Creek (km 16)
   • Tsocowis Creek has a lot of spaces for camping. This is also a great waterfall spot on the trail. You can climb into human-sized potholes at the bottom for a cool dip. The scenery is fantastic. Whales are often sited offshore. The suspension bridge above the camp overlooks the waterfalls. There is a Trail Guardians cabin here.
   • Facilities: Outhouse, food storage lockers.
   • 
5. Klanawa River (km 23)
   • The Klanawa River is usually the only cable car that absolutely must be used, but sometimes the gravel bar builds up and you can walk around the deep pond. The pond is tidal, so it can be brackish. Make sure you test the water before using it (swish a bit in your mouth and spit it out) to see if it is brackish. If it is and you plan on camping here, you may be able to get out of the salty water by gathering water below the cable car, or you will need to cross the cable car and bushwack to the creek about 50 m upstream or take the trail about 450 m down trail to a creek just below the ladders, southeast of the river. The best camping is on the river side of the sand/gravel bar at the end of the river.
   • Facilities: Outhouse(s), food storage lockers.​
   • 
6. Tsusiat Falls (km 25)
   • Adjacent to the scenic Tsusiat Falls, the camp here is huge. Camping can stretch out from the north side of the falls all the way around the cliffs to the south. The outhouses offer great views, if you are into that kind of entertainment as you do your business. Because the camp was being overused, Parks has limited it to a one night stay. The down side of the overuse (and it is still highly used) is a big mouse and bird problem. This tends to be one of the dirtier campgrounds.
   • Facilities: Outhouses, food storage lockers. The outhouses and lockers on the north side are harder to access.
   • 
7. Cribs Creek (km 42)
   • The outlet for Cribs Creek is behind a long set of rocks that protect the inner beach/shore from the breakers that land there. These rocks are a “cribs” formation, thus the name. This is a great camp, but the sand is fine and when it is rainy, the sand sticks to everything, everywhere. This is a wonderful place to stay and explore. There is a brackish pond to the south, fed by Coal Creek.
   • Facilities: Outhouse(s), food storage lockers.​
   • 
8. Carmanah Creek (km 46)
   • Carmanah Creek has a fair volume at all times. The cable car is a bit of a pain, and it is always faster to just change shoes and ford the creek. This is a widely spread out beach camp that gets a lot of sun, being south facing. If your timing is right, this is a great place to just sit for a day and relax.
   • Facilities: Outhouse, food storage lockers.
   • 
9. Bonilla Point (km 48)
   • Bonilla Point is a small campsite, but with a lot of real estate, so large groups or multiple groups can easily camp there. There is one outhouse, a cave behind it, a shipwreck remnant overgrown by the trees, and a waterfall. It is one of my favourite camps, although I have rarely camped there, but I always stop to sightsee.
   • Facilities: Outhouse, food storage lockers.​
   • 
10. Walbran Creek (km 53)
    • Walbran Creek forms a big pond at the end and is a great swimming hole. Get your water from upstream near the cable car so you are not drinking people’s sweat and soap. This is a huge camp with a lot of forest sites and beach sites. No fires in the trees, or directly under the trees on the creek shore camp spots. The outhouse is a funny surprise. Don’t take the cable car unless you absolutely have to-it is long and hard. You should be able to ford the creek near the shoreline and walk the beach and shelf. The trail that goes into the forest at km 51 and lets out at the cable car is not a fun hike. Stick to the beach if you can.
    • Facilities: Outhouses, food storage lockers.​
    • 
11. Cullite Creek (km 58)
    • In a deep ravine, long ladders down and up. It is a beautiful, small site, similar to Camper Bay, enclosed by cliffs, but smaller.
    • Facilities: Outhouse, food storage locker.
    • 
12. Camper Bay (km 62)
    • Camper Bay has Camper Creek running through it. You usually don’t really need to take the cable car. The end forms into a pool that is swimmable, and then runs into a further pool that gets flushed with sea water at high tide. Wash in the lower pool. Swim only in the upper pool-people often get their drinking water from it. You should get yours from upstream of the outhouses, above the cable car. Don’t make campfires under the trees, even if someone else has and there is a fire pit there (dismantle the fire pit if you can). There is a Trail Guardians cabin here.
    • Facilities: Outhouses, food storage lockers.
    • 
13. Thrasher Cove (km 70)
    • Thrasher Cove has a tight, narrow beach.Set your tent well high up the beach and look for the last high, high tide (there is a low high tide and a high high tide most days). The highest high gets to the logs when tide heights are 11 ft or more (3.4 m).
    • Facilities: Outhouse, food storage lockers.
    • 
14. Gordon River (km 75)
    • Southern terminus of the trail-this is also not part of the park. It is run by the Pacheedaht First Nation.
    • Facilities: Outhouses, wash house, showers, flush toilets, wifi.
    • 

General Features of Campsites

• Outhouses: All designated campsites are equipped with composting outhouses to manage human waste responsibly.
• Food Storage: Bear-proof food storage lockers are provided to protect both hikers and wildlife.
• Water Sources: Natural water sources are available near most campsites; however, all water should be treated before consumption.
• Beach Access: Many campsites are located on or near beaches, offering scenic views and opportunities for rest.

Non-designated Camping

There are some other places to camp, and essentially, you can camp anywhere appropriate outside of the areas that have been designated as closed for camping.

