My wife and I hiked the full trail from China beach to Port Renfrew and had a great time. This is not an easy hike unless you're an experienced hiker. Be prepared for wet weather and lots of up and down hiking. Beautiful scenery.
It was nice to get out of Victoria and enjoy the outside for a day of our vacation. It did take awhile to arrive at an entry point to Juan de Fuca trail, not as scenic a drive as expected, can't see the water most of the way. The trail was well marked and there were lots of people. We saw no mud so that was a relief, enjoyed the forest with big trees, and a nice suspension bridge between China beach and Mystic beach. There was a rather steep descent to the beach with a one way log with notches to get down. Was much cooler at the beach so take a jacket.
I did a day hike from Botanical Beach to Sombrio Beach, which was about 20 km (12.5 miles). Beforehand I assumed that the sections along the beach would be easy because they'd be flat, but I was wrong. One section of beach was made up of craggy bedrock outcrops, and more than once I'd climb to the top of one of these outcrops to find that there was no way to get down the other side. On another section, I found it difficult to hike over the slippery boulders that littered the beach. Having said all that, I thought the sections along the beach were amazing for their scenery, but I prefer the scenery along the Olympic National Park coast in nearby Washington State. The sections along the beach were all close to trailheads. Sombrio Beach had the most people, probably because it was the only place I saw that had camping with views out over the water. There was a 10km section of trail that was off the beach.
Right next to China Beach, There's a 2 kms easy to moderate hike through a rainforest that will take you to an amazing beach with sandstone cliffs, caves to explore, a swinging rope into the ocean, a hanging swing, and many little surprises, a beautiful way to spend the day!
If you are looking for a lovely hike with a destination that has a great view, take the one hour hike from the trailhead of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail toward Mystic Beach (most people go to China Beach). It is a very simple trail to follow (you can't get lost). The start of the trail has free parking and restrooms (there are also restrooms at the beach). The trail meanders up and down at first and then comes to descent to the beach. We thought it might be a bit of a challenge to come back up, but it was not. Wear a good pair of shoes and be prepared for changing weather. The amount of beach you can visit when you get there depends on the tides, and the visibility will depend on how misty it is. There is a rope swing that is a must for the young ones. Photographers will enjoy every step. Give yourself a minimum of three hours to hike the trail (there and back) and spend time on the beach. There are many lovely hikes in BC, but I do recommend this one above others.
