Juan de Fuca Marine Trail

The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail isn’t quite as well-known as its more famous sibling, the West Coast Trail, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this a second-rate trail. The views are just as amazing, it‘s easier to access, does not require advanced reservations months in advance and is a gem locals do not overlook even if the rest of the world often does.

The Juan de Fuca Trail runs along the Canadian side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the southeast coast of Vancouver Island. Across the strait, the glacier-covered Olympic Mountains tower above the horizon. In the strait, whales can often be spotted.

The route is a designated wilderness hiking trail, and conditions can be difficult but rewarding. Hiking a this virtual route, you can avoid many of the physical difficulties the trail will throw at you: mud, tides, mountains, weather and more—but for all of the trail’s difficulties, the wildlife, tide pools, beaches and views make it all worth it.

If you already are in the area to hike the West Coast Trail, you may as well hit up this trail at the same time. Karolina will once again be joining us on our virtual walk, and it’s definitely an adventure not to be missed!

And, as a special treat, you’ll find my own real-life adventures of my first trek along this trail, A Tale of Two Trails, available on Amazon.com both as a paperback and Kindle versions. Hike the hike, and read the book at the same time!

If you’re thinking about hiking the trail in real life, you might want to download the GPS tracks of the route.