Closed Areas

The length of the Cheewaht area, including Clo-oose, is closed to camping because of an abundance of wildlife in the area.

Reasonable Camping Spots

There are a number of places that are reasonable camp spots outside of designated camps; however, you need good backcountry and Leave No Trace skills to use one of these responsibly. Let’s run down these sites also from north to south.

• Orange Juice Creek, km 15-this is officially marked on the West Coast Trail map, but it has no facilities. There is no outhouse or food cache.
• 
• Hole Point, km 27-there is a break in the rocks just north of Tsusiat Point, and inside this break is a reasonable campsite, when there is water there. Later season usually means no water. This spot is at the red dot just above “ba” in the image. This spot is in the 17 km expanse between the designated campsites of Tsusiat Falls and Cribs Creek, but it only really cuts of about a kilometer.
• 
• Nitinaht Ferry, km 32-Carl and Shelley Edgar have paid camping and small cabins available at the Crab Shack at Nitinaht Narrows, south side. You can plan this in by contacting Shelley at Nitinat Wilderness Charters. This is a good place to break up the 17 km day between Tsusiat Falls and Cribs Creek. There is an extra cost, but it has facilities.
• 
• Dare Beach, km 40-there is a patch of dry sand and usually water at Dare Beach. This is a fairly small area and would fit one larger group, at best, safely. If you need to shorten the 17 km stretch between Cribs Creek and Tsusiat Falls, this site cuts a kilometer and a half off the gap.
• 
• Beach Access B, km 66-this spot has a fairly large clearing and does have water nearby, but no facilites.
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• Log Jam Creek, km 70-this is a very sensitive area, but tends to be a camp for hikers that didn’t plan well and get caught too late on the trail to get to the end. Toilet practices near this freshwater stream is very problematic. If you have to or plan to use this spot to camp, make sure you go well away from the creek to do your business-like at the trail junction at the km 70 sign. Make sure your food is well cached up a tree. Do not build a fire in the forest, even if there is no fire ban. Don’t take the risk of starting a forest or underground fire.
• 

Planning Your Itinerary for Camping

Planning your itinerary for a West Coast Trail hike involves more than choosing campsites. Consider the trail’s length—75 kilometers might sound manageable, but the rugged terrain and unpredictable weather add complexity. Breaking the hike into sections based on your fitness level and schedule is key.

Most hikers spend 5–7 days on the trail, with daily distances ranging from 6 to 17 kilometers. Check your West Coast Trail map for landmarks like Pachena Bay and Gordon River to help structure your journey. Kms 53 through 75 are the hardest, most rugged parts of the trail. Plan on an average of about 2 km per hour for all of this stretch. If conditions are good (dry and not muddy), you can travel 3 to 4 kmh on some sections, but if conditions are wet and muddy, you will likely travel around 2 kmh. Some sections may be down to even 1 kmh. If you are reading blog posts or watching Youtube reviews of the trail, remember that these people have likely only done it once, so only have the one experience. I have hiked the trail 30 times in all conditions. Don’t succumb to “wishful thinking” in your planning. Plan for harder and slower in case you encounter it.

A detailed West Coast Trail gear list is also essential—include sturdy boots, a reliable tent, and waterproof gear for the inevitable rain. A lightweight tarp is also a great thing to have for those wet days. I always carry a big, lightweight tarp. Don’t be tempted to leave your rain gear at home because you saw some forecast of great weather in BC or somewhere on Vancouver Island. There are no reliable weather prediction sites for the West Coast Trail. None. Even if it shows as warm, sunny, and high pressure, it may still be totally socked in with fog on the coast—fog that drips from the trees like rainfall. And I have been in rain on the trail and find out that it was dry and sunny the whole time even 5 km inland. Take your rain gear no matter what.

Safety Considerations While Camping

Safety is a top priority when camping on the West Coast Trail. Weather conditions can change rapidly, turning sunny skies into torrential rain. Prepare for this by packing layers and waterproof clothing. If you have a good West Coast Trail guidebook, it will highlight areas prone to slippery conditions, so tread carefully.

Wildlife encounters are another consideration. From bears to cougars, knowing how to store food safely and react to animals is crucial. Use the provided bear-proof food caches (in each official campsite) and keep your campsite clean. Your biggest wildlife problem with food is also the smallest. You will have more problems with mice and your food than anything else. Don’t every leave food unattended. The mice and the birds will have feasts. The black birds and ravens are expert thieves, and the mice are ever present.

Emergency planning is also vital—familiarize yourself with evacuation points marked on the West Coast Trail map. Be extra cautious on inland trail areas and boardwalks. Evacuating someone from the forest trail is very difficult. Most likely, you will have to be taken to a beach for pick up with an injury, unless it is life-threatening. Long-lining someone out with a helicopter is never easy, and is in itself dangerous. Don’t take unnecessary risks. If you are a fast hiker, slow down later in the day as your body gets tired-you will be more accident prone then.

Conclusion

Camping on the West Coast Trail is a transformative experience. By understanding the rules, choosing ideal campsites, and prioritizing safety, you’ll not only have an unforgettable adventure but also help preserve this stunning trail for generations to come. If you want help with knowing and following the rules, you can always use a guide. Coastal Bliss Adventures offers 9-day full trail expeditions, shorter 5-day half trail editions and 4-day base camping at the centre of the trail, at Nitinaht Narrows. Get started on your West Coast Trail hike today, and don’t forget to share your tips and stories with fellow adventurers!