1 and 2 bedroom cabins, studio cabins and garden suites are steps from the fine sand of Mackenzie Beach.

Each of the cabins has a full kitchen, propane fireplace, full size bathtub, chairs on a small patio, and a picnic table. Relax inside with a coffee with views of the water or take a stroll in the beach.

The cabins are open all year round and are perfect for warming up and storm watching in the winter or a base for surfing and playing in the water in the summer.

I recently spent 3 nights there in February. We were treated with 100 km/h winds the first night, snow the second day, and warm sun the last 2 days.

What do the cabins have in them?

The cabins have a full kitchen with dishes and cookware.

The bathroom has a full tub and local organiic toiletries. Towels and bed linens are provided.

The cabins were build in 1976 and updated in 2009. The staff keep them very clean and well-maintained.

I was worried our first night when the wind gusts off the water were reaching 100 km/h and shaking the cabins. We had no issues with anything and the power didn’t even go out.

Sleeping that night was tough! I was worried something would break but absolutely nothing did. Though they get storms regularly (great for storm watching!) wind that strong is rare.

The resort also has wifi and laundry.

What can you do at the resort?

Just at the resort there’s lots to do. We spent most of our time roaming the beach and then warming up in the cabin, enjoying the view.

An indoor heated pool and hut tub were great for warming up. The ocean isn’t ever very warm!

Adirondack chairs are on the patios and around the property by the firepits. A picnic shelter with a BBQ is a great place for lunch.

A small hedge maze for the kids is right beside the cabins.

A few steps down the grass and you’re on Mackenzie Beach, 1 km long beach with fine sand and great islands to explore at the south end. At low tide you can walk right to the rocks and trees that make up the islands.

One thing to note is there is no restaurant at the restaurant. There are a ton of great place to eat or buy food a few minutes away in Tofino. We brought our own food to cook in the kitchen. Some of it was premade to save even more time for playing on the beach.

What’s nearby to do?

Outside the resort the options are too many to list.

A short 6 min (4km) drive and you’re in Tofino with all it’s surf shops, local art galleries, and restaurants. You could spend a week just exploring the nooks and crannies in Tofino alone. The bike path along the highway is a great way to get there too.

A 10 minute drive away is the world famous Long Beach. Long Beach is 16km long and gorgeous the entire way. You can ride your bike on it, surf, beachcomb or just lay in the sand.

At the other end of the peninsula is Ucluelet, a quieter, but no less interesting town. It’s not known for it’s beaches but the Wild Pacific Trail winds it’s way along the rocky cliffs. A short walk from the parking lot is the Amphritrite Point lighthouse. During the storms, the waves explode dozens of feet into the area on the rocks around the lighthouse. The Ucluelet Aquarium has local wildlife found and released every year from the nearby ocean.

Hike the Canso Bomber Crash. Such a cool piece of history to be found through a beautiful west cost biome. Radar Hill is another local piece of history with amazing views.

A short hike along the Rainforest Trail takes you along boardwalk through lush west coast rainforest.

Many of the shops in Tofino rent bikes. The town itself is very ridable and then there is the bike path in the forest along the highway. You can ride the 17km to Long Beach, the 40km to Ucluelet, or just around town.

Beachcoming along Mackenzie Beach right in front of the resort is great. There is also Chesterman Beach, Cox Bay, Florencia Bay, Long Beach, Combers Beach, Wickaninnish Beach and smaller ones like Tonquin, Middle, Third and Tinwis.

And of course there is there surfing. The conditions change daily and different seasons will be better for beginners or experienced pros. You can check the weather and webcams ahead of time. I suck at surfing so best to talk to one of the shops for more info!

How close are the cabins to the beach?

Literally a few steps. There a grassy field out the front door of most of the cabins and then onto the beach.

Is it close to Tofino?

Yes, is it a 6 minute drive to Tofino from Ocean Village. There is a paved path that leads along the main road into Tofino as well so it’s about a 4km walk or ride. Bikes are a popular way to get around here.

