Swimming Beach     Dog-friendly

A great beach on the west side of town. Sandy and calm for sunbathing and swimming. Looks out to a small island with Wickaninnish Island in the background. A steep-ish trail with stairs takes you to the beach.  Park at the end of Tonquin Park Road and you’re good to go. Parking is free.

Bike or drive through town and along to the end of Tonquin Park Road. Park there and walk down to the beach. The stairs to the beach are many and steep so that may be a consideration for some. Once you get down be ready to enjoy yourself on a beautiful out of the way sandy beach perfect for picnics, sand castle building and napping in the sun!

After a rainfall this pool appears and is so warm. Great for young ones to play in.

Early morning mist lifts on Tonquin Park Beach in Tofino, BC. Another beautiful day to play.

Tonquin Park Beach, Tofino, BC, Canada

A beautiful, sandy beach perfect for families. Sheltered from the open ocean for calmer water. Sand to play in, rocks to climb on, ocean life to observe. Take the day and kick back at Tonquin Park Beach.

 Swimming Beach      Dog-friendly

 Swimming Beach      Dog-friendly

New boardwalk takes up from the top of Tonquin through rainforest down to Tonquin Beach.

Check the boards for local messages like this one from GoTofino.Com – We Are Water.

It’s a bit of a hike but totally worth every step.

And you’ve arrived at Tonquin Beach.
Be sure to notice which stairs you came down because there are a few sets and they lead in different directions.
Don’t get turned around – like we did – and we’re locals  :)

Tofino Park Beach Stairs, Tofino, BC, Canada

For little ones or bigger ones carrying all the gear the stairs can seem like a lot down to the beach. Take your time and you’ll cruise down before you know it!

 Swimming Beach      Dog-friendly

 Sandy Beach      Dog-friendly

Chesterman Spit sits between North and South Chesterman Beach.

Looking back from the Chesterman Spit. Watch the tides. The sand spit is only accessible at low tide.

A kite surfer comes in from the waves at the sand spit between Chesterman Beach and Frank Island.

Directions & Parking

Directions from town. Walk/bike/drive south along Pacific Rim Highway and turn right on South Chesterman Road. There are no signs so watch for the street sign. Parking lot, washrooms and showers are at the end of South Chesterman Road. Parking is free. Difficulty is 1/5. Both hard and soft sand. Short path to the beach is wide and level. We don’t believe the south entrance is suitable for wheelchairs.

Chesterman Spit, Chesterman Beach, Tofino, BC, Canada

Chesterman Spit is a lovely walk out along a sand spit from Chesterman Beach. Great to gaze back at mountains and both sides of Chesterman Beach and watch the birds and sea life. Parking at mid-way point on roadway that goes along behind Chesterman Beach. Or park at North or South lots and walk from there. Only available at low tide.

 Sandy Beach      Dog-frien

 Sandy Beach      Dog-friendly      Surfing, SUP  Surf Kayaking

Welcome to the Tofino waves: Surfing spots: Cox Rocks (north end), Cox Sauce (middle), Land of The Lefts (south end).

The aerial photo above shows Cox Bay Point at the bottom, Cox Bay Beach, Sunset Point, Rosie Bay and South Chesterman Beach at the top. Just goes to show you how close everything is in Tofino. If you have a bike you can get to all the Tofino beaches in a minute. Strap on your surfboard and helmet and turn up the tunes and rock on out to any of the beaches to catch waves. Just be sure to bring a light because you’ll never know when someone will invite you for a glass of champagne and you’ll have to ride home before dark. With a light you can stay for a second glass! (Thanks John B.)

Side view from Sunset Point at north end of Cox Bay Beach, Tofino, BC.

Overview from Sunset Point at north end of Cox Bay Beach, Tofino, BC

The waves at Cox Bay Beach can be very sweet. They can also bowl a beginner over with those long boards. Sometimes they seem relentless when you’re trying to get out with a fun or long board. We find that looking at each other and laughing our heads off helps cope with the constant blasts. And then you get a break and get out and it’s all worth it for the rides at Cox. There are rips that can pull right and left so take your bearings when you get in. But they don’t seem to pull out so relax and remember how great paddling is for your arms when you have to keep moving over.

When surf is big, it’s bigger at Cox Bay Beach! And when it’s glassy, it’s heaven.

