A long and very scenic ride with about 200 km of gravel. The off-highway section between Port Renfrew and Nitnat is remote, complicated, and there are few signs. There are lots of logging trucks in the woods and they are not expecting you. Beware.
Saanich start
Sooke outskirts
Canadian cell coverage ends around here. Beware, your phone may roam into US coverage along this coastline!
Port Renfrew
last gas
Botanical Beach Parking lot
It's a short hike to the amazing Botanical Beach. Visit at low tide.
Avatar Grove
Short hikes on either side of the road through really big West Coast trees
Gordon River Canyon
Good view of the deep Gordon River canyon from this bridge
Bugaboo Main Connector start
Start of the technical crux of the ride. The connector is a bit steep and a bit rough, fairly bushed in (July 2020) and the most heavily used bear latrine I've ever seen. Didn't see any bears though.
Bugaboo Main
End of the rougher section.
Walbran / Bugaboo intersection
Lots of logging trucks hauling on Walbran in July 2020
Walbran / McLure Main intersection
Stay on Walbran.
Haddon / Walbran Main intersection
Carmanah / Haddon Main intersection
Active logging
July 2020 midweek, somewhere around here there was active logging both sides of the mainline, posted road closed until 4PM. I crossed about 2:30, loggers were all gone and machines shut down. Do not enter without permission when they are working or you could die.
Nitnat Lake turnoff
July 2020 - village closed due to pandemic. No services available. No entry.
Nitnat River
There is damaged, potholed pavement mixed with gravel through to the Bamfield Main
Mainline Carmanah / Bamfield Main intersection
Back to gravel mainline. Lots of industrial and private traffic on the Bamfield road.
Pachena Beach and West Coast Trail start
Probably really beautiful, but closed for the pandemic.
Bamfield
You might be able to get gas at the gas bar here, but I couldn't July 2020.
Port Alberni
Saanich
Back to the start, end of the ride.
Finish