Ucluelet is much farther, about 40km or a 30 minute drive.

Is it dog friendly?

Yes, you can have dogs at Ocean Village and on Mackenzie Beach. They even get a pet care package. They must be on a leash. There is a limit of 2 per unit and a fee of $30/night.

Since they may be wet and sandy from the beach, there is a dog washing station near the cabins. Bad Dog Tofino has gear, treats, and pup cups.

Can you surf at Ocean Village?

Mackenzie Beach is a fairly small bay that doesn’t usually produce good surfing waves. It can be good for beginners or during storms. Cox Bay, Chesterman Beach, and Long Beach are usually better for surfing.

There are many places to rent surf and paddle boards in Tofino. Many of them offer lessons as well like Tofino Surf School, Pacific Surf School, and Surf Sister.

How to get to Tofino

Tofino is on the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. It is a 3 hour drive from Nanaimo or 4 hours from Victoria. There are many beautiful views a long the way, so allow time for that if you want to stop or have a break.

Tofino does have it’s own airport and there are daily flights from Vancouver as well.

Booking a stay at Ocean Village

The easiest way to book at Ocean Village is right on their website.

You can also book with Expedia, Kayak, or Booking.com. TripAdvisor links to some other sites as well.

Final Thoughts

Have you stayed at Ocean Village? What did you think? It’s one of my favourite places to stay around Tofino and I’ve been many times.

Are there any other cabins on Vancouver Island I should try? Let me know in the comments!

More Photos

The post Cozy Cabins near Tofino: Ocean Village Resort first appeared on Pack & Trail.

The final descent down to the bottom of the falls is quite steep with ropes, and can be slippery when it’s wet or dusty.

Quick Stats (from Highway south-bound)

• Hiking time: 30 min
• Distance: 1.6 km (round trip)
• Elevation: 17m up, 66m down

Directions to Trent River Falls

Park on the side of the highway on the north side of the Trent River Bridge. You can hike to the falls starting from north-bound or south-bound. Parking on the north-bound side is easier.

From the north-bound side (200 metres north of the bridge), a wide path heads into the woods. Follow this wide flat path.

From the south-bound side of the highway, go past the yellow gate down towards the river and go left under the bridge. Continue down stream following the trail. A couple side-trails will go down to the river from here. Continue along the trail up to the other side of the highway to meet the wide flat trail.

At the end of the wide flat trail, it will turn down to the left with ropes attached to the trees.

Follow the trail to the fork and continue down to the left along the ropes. It is steep and slippery here.

Map to Trent River Falls

Google Maps to Trailhead

AllTrails Page

Photos of Trent River Falls

These photos were taken July 2025. The water was running low.

Other Resources

Trent River Falls on Seeing the Elephant

The post Trent River Falls first appeared on Pack & Trail.

How to get to China Bowls

To get to China Bowls is pretty straightforward. There is minimal cell reception in the area though so make sure you have offline maps.

• Start at the Cumberland Community Forest trailhead on Dunsmuir and Sutton in Cumberland.
• Walk south on Sutton to access the trails. There is a good map kiosk here. Take a photo of it if you don’t already have a map of the area.
• Turn right and hike 2km along the Davis Lake Main logging road.
• At 2km the road will cross a large bridge
• Follow the trail beside the road and downstream from the bridge. You’ll see the bridge in the photos below

With all the mountain bike trails in the area this is only one way to get to the China Bowls but it’s probably the most direct. Careful of mountain bikers moving quickly in the area, there are a lot of them.

Post a link to your photos if you have any in the comments. Let us know if you have any tips for getting to the bowls or getting good photos of them.

GPS Track on Gaia to the China Bowls

Photos

The post China Bowls first appeared on Pack & Trail.

See other waterfalls on Vancouver Island.

The BC Hydro dam is just upstream at the outlet of Comox Lake. There is a siren at the park that will sound when more water is being let out the dam warning the water will rise quickly. Signs around the park say to get back from the water quickly if the sirens sound.

