After the last Alaskan stop in the town of Hyder, where we were lucky enough to see a bear hunting salmon, we were supposed to head to North Cascades National Park in Washington state. But as has happened many times before, the weather took its toll, or rather, the forecast for the next 10 days. When we saw the number 40…we immediately started looking for an alternative. And we found one. Part of Vancouver Island, more precisely the Pacific Rim National Park area, was supposed to maintain acceptable temperatures around 25. That meant turning the wheel not south, but west, onto Route 99 toward Whistler. We didn’t regret it. The road is beautiful and scenic, and the temperature stayed acceptable throughout the journey. Moreover, about halfway along the route, BC Hydro offers a campground. Wooded, in a pleasant environment, free of charge. We were happy to stay there overnight. And the next day we arrived at Horseshoe Bay, from where the ferry to Vancouver Island, more precisely to Nanaimo, runs.
More photos of Highway 99.
The ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Vancouver Island runs several times a day, about every two hours, but we couldn’t make a reservation a few days in advance; the reservable seats were sold out. So, when we canceled our plan to spend a few days in the Whistler area (because of high temperatures and overcrowding before the upcoming weekend), we went to the port to try to get seats on the ferry without a reservation. And we succeeded. After about two hours of waiting at the terminal, BC Ferries took us on board. It was early evening, sunny. The ferry was really full. We were glad that this step worked out. And we enjoyed the one-hour and 40-minute cruise. It offered beautiful views of Vancouver and the mountains behind it. After disembarking in the city of Nanaimo, in addition to the sky at sunset, there was also a 50 km journey waiting for us. We first continued north and then turned inland onto road number 4. We anchored in Little Qualicum Falls. The campground was full, but the ranger took us to a parking lot where we could spend the night. We were also happy about that, since our main goal was not only to spend the night, but also to hike to the waterfalls on the river the next day.
More photos of Ferry Horseshoe Bay – Nanaimo.
After spending the night near the Little Qualicum River, we took the opportunity to walk to its waterfalls – both upper and lower.
They were beautiful. As part of the detour, we also checked out the campground, which, after reconstruction, was open to visitors that day. It was really tempting to stay, but we wanted to keep going because of the rising temperatures. However, the stop at this place was interesting and simple – it worked. More photos of Little Qualicum River Falls.
After the waterfalls on the Little Qualicum River, we set off for the opposite coast to the Pacific Rim National Park. At first, we enjoyed a relatively high-quality asphalt road, with views of the surrounding colorful nature, rivers, and lakes. Still, in the last third, nature became secondary, and we had to focus on the road. Frequent descents of up to 18% on a narrow road, combined with poor-quality asphalt, kept us from enjoying the surroundings. We booked our 4-day overnight stay at the Green Point campground, managed by the national park, through their reservation system. Well, except for the first night. We were then pleased to be allowed to spend the night in the overflow parking lot for 27 CAD, including electricity. We couldn’t have wished for anything more, and we spent 5 days with sunny days up to a max of 25 here. The campground is located in a rainforest; the pitches are in absolute shade, which was the best solution under the circumstances.
Pacific Rim National Park and the Green Point campground, under its management, became our refuge for 5 days and a starting point for trails in the surrounding beautiful nature. After 4 months of traveling, we can say that it was the best campground of all the ones we stayed at. It is no coincidence that it is permanently occupied. We were lucky, as we were at Denali National Park. We patiently waited for a notification about a free spot for the day according to our assignment. And then we needed fast fingers. Every day at a different campsite, but that was the least of the problems. The campground is located in the middle of the rainforest, so there is no hot sun. However, you can enjoy Long Beach a few hundred meters away; two trails lead from the campground to it, for guests only. The price of the campsite, 27 CAD per night, includes absolutely everything – not only the obvious toilets, showers, dump, water, but also electricity at each site. There is an additional fee of CAD 11.50 when booking online, but it is still a great price for top quality. Given the location, we were concerned about Starlink reception. But except at one of our locations, it always worked, albeit at a slower speed.
The Rainforest Trail is located only about 7 km from the Green Point campground. Enough for walking, not enough for a car. But we went by car…we parked, and only then did we find out that the parking lot is prohibited for RVs. But it is otherwise fine, so we were glad we didn’t notice the ban. We don’t consider it friendly to our type of travelers. Anyway, we were glad we could go through the rainforest. They were beautiful and unique. More photos of the Rainforest Trail.
The Wild Pacific Trail is a beautiful trail that runs along the peninsula around the town of Ucluelet. It is tens of kilometers long. So we walked it twice. First from the Lighthouse to Brown’s Beach and then from Brown’s Beach to Artists Loop. First we had beautiful, sunny weather, then beautiful foggy weather. Both have their charms anyway. More photos of Wild Pacific Trail.
More photos of Long Beach.
The road to Radar Hill is for cars only. We noticed the ban, so we parked where RVs were allowed and walked the rest of the way. The place itself did not impress us. So we continued to the town of Tofino, where we were most interested in one of the ends of the world… the place where the TCH ends at its westernmost point. We were also excited about the opportunity to buy bread at the Co-op store. Not that there is a shortage of bread in Canada. But we are always happy to find bread that is not sweet… More photos of Radar Hill & Tofino.
On the way to the capital city of Victoria and before boarding the ferry to the USA, we stopped at two very nice places. The first was the Sooke Potholes Regional Park.
Hatley Castle and its gardens were our second stop while waiting for the evening ferry. And we think its gardens need no comment. Perhaps only that the gardens are called Italian, then rose gardens and Japanese gardens. Parking is opposite the castle itself; it is paid and costs 9 CAD for the whole day. In the gardens, in addition to the beautiful flora, we also had the opportunity to observe hummingbirds… They’re not only the smallest, but also probably the fastest birds in the world. By the time you point the camera, they are gone.
More photos of Hatley Castle Gardens.
After this beautiful stay on Vancouver Island, it was time to transfer to the mainland of the USA, to its beautiful national parks, which we were very much looking forward to. The ferry to Port Angeles was the golden point of our journey through Canada and Alaska.
More photos of ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles.
August 2025