Westhoff's West Coast Trail - June 2026

This was our five-day, four-night backpacking trip on the West Coast Trail in British Columbia, Canada from June 21–25, 2025. Erica first came across the trail on YouTube, and after doing a little research we decided it was a trip we had to do. Our oldest son, Garrett, joined us as we hiked from Gordon River to Pachena Bay along the rugged coastline of Vancouver Island. The southern section of the trail turned out to be much more physically demanding than I had anticipated, with endless ladders, deep mud, roots, boulder fields, and constant elevation changes. Fortunately, we had outstanding weather for the entire trip, allowing us to enjoy the incredible beaches, old-growth rainforest, sea caves at Owen Point, waterfalls, wildlife, and some memorable stops at Nytom Burgers and the Crab Shack. At the end of the video, I also cover many of the animals we encountered along the trail and some of the logistics we learned while planning and hiking the West Coast Trail. 00:00 Introduction 00:37 Day 1 – Gordon River to Thrasher Cove 03:25 Day 2 – Thrasher Cove to Cullite Cove 10:38 Day 3 – Cullite Cove to Cribs Creek 17:12 Day 4 – Cribs Creek to Klanawa River 22:54 Day 5 – Klanawa River to Pachena Bay 27:34 Wildlife 31:02 Trip Logistics & Tips West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, Gordon River, Thrasher Cove, Cullite Cove, Owen Point, Nitinaht Narrows, Tsusiat Falls, Klanawa River, Pachena Bay, backpacking