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Ways to Experience Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
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4 - 9 of 69 reviews
Reviewed July 13, 2020

I need to first say that we have done the famous Westcoast Trail last summer, which is nothing for the faint hearted, leave alone for people with vertigo...

The Juan de Fuca Trail is in comparison a wonderful alternative that is much cheaper and easier accessible. Also you are not “locked in”. You can access the trail at various different points and either camp at the beach or walk in and out.

It would deserve 5 points, but for all of you who are thinking of hiking the trail soon, it is currently VERY muddy! We just talked to a ranger today and he said he has never seen the trail so muddy. The reason for this is the enormous rainfall in May and June!

Gaiters, proper hiking boots and poles are a must.

Be prepared for a strenuous, multi hour/ multi day hike on slippery, rough terrain with tons of up- and downhill hiking.

This is NOT a walk in the park. You should be fit, stable on your feet, prepared to scramble on all fours and not worry about getting dirty.

Actual conditions mean you can sink up to your knees into the mud.

Otherwise, beautiful scenery and to our utter surprise - not many people at all. We are still in the process of hiking it and sometimes we meet nobody for hours! This is surprising as the Westcoast Trail is now closed for the whole season.

Last important point: no cell phone reception! And if you should be so lucky to get one on one of the beaches- beware of roaming! You are very likely in the US network!

Date of experience: July 2020
Thank SKME65
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 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.
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