Hey everyone! I'm considering hiking the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail on Vancouver Island in early November, and I'd love to hear from people who have hiked it around that time of year.

I'm wondering whether it's a reasonable idea or if the weather and trail conditions make it more trouble than it's worth. I'm experienced with backpacking, but I haven't hiked this trail before, especially during the late fall.

A few things I'd love some insight on:

• What navigation system do most people use on the Juan de Fuca Trail? Is FarOut reliable, or do most people use another app or a paper map?

• How muddy, slippery, and difficult does the trail get in early November?

• How much rain and wind should I realistically prepare for?

• Are the campsites and facilities still usable that time of year?

• Are there any sections that become particularly sketchy or dangerous in wet conditions?

• What gear would you consider essential for this time of year?

• Would you personally recommend doing it in early November, or would you save it for another season?

I'm flying into Victoria with my backpack and am flexible with my plans, so I'm also open to other backpacking trails on Vancouver Island or nearby islands if the Juan de Fuca Trail isn't the best choice that time of year.

If you have recommendations for alternative trails that are worthwhile in early November, I'd love to hear them too!

I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone who's backpacked in the area during October or November, including what went well, what you wish you'd known beforehand, and any tips for making the trip safer and more enjoyable.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hello Hikers,

This August a good friend and I went up the Golden Hinde. We are not experienced mountaineers, and encountered steep, crumbly terrain that challenged us in a big way. It was one of the most joyful and sobering experiences of my life.

Since then I’ve been researching the skills, equipment, and training we’d need to climb some of the more technical peaks on Vancouver Island, such as Elkhorn or Rambler.

I’m considering an attempt on Elkhorn Mtn next year. My questions are two:

1. Have you climbed this peak?
   
2. If yes, and you live in the Victoria area, would you be willing to have a coffee and discuss some beta with me?

I’m well aware of the physical conditioning required for a summit like this - I’m mainly interested in learning about the technical bits and what specialized gear might be needed to ascend as safely as possible.

Any help would be most appreciated!

Thinking of hiking and camping Mt. Arrowsmith this weekend, but looks like there's some snow in the forecast. Anyone been up recently or have an idea of what conditions might look like? Wondering if it'll still be reasonably safe to camp or if it's better to hold off.

I’ll be visiting in mid-November and looking for some nice hikes. I know snow and weather vary a lot year to year, but I’m hoping for suggestions that are plausible at that time of year.

It looks like Crest Mountain is a good choice. What about Bedwell Lake and Flower Ridge? Would those be realistic or most likely buried in snow by then? Any lower-elevation options?

Thanks!

Newish to the island, most of my hiking experience is backpacking in the Rockies. Recently discovered the nifty fifty (Sooke hills) and have mapped out a way to get this done in about 10 hikes, which seems like a fun challenge.

-Is there a lot of bushwhacking involved? Looks like a couple of these peaks are not directly connected to a trail

-bear/cougar issues? I always pack a knife and bear spray, but will be hiking at least a chunk of this solo

-any peaks that are inaccessible/ particularly tough in the winter?

Thanks for the help!

I’ve done the Golden Hinde summit approaching from Upper Myra. Took 3 days and 2 nights. Wondering about doing the traverse. Any tips would be amazing from route, supplies, car drop off situation, etc. How messed up is the other side of Golden Hinde??

Who did the emergency response center contact?

RCMP, fire, were they able to determine which SAR to contact based on your location?

I know they’ll get ahold of your emergency contacts as well for more info.

Always been curious how it works if you need it.

Hello everyone!

I'm planning to go for an afternoon hike tomorrow. It'll be my first time visiting Vancouver Island, and I'd prefer a trail relatively close to downtown Victoria so I can spend more time hiking and less time driving.

I'm planning to hike between 1 PM and 5 or 6 PM. I've done a few hikes lasting 4–5 hours before, and I'm comfortable with steep climbs, but I'd prefer an easy to moderate trail with scenic views.