We love our sunset surfs and when the waves are calling from Cox, we’re smiling, happy, tired surfers!

Directions & Parking
Directions from town. There are two parking and entrance areas to Cox Bay Beach. (1) The first one takes you to the northern end. Walk/bike/drive south along Pacific Rim Highway and turn right into Cox Bay Beach Resort. There is a parking lot there with washrooms and showers and a wide level path to the beach. (2) The second entrance is a bit further along and takes you to the middle of Cox Bay Beach and has more parking spots but no facilities. For the original parking lot keep going a bit further down the highway to Maltby Road. Path from old lot is a bit longer. Parking is free at both areas.

Difficulty is 2/5. Both hard and soft sand. We don’t believe the entrances are suitable for wheelchairs.

Cox Bay Beach, South, Tofino, BC, Canada

A local favourite Cox Bay Beach is great for surfing, jogging and drinking champagne. Parking at both Cox Bay Beach Resort and Maltby Road.

 Sandy Beach      Dog-friendly      Surfing, SUP  Surf Kayaking

Combers Beach Trail leads through Sitka Spruce forest to sandy Combers Beach. Spruce Fringe Trial is an offshoot path that walks further through the forest. The trees may not be as lush as on other Pacific Rim National Park trails but how often do you get to walk through a Krummholz Tunnel?

 Sandy Beach     Dog-friendly      Pay Parking     !! Watch for winter tide surges

Combers Beach. Combers Beach Trail is a short trail that goes directly to the beach.

Or you may take a longer route along the Spruce Fringe Trail and walk through a Krummholz Tunnel. Both trails offer a boardwalk through a Pacific Rim Naitonal Park forest for solid footing.

Combers Beach is a favourite of many. Picnics, weddings and get togethers are all part of the scene.

Walk along the Combers Beach Trail boardwalk through Sitka Spruce Forest to get to the beach.

Remember to look up along your walk. That’s a favourite thing of ours to do. Enjoy the treetops against a blue sunny sky.

And now a message from the Pacific Rim National Park Sitka Spruce:

Sitka’s Last Stand
“In 1918 Sitka Spruce made up 7% of all BC coastal timber over 250 years old. Today it accounts for just 2% of this forest base. Old-growth forests are more than just old trees, they are intricate, self-renewing ecosystems. As natural forests of old trees are replaced by plantations of young trees the face of the landscape is changing. Here the only human change is the boardwalk path.” [From the Pacific Rim National Forest Interpretive Plaque.]

Krummholz Tunnel
Closer to the sea, the trees contort and huddle together against the weather. The ocean’s influence has created the spruce fringe but also limits plant growth and form. Strong winds, laden with salt spray and abrasive sand have shorn off the seaward tips of the trees, pruning them into a tight wedge. Behind this living windbreak, other spruce are able to grow tall and straight.

Inside the Krummholz Tunnel, the dense tree canopy block the light so few plants can grow on the forest floor. Instead some shrubs have grown as tll as the trees!

As you enter the Krummholz Tunnel check out the cool life forms:
1. Salal growing tall and thin to reach the sun
2. Cedar tree branches that have grown into solid trunks.
3. Hemlock tree branches that weave into the forest canopy.
4. Sitka Spruce with it’s cool bark and looking most like a usual tree.

What does Krummholz Mean?
Krummholz  is German for “crooked wood”. It describes a tree that has been altered by wind borne salt, sand or snow into a shape unusual for it’s normal growth. May of these trees may look small but be very old. So show a little respect for these hard working trees! You may find Krummholz style trees in windy ocean areas and subalpine environments.

Directions & Parking

Directions from Tofino Village. Drive south along Pacific Rim Highway and turn right at the sign for Combers Beach and Spruce Fringe Trail. Turning off the highway you will drive directly into a parking lot and the beginning of the Combers Beach Trail. Spruce Fringe Trail is an offshoot of the Combers Beach Trail and takes you through a Krummholz Tunnel. There will be a kiosk to pay for parking if you don’t already have a park pass.

Combers Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, BC, Canada

Combers Beach Trail and Spruce Fringe Trail lead through Sitka Spruce forest to sandy Combers Beach. The trees may not be as lush as on other Pacific Rim National Park trails but how often do you get to walk through a Krummholz Tunnel?

