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Ways to Experience Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
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Reviewed June 18, 2020

We did not do the whole Juan De Fuca trail - just the China Beach/Mystic Beach section of it. The hike is moderately challenging for non-hikers such as myself, but doable. Look for the orange reflectors attached to trees to help guide you where the path is, as there are a few spots where it is a bit hard to locate and we did hear from one woman who had camped on the beach that she got lost on her way down. The trail is well maintained but can get a bit muddy at times. There are lots of places to pull over and let someone pass or if you meet someone coming the other way, making this a great place to hike while maintaining social distance.

The beach itself is gorgeous. There is a long sandy stretch to the left when you come off the trail and a nice little waterfall that you can sneak under if you want to get to a bit of beach that is more secluded (but note that this chunk of beach disappears at high tide). To the right the beach is more rocky, but worth going over because at the edge there is a very cool little cave to explore (again, low tide is best). You’ll encounter lots of people who are hiking the Juan de Fuca trail and it is always fun hearing where people came from and how long they’ve been out.

If you don’t feel up to an hour long hike to get to the beach, when you Reach the parking lot, don’t park in the first lot but drive down to the left to the second. From there you can take the trail down to China Beach and it is a much shorter walk. China Beach is also very lovely

Date of experience: June 2020
2  Thank kris-goes-places
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 1, 2019

We spent a morning hiking the Mystic Beach section of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. We parked at the China Beach/Mystic Beach trailhead and followed the trail to Mystic Beach and back to the parking lot (out and back) It was a pretty rugged hike that was fairly well marked and pretty difficult to get lost. At times it felt other-worldly, like something from the Ewok Village (Return of the Jedi) and the view at the bottom was well worth the hike down to. Wear good shoes and watch your footing. There are sections that maybe muddy and many sections with exposed roots but very beautiful scenery. We noticed many people who were hiking through with camping gear with them. Not us.We also observed well-behaved dogs on leashes.

It was a good morning outing when paired with China Beach. First Mystic, then China (China is way shorter and easier) but different experiences and views at the bottom. Bring your own water and a few bucks p/p as a donation. Then perhaps stop for a nice lunch at Shirley Delicious. Enjoy!

Date of experience: July 2019
2  Thank skishell
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 27, 2019

We just finished this hike a week ago - it is in great need of repairs! I think the trail needs to be upgraded from some "moderate" to all "difficult and more difficult" I would say about 15% of the trail is in good shape. The campgrounds were great, the scenery spectacular but the trail is very challenging, especially in the rain. Roots, drop offs, mud, missing steps.... the list goes on! We met several groups that had done the WCT and were told by each of them that the JDF Trail was harder - the WCT is much farther so packs are heavier but there is a lot more beach walking.

Date of experience: August 2019
Thank Nadine S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 7, 2019

The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is a great shorter less difficult alternative to the West Coast Trail. You still get to see amazing vistas and shoreline and yea bears but without the difficult rope and ladder challenges on the WCT. There are also many on and off options so you can do shorter hikes if you like. Just make sure you are prepared with water and make noise as you travel to alert the many bears in the area.

Date of experience: July 2019
Thank Deleta
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 4, 2019

This place is not that easy to get to. The car has to go through some very steep and unpaved path, with lots of potholes. There is no cell service, so if you are stuck then good luck

The trail is physically very demanding. Even if you want to part of the trail, it is still quite taxing. It will be a good idea to skip it

Oh, one additional thing to note is that there are no clear directions or markings on the main road. So you have to keep an eye out for it. There is a sign which indicates that the trail will be approaching in 2 kms but thats about it. There is no sign which says this is the trail.

Date of experience: July 2019
1  Thank smhr
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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