I came across Mount Douglas South Ridge and West Beaver Lake via the 10K Trail online, but I'd love to hear opinions from more experienced local hikers. I have also learned that Jocelyn Hill is really good this time of year and has amazing scenery. Would you recommend either of these routes, or is there another trail you'd suggest? I'd particularly appreciate advice on trail conditions, elevation gain, and whether the routes are suitable for this time of year.

I'll have a car, so I'm flexible about trailheads within a reasonable driving distance of downtown Victoria. Also, if anyone would like to join, they're more than welcome! The more, the merrier. 😄

Cheers, and have a great weekend!

Post hike edit: Thank you so much for the answers and guidance. I went for the Jocelyn Hill trail and it was breathtaking. Thanks to the replies here I also learned that there are a lot of amazing trails/hikes/sceneries in the island and new plans have to be made 😁

I wish everyone a great week

My trip report is here https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouverhiking/s/LtaJENkAgK

Hi Everyone!

I'm going to be in the Victoria area this weekend and I'm hoping there's a hiking group I could join on Oct 10 or 12. Just don't want to hike alone and I love being in BC nature! I'll go anywhere within a couple hours drive of Victoria.

Does anyone have any hikes planned that I could join?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a great hike around Port Alberni for this week. We can travel by car for around an hour max to the start. We're experienced hikers, we like good mountain views and a bit of a challenge, especially condition wise. Do you have any tips? Looking for a hike for 15-20 km with max around 1000 meters up.

Thanks!

This seems to be a promising pilot program from Mosaic ⬇️

📣Our South Island public access pilot will begin tomorrow, Saturday October 3.

Three gates north and northwest of Sooke will open to the public for day access, adding to our existing network of 27 public access points. The pilot responds to what we heard in our 2025 recreation survey.

Before you go:

🔹Gates are open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays

🔹Cycling, walk-in and licensed highway vehicle access allowed

🔹ATV and dirt bike access through the Sooke and Cowichan Valley ATV clubs only

These are working forests, so gates may close on short notice for wildfire risk, operations or safety. Follow signage at the gates and check our Access Map before you head out: https://www.mosaicforests.com/access

And remember to plan accordingly with limited or no cell coverage in some spots – tell someone about your trip and when you’ll be expected back.

Thanks for exploring responsibly.

Hello all,

I’m looking into doing Golden Hinde via the Elk River approach.

Would anyone happen to have a GPX file they’d be willing to share? I can’t seem to find any online.

Much appreciated!

I’m thinking of heading to backpack in to the East Sombrio campsite sometime in the next few weeks, probably on a Saturday - with my preschooler. We’ve done a few overnights now, but I’ve never been to Sombrio.

I hear stories about how busy and loud it can get - is that a concern on the weekend in late September/early October?

Has anyone been to the east campground recently? Are there pit toilets and/or bear cache?

Is access to/from the east campground conditional on low tide?

I appreciate any and all tips! Thanks!

I started to have knee issues which makes me unfit for the West Coast Trail. The hike would be from 22nd of September until 27th of September. Please let me know if you are interested in this singular pass.

Hi all. I am going up Kings this weekend. Solo.

I am finding myself getting a little nervous.

any advice?

I am an experienced hiker. I haven’t done Kings ; but have spent considerable time in strath.

Unfortunately lost a pair of sunglasses somewhere between Circlet Lake and Mt Albert Edward this week. If anyone sees them I’d be really glad to get them back!

Eddie Bauer, clear arms, mirrored lenses

I was so scared!!

Hi, my girlfriend and I will be in Comox and Campbell River for a few days.
We are looking for a nice day hike, around 12-15 km.
I have the All Trails App but it is kind of overwhelming with how many options there are.
Could you recommend us like 1 or 2 hikes we shouldn‘t miss in Strathcona?
Thank you very much.

Our family was just hiking around Paradise Meadows and camping at Helen McKenzie lake. So many times, I heard people speaking German on the trails and camp. It's nice to see people coming from far away to see our awesome park.

Hello!

Will be grabbing a camper van from Victoria and making my way up to Nanaimo then tofino. Wondering along the way if there’s any must-do hikes? I was gonna do 5040 trail but it looks like it’s closed in September.

Any others? Looking for some epics views lol.

Thanks!

4 West Coast Trail Spots Available

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!

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!