 Sandy Beach     Dog-friendly      Pay Parking     !! Watch for tide surges

  Dog-friendly    Pay Parking
Sheltered Halfmoon Bay Beach: sandy beach, sunshine, eagles’ nest, swing and a rocky surge channel around the corner.

The Willowbrae Trail begins as a wide level gravel path and becomes boardwalk.

In the photo above the trail splits into steep stairs down to Flo Bay or continues to Halfmoon Bay by the trail on the left.

Willowbrae Trail
Distance: 1.4 km one way from parking
The Willowbrae Trail is part of a sea and land route that linked Tofino and Ucluelet before the current road was built in 1942. Along this component of the route watch for signs of earlier activities. See notches on old growth stumps. These notches held ‘springboards’ which loggers stood on to get leverage to cut down the tress. See smaller second growth trees crowded together? That may mean that that area was a homestead site. There were many homesteads along the route from Tofino to Ucluelet.

We love this tree along the Halfmoon Bay Trail: 3 species in 1. Now that’s living as a community! And not too tiny either.

Halfmoon Bay Trail

Distance: 1.7 km one way from parking
This trail winds through old growth where fallen trees are nurse logs to young seedlings offering nutrients and stability. Cedar and Hemlock Forest gives way to Spruce Fringe Forest on the steep trail down to sheltered Half Moon Bay Beach.

The Tofino winter storms take a toll on the Halfmoon Bay Trail.

The boardwalk gets hit a lot by falling trees and branches. Here we scoot under no problem.

And there is Halfmoon Bay Beach glimpsed through the rainforest. Just waiting for us!

We bring a picnic and enjoy the afternoon at Halfmoon Bay Beach. Driftwood swings are all part of the scene.

Halfmoon Bay Beach during winter storm watching season. Looking North toward the bluffs of Florencia Bay.

Directions & Parking Directions from Tofino.
Coming Soon!

Difficulty is 4/5.

Half Moon Bay, Pacific Rim National Park, BC, Canada

Heading to Half Moon Bay offers two options. You begin hiking the Willowbrae Trail and that leads to your options: Continuing the Willowbrae Trail to the South end of Florencia Bay Beach or hanging a left and hiking the Half Moon Bay Beach Trail to – yes you’ve got it. Both options are spectacular. Either trail has a lot of boardwalk stairs so if steps aren’t your thing, think twice.

  Dog-friendly    Pay Parking

The walk to the Tofino Hot Springs is all part of the adventure!

Enjoy vistas of West Coast rainforest along the boardwalk to the Tofino Hot Springs.

Watch your head.

You are immersed in the forest as you make your way along the Hot Springs Boardwalk.

The carvings on the boardwalk planks are fun to read along the way.

And you’re there! This bridge is the last part of the boardwalk before the hot spring pools.

Welcome to the natural hot springs. Soak away your troubles and live in the moment!

Tofino Hot Springs Boardwalk, Tofino, BC, Canada

The natural Tofino Hot Springs are a short walk from the Hot Springs Cove dock. The trail is a boardwalk that meanders through west coast rainforest. The boardwalk begins at the dock and ends at the hot spring pools.

Tofino Hot Springs Boardwalk Planks, Tofino, BC, Canada

Carvings on the boardwalk planks are all along the walk to the Tofino Hot Springs. They are fun to read and make us smile.

Map of Showing Tofino Village and Hot Springs in Red. The Hot Springs are located in Maquinna Marin Park, Clayoquot Sound.

Ocean, Forests, Mountains of Clayoquot Sound greet you on your trip to Tofino Hot Springs.

Boat trip to the Tofino Hot Springs are offered by Tofino Boat Charters and Tofino Whale Watching Tours.

Enjoy the peace and tranquility of the natural environment of Clayoquot Sound.

Flying is another popular way to reach the Tofino Hot Springs. Some choose to fly up and boat back.

Anyway you get to the Tofino Hot Springs will be an amazing trip through beautiful west coast scenery.

Each year locals make a trip up in spring to enjoy the Tofino Hot Springs. Here are the happy campers on their way home to Tofino.

Tofino Hot Springs Trip, Tofino, BC, Canada

Natural Tofino Hot Springs Pools in the rock and flow down to the ocean. Enjoy soaking in whatever temperature you like. There is a changing cabin at the hot spring pools.