About Port Renfrew, BC
Port Renfrew, BC is a small rugged community of 190 residents located on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the open Pacific Ocean. Located at the end of Highway 14, 107 kilometers west of Victoria, Port Renfrew sits in the shelter of Port San Juan.
Situated between the west coast rainforest and the Pacific Ocean, Port Renfrew was built on the logging and fishing industries. Today adventure tourism is another major employer in Port Renfrew, with many people visiting the region for sportfishing, hiking, kayaking and beach combing.
Port Renfrew was a natural place to build Trailhead’s British Columbia fishing lodge with great salmon and halibut fishing nearby. But the village also gets many hikers because it is the trailhead for two major hiking trails, the historic West Coast Trail and the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.
While Port Renfrew is at the end of Highway 14, it is also part of the Pacific Marine Circle Tour which is a wilderness route that loops back to Victoria through the Cowichan Valley via developed logging roads. It is an excellent opportunity to explore the back country of the island.
Port Renfrew’s History
Home to the Pacheedaht People (People of the Sea Foam) for centuries, the Spanish and the English explored the local waters in the late 1700s. Settlers came to Vancouver Island in the mid 1800s and the island became a British Crown Colony in 1849.
There was a brief gold rush flutter on the Leech River near Sooke in 1864-65 but logging and fishing was the major attraction for settlers to the area over the years.
Local Attractions
Botanical Beach – Located 5 kilometers from our British Columbia fishing lodge, this is a popular destination for science students and marine life enthusiasts with its tidal pools filled with fascinating intertidal marine creatures and plants.
When visiting Botanical Beach be sure to make note of the tides. The best time to visit is at low tide but you also don’t want to be caught on the beach at high tide. It is also important to remember that this is a fragile intertidal ecosystem and marine life, shells, plants, and kelp should not be touched or removed from the beach.
Red Creek Fir – Believed to be the largest Douglas Fir in Canada, the tree is estimated at 750 to 1000 years old. It stands at 73.8 m (242’) with a circumference of 12.55 m (41’2”). The tree is located 2.5 km out of Port Renfrew and is accessible by hiking trail.
The West Coast Trail - Runs north of Port Renfrew 77 kilometers along the west coast of Vancouver Island to Bamfield. This is a world renowned backpacking route through the island’s temperate rainforest and along its rugged coast, with cliffs, waterfalls, caves, rock formations and stunning beaches. It is necessary to book a reservation in advance to hike this trail through the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail - Travels 47 kilometers along the shore south from Botanical Beach to China Beach. There are access points in various locations along this trail making it possible to choose from day trips or one-three night excursions.
