About Clayoquot/Pacific Rim National Park: If you head west on Highway 4 to Tofino, you will find yourself on the edge of much of the island’s most interesting scenery and coastline. The transition starts with the mountains as you head west. They serve as a magnificent backdrop for the drive to the outer coast. Most of these peaks make great places to explore in their own right, as intimidating as they might seem from the roadside.

The coast is dominated by Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, which offers trails, beaches, hiking and camping. The coastline here has become synonymous with surfing, and beaches will be teeming with people in search of the next big wave. Towards Ucluelet, to the south, the coastline becomes rougher, but this too is an attraction. Of note is the brilliantly executed Wild Pacific Trail that skirts the dramatic outer coast of Ucluth Peninsula.

Tofino, to the north, is the gateway to Clayoquot Sound and its various attractions, most of which can be reached by water taxi or kayak (this area is magnificent for kayaking). Options for spending time in Clayoquot Sound vary from exploring sprawling sand beaches, to hiking up mountains and soaking in a hot spring. (For marine travel in Clayoquot Sound, see mapsheets #207 and #208.) Tofino itself is a busy tourist town of resorts and eateries, alive with the bustle of a small fishing town transformed into a major tourist destination.


About this mapsheet: This mapsheet completes the coastal route between Tofino and Ucluelet to link the coast of outer Vancouver Island, but it is more than that, as it details deep into Clayoquot Sound including all of Kennedy Lake as well as the logging roads that connect the backwoods deep into Clayoquot Sound. Additionally, it shows the various routes and trails into Pacific Rim National Park's Long Beach Unit between Tofino and Ucluelet, showing features rarely indicated elsewhere, such as the trail to the ruins of a downed aircraft.

The mapsheet layout: The layout is a regional overview on the full page of one side, and details of the features of Clayoquot Sound and Kennedy Lake on the other.

The mapsheet construction: The mapsheet is created by Wild Coast Publishing using some of the latest technology available to provide a high-quality printed image on waterproof/durable synthetic polymer stock. The stock is picked as the best for the purpose, and is significantly thicker than most papers at 10 mil weight.

About the Clayoquot mapsheet series: Three mapsheets detail Clayoquot Sound from the south tip of Nootka Sound through Hesquiat Peninsula, past Flores and Vargas islands to Tofino. Each map is designed to complement one another with enough overlap to be useful on the water yet each providing oversight of a distinct section of the Clayoquot coast.