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!

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