Trip Summary

I wasn’t planning on going camping my first weekend on Vancouver Island, but the weather promised to be sunny and hot and I had to take advantage of it! So I recruited some friends and went to Sombrio Beach in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park for an overnight coastal camping trip. 

Trip Breakdown

Saturday:
Leave Victoria around 6:30am

Arrive at the parking lot at 8:30am

Find a camping spot and set-up camp 9am

Explore Sombrio Beach at low tide 10am-12pm (2.9km)

Lunch on the beach 12:30pm

Hike part of the JdF Trail (3.64km) 2:30pm-4pm

Ocean swim! 5pm

Dinner 6pm

Sunset and campfire and marshmallows 7pm

Stargazing 10pm

Sunday:

Read on the beach 7:30am

Breakfast and pack up 8:30am

Hike at Botanical Beach and Botany Bay (3.57km)

Explore tide pools and lunch in Botany Bay 12:30pm

Drive home around 3pm

Trip Details

We got to the (already full) parking lot around 8:30am, and scouted out a good spot to set-up our tent and hammock. There are two main areas: Sombrio East and Sombrio West. We checked out both sides, and while the west campground had tent pads, it was a muddy trek from the car and the beach wasn’t as nice. So, we set up camp just inside the treeline at the east campground, and I put up my hammock that for sleeping in for the first time! It wasn’t the best spot- the trees were really really far apart – but I made it work. While this was technically not car camping, we were only a 7-minute walk from the parking lot. 

Then, we set off to explore the beach, walking west. It was (conveniently) low tide, and we found so many sea creatures among the tide pools! Crabs, sea urchins, little fish-like things, mossy chitons (which are a type of mollusk), clams, and barnacles. On the way back to our campsite, I heard a rustling noise from the treeline and I looked over to see a small black bear poking its head out of the trees! I quietly said “hey” and then shouted louder “HEY BEAR” and it turned around and went back into the forest. That was the first time I’d seen a black bear all year, and I was happy it was from a safe distance. 

After lunch on the beach (pb&js and chips), we decided to hike a few kilometres of the Juan de Fuca Trail, this time heading east from Sombrio. The trail was pretty muddy and had a significant amount of ups and downs, but still very enjoyable. It was a beautiful view, and we got to stand on top of a waterfall. I knew I was going to hike most of the trail as a backpacking thru-hike next weekend, so I was taking notes of the trail conditions. 

After our hike, we went for a chilly dip in the ocean which was very refreshing. Then, I started cooking dinner (tortellini: a car-camping-ish special) and put on some warmer clothes for sunset. Then came one of my favourite parts of the trip: beach-campfire-marshmallow-sunset-time. It was so lovely and peaceful to sit on the beach beside a warm fire, watch the sunset surfers catch some waves, and eat delicious marshmallows. Amazing.

I also went out to look at the stars around 10 pm! I always love seeing the extra stars and the deeper darkness of the night sky away from city lights. After, I settled into my hammock, which was harder than expected. I have nailed down my nighttime camping routine, but that’s in a tent, which sits firmly on the ground and has 3 dimensions. Inside my hammock, I only had 1 direction of movement – along the length of the hammock. AND I had to be careful not to tip out of it. In the end, I got nice and comfortable in my sleeping bag, and drifted off to sleep. 

The next morning, I woke up suspiciously close to the ground, which makes me think I need to brush up on my knot-tying skills. I got dressed and went to the beach to read my book and soak in some sun. After breakfast and packing up, we drove to Botanical Beach and walked the Botany Bay loop. I really enjoyed this trail, especially all the info signs that tell you about the trees, plants, birds, and marine life. We explored some more tide pools, seeing more urchins, mollusks, anemones, crabs, and clams. Sitting down on a rock for lunch, we also saw an otter run along the shore and splash around in the tide pools (at least I think it was an otter- they live near the ocean, right?). After a few more hours, we headed back up the trail and returned to the parking lot. 

It was an awesome weekend of sunshine, sea creatures, and surprises. I am officially hooked on coastal camping!

Key Points

• Sombrio Beach will be busy, especially if it is nice weather. I’d recommend getting there early.
• If the signs say bears in the area, they aren’t lying! Be bear safe.
• Everyone should experience a beach sunset campfire at least once in their lives.