A blog written for Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, Ucluelet, BC.
Photo from the Wild Pacific Trail Society
Standing beneath an ancient old-growth cedar tree, you look up in an attempt to see the top of this natural giant. Your eyes stretch through layers of rainforest canopy seeing the trees branches appear smaller and smaller as they raise towards the sky. The bright sky blurs the top of the tree and you move your eyes back down it’s enormous trunk, imagining a time in the trees life when you could have wrapped your arms around it’s trunk. Walking amongst these ancient cedars is an incredible experience. It is fantasy brought to life.
The Wild Pacific Trail skirts the shoreline on the west coast of the Ucluelet Peninsula. This easily accessible trail provides panoramic views of the wild Pacific Ocean, secluded bays, and rock formations as it follows the rocky shoreline, jumping in and out of ancient coastal rainforest. It is something Ucluelet is very proud of and we are pleased to announce that the newest extension of the trail is now open!
Visitors and community members celebrated the Grand Opening of Ancient Cedars Grove with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, October 20th.
This trail is a loop off the coastal route which has also been extended 1.5 kilometres further north to Rocky Bluffs, a place that will offer exceptional views of incredible storms and massive waves during this winter’s storm watching season. Surge channels and reefs will create a show when the waves are plummeting into shore during a raging storm! The Wild Pacific Trail Society insists this location will be a ‘must see’ for all avid storm watchers.
Oyster Jim Martin, known as the founder for the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet, told the Westerly News that this spot has “vertical wall where waves spray water vertically hundreds of feet when there’s a storm going off.” Having easy access to Rocky Bluffs will increase the popularity for the Wild Pacific Trail as a winter-time destination for storm watching.
Great care has been taken to preserve the natural rainforest vegetation while developing this trail. The most natural path was taken and as a result much of the trail feels like a hobbit tunnel burrowing through ferns, salal and twisted trees. The path runs through thousands of plant species leading walkers from one breathtaking ocean viewpoint to another.
The Wild Pacific Trail is already world renowned for its breathtaking views, incredible beauty and accessibility for all ages and abilities.. In fact, it is ranked #1 on TripAdvisor for attractions in Ucluelet and a top attraction for Vancouver Island. One review stated that the Ancient Cedars Grove could rival the famous Cathedral Grove, located in MacMillan Provincial Park just west of Port Alberni.
“A lovely walk along the rocky shore, easily accessible from town, good interpretative signage, well maintained trails, and some really awesome views. There are multiple access points so you can walk all or parts of it with many little offshoots to spectacular vistas, and benches to have a sit-down.” – TripAdvisor Review dated October 20, 2013.
Ancient Cedars Grove is located north of the coastal loop that is made up of the Browns Beach/Artists Loop section with access from the north trailhead located on the Pacific Rim Highway just north of town. For more information please ask us at the Front Desk.
Happy Trails!
Amy Hancock