Where is Nymph Fall Nature Park?

The parking lot for the park is at 4481 Forbidden Plateau Road. The gravel parking lot holds about 20 vehicles but there is a wide shoulder on the road that offers a bit more parking area. It can get very busy in the summer.

What is the hiking like?

The park has a variety of trails in it from the main trails to the falls being smooth, wide, easy trail for all abilities. Other trails in the park range from easy to medium as they get narrower, include roots, and have steep sections down the river. Many difficulties and distances of hikes can be made with all the different trails.

More Photos

The post Nymph Falls Nature Park first appeared on Pack & Trail.

See our list of Waterfalls on Vancouver Island.

How long does it take to hike to Stokes Creek Falls?

The walk to Stokes Creek Falls is an fairly easy 1.4 kilometers. The trail goes up and down about 260 metres. One the day we visited, we spent a lot of time taking photos along the way and it took about 1 hour to reach the falls.

When nearing the falls there’s a fork down the hill or off to the left. Down the hill takes you straight to the falls. Off to the left crosses the Stokes Creek and around a small loop and then back down to the falls.

Where can I park when hiking to Stokes Creek Falls?

Parking for Stokes Creek Falls is just up the highway from the Hole in the Wall trail along the Alberni Highway on Roger Creek Road in front of the orange gate. The gate is often closed so don’t go past it or you may get locked in. Park where you can off to the side of the road.

Are there other waterfalls around Stokes Creek Falls?

There are other waterfalls both before and after the main falls on the loop. If you stay left in the loop you will cross the creek above the falls near other smaller falls.

If you stay right at the fork you will pass a small set of waterfalls on the way to the main falls that are quite pretty but are only a foot or 2 tall.

Just down the highway, another trail leads to the Hole in the Wall waterfall as well.

On wet days, all the streams are running.

What is the best time to visit Stokes Creek Falls?

The whole area around Stokes Creek is full of small water falls and streams when it has been raining heavily. The main falls are still beautiful at any water level but if you want to see waterfalls everywhere you look, go shortly after heavy falls.

To see the most definition in the main falls, don’t go right after a heavy rain. There is a ton of water coming over the falls!

Map

The map below shoes the track on the Gaia GPS map. Click on Stokes Creek Falls and the Data button to download a GPX or KML file to use with your GPS app.

More Photos

The post Stokes Creek Falls first appeared on Pack & Trail.

We’ve been to many waterfalls on Vancouver Island and will be visiting many more. Check out the tips for photographing waterfalls at the bottom of the page.

• 
  Trent River Falls
  Trent River Falls is a short hike from the trailhead on the Highway 19 just south of Cumberland, Vancouver Island. The falls are about 20 metres tall and end up… Read More »Trent River Falls
• 
  China Bowls
  China Bowls is a beautiful section of the Perseverance Creek in the Cumberland Community Forest. How to get to China Bowls To get to China Bowls is pretty straightforward. There… Read More »China Bowls
• 
  Nymph Falls Nature Park
  Nymph Falls Nature Park is a 61 hectare park on on the upper Puntledge River. Many kilometers of trails of all levels run up and down the park. Some trails… Read More »Nymph Falls Nature Park
• 
  Hole in the Wall Trail

  An old water pipeline has been removed leaving a massive hole in the rock. Water from the stream on the other side pours through the hole reconnecting to Roger’s Creek.

• 
  Stokes Creek Falls

  A 1.4 kilometre hike to a large waterfall near Port Alberni BC.

