Big Tree Trail, Meares Island
Location: On Meares Island
Length: Leisurely 3 kilometre walk on boardwalk round trip
Find it: Get there from Tofino by kayak (1 hour paddle in relatively calm water) or charter boat (10 minutes).
Trailhead: A bit of trail tape on a branch marks the trailhead. Look for other kayaks moored there.

Meares Island is famous throughout the world as a place of old-growth forest with ancient cedars rising high into the sky. An leisurely kayak paddle or a trip over on a charter boat will get you to the start of the trail. The head of the trail can be a bit tricky to get to from a boat or kayak. You don't have to be an athelete but good coordination is helpful. The trail is all boardwalk through the stunning cedar forest to the Hanging Garden Tree at the end of the boardwalk. The boardwalk has been there a long time and parts are narrow and uneven but even so it's not a difficulet walk. It is mostly level ground with some small stair sections.