• 
  Upper Banon Creek Falls
  Banon Creek Falls is a well-known, easy to access waterfall off Chemainus River but this is not that waterfall. Most people haven’t seen this one: Upper Banon Creek Falls. Upper… Read More »Upper Banon Creek Falls
• 
  Christie Falls
  Christie Falls is a beautiful Vancouver Island waterfall not far from Ladysmith, BC. The photos below are a day after heavy rain so the falls aren’t normally this large. Directions… Read More »Christie Falls
• 
  Hike in Nanaimo: Ammonite Falls from Doumont Road
  Ammonite falls is a beautiful decent-sized waterfall right very close to the heart of Nanaimo. This route from Doumont is slightly more difficult than the route from Jameson Road. This… Read More »Hike in Nanaimo: Ammonite Falls from Doumont Road
• 
  Bonnell Creek Falls in Nanoose
  My girlfriend and I wanted to go for an adventure of the hiking type on Valentine’s Day. More specifically, we wanted to go find a waterfall. My dad mentioned some… Read More »Bonnell Creek Falls in Nanoose

Map of Vancouver Island Waterfalls

Find any of these waterfalls and more on the Gaia Waterfalls map.

Tips for Photographing Waterfalls

Pack dry clothes

A change of clothes back at the car is great for waterfall trips. Even if you it’s a dry, sunny day. Sitting at the base of a waterfall is a very wet place to be. Even better bring a good waterproof jacket if you don’t want to get soaked in the first place.

Bring a tripod

To get the smooth, silky photos of waterfalls that look so good, you’ll need a tripod. Set the timer delay to 2 seconds or use a remote release so you don’t have to touch the camera while it’s taking a shot. Use a very slow shutter speed like 1 second or slower and you’ll get the smooth flowing water look.

Bring lens cloths

Everything gets wet photographing waterfalls, especially your camera. Bring many lens cloths so you can dry your lens in between shots. Either that or don’t sit in the spray from the falls, but what fun is that?

Watch your footing

Often waterfalls are in deep ravines or around the base of cliffs. They are in wet and slippery areas. Pay attention to where you are moving. No one needs to fall off a cliff for the ‘gram.

Post a comment!

Where are your favourite waterfalls? Are you trying to find a waterfall and having trouble? Leave us a comment and we’ll dig into it. Hidden waterfall photo mission? Yes please!

The post Vancouver Island Waterfalls first appeared on Pack & Trail.

On this page:

Tips for Hiking the Juan de Fuca Trail

Guidebooks

Juan de Fuca Trail Articles

Tips for Hiking the Juan de Fuca Trail

Day hike the Juan de Fuca First

If you are new to the area or new to multi-day backpacking. I recommend day hiking one of the trail sections first. Spend a few hours to see what the trail is like and how hard it is. You’ll be more prepared and comfortable to spend 4 days on the trail after spending at least 1. For more see Day Hiking on the Juan de Fuca Trail.

Set up a Tarp First

It rains a lot of the west coast of Vancouver Island. The Juan de Fuca trail runs through a temperate rainforest after all. Carrying a small lightweight tarp does add a bit of weight but makes setting up camp and making meals dry and comfortable. Set the tarp up first then do everything else.

Guidebooks for the Juan de Fuca Trail

Giant Cedars, White Sands: Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Guidebook – A great paper guidebook to the trail first published in 1999.

Juan de Fuca Trail Articles

• 
  Juan de Fuca Trail

  Everything you need to know to day-hike or backpack the Juan de Fuca Trail on Vancouver Island, BC.

• 
  Day Hiking on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
  Most people know the Juan de Fuca trail as the 47km long coastal trail near Sooke that takes 4 days to hike. There are also… Read More »Day Hiking on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
• 
  Trip Reports: Great stories from the Juan de Fuca Trail
  Reading through trip reports is one of the best ways to get information to plan a trip. Speaking to a person face to face is… Read More »Trip Reports: Great stories from the Juan de Fuca Trail
• 
  The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail: A Must-Do Coastal Hike on Vancouver Island
  The Juan de Fuca Trail is a 47km hike along the west coast of Vancouver Island. It runs from just north of Victoria at Sooke… Read More »The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail: A Must-Do Coastal Hike on Vancouver Island
• 
  Running the Juan De Fuca Trail
  I can’t remember who came up with idea first. If it was my friend Ryan or if it was me. I have a feeling it… Read More »Running the Juan De Fuca Trail

The post Juan de Fuca Trail first appeared on Pack & Trail.