Vancouver Island Pacific Rim
Two passes and 530 km
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Why this ride
Built for flow, views and useful stops rather than navigation busywork. A 530 km loop that starts and ends near West End, about 9 h 38 of riding. It goes by way of Nanaimo (ferry from Horseshoe Bay), Port Alberni and Pacific Rim, Tofino.
Roadbook
- Vancouver
start
Vancouver is a city that sits between mountains and sea, so closely that you can ski in the morning and sail in the afternoon, as the local line goes. Glass towers crowd a peninsula with the North Shore peaks rising directly behind, and Stanley Park, a huge, forested park on the tip of the peninsula, wraps around the downtown with a seawall path and old-growth cedar. Gastown, the historic quarter, takes its name from a talkative saloon keeper, Gassy Jack Deighton, whose statue stands in the square.
The Sea-to-Sky Highway, Highway 99, leaves from the Lions Gate Bridge, a graceful suspension span opened in 1938, and rises along the edge of Howe Sound, a deep fjord with mountains tumbling straight into the water. The road is one of the best in Canada, with smooth tarmac, curves that follow the cliff edge and views across to the islands. It was widened and improved for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and it is now safer, though traffic is heavy on summer weekends. Squamish, about an hour north, lies at the foot of the Stawamus Chief, a huge granite dome beloved by rock climbers, and nearby Shannon Falls drops more than three hundred metres. Further on is Whistler, the ski resort, and Pemberton beyond.
The road continues beyond Pemberton as the Duffey Lake Road, which crosses the Coast Mountains in a wilder fashion, with tight bends, steep grades and a great view of glaciers and turquoise lakes. It is less forgiving than the first part, and the surface can be damp and patchy, so ride carefully. Rain is the great theme of Vancouver's weather, particularly from October to March, when grey skies can persist for weeks, but in summer the days are long, dry and warm. In late spring and early autumn, the mountains offer clear air and fewer visitors. Snow can linger on the high passes until early summer.
In the city itself, practicalities are no problem, with fuel stations, motorcycle dealers and repair shops. Eat well before leaving: Vancouver has superb sushi, dim sum and fresh salmon, and its coffee culture is serious. Parking downtown is expensive, so find a secure lot in advance. Bring waterproofs, whatever the forecast, because weather on the coast can turn within an hour, and wildlife, including bears, appears on some of the northern sections.
- Nanaimo (ferry from Horseshoe Bay)
town
The crossing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay is one of the classic openings of a Vancouver Island trip. The big BC Ferries ships leave from the little cove at the start of the Sea-to-Sky Highway and steam across the Strait of Georgia for about an hour and a half, past the islands of Howe Sound and out into open water, with the snowy Coast Mountains behind you and the long blue shape of the island ahead. On a clear day, it is a cruise in itself; in a winter gale, it is an adventure.
Motorcycles usually load first and are lashed down near the bow, so arrive early and follow the crew's instructions. Reservations are wise on summer weekends and holidays, when queues can mean missed sailings. Once aboard, head up to the deck to watch for seals, porpoises and, occasionally, orcas.
Nanaimo, where you land, is the island's second city. It began as a Hudson's Bay Company coal-mining post in the 1850s, and the wooden Bastion, a small fort built to protect the settlement, still stands by the harbour. The town is also the namesake of the Nanaimo bar, a rich no-bake dessert of chocolate, custard and coconut that you will find in every café and bakery.
From Departure Bay, the route heads north on Highway 19 before turning west on Highway 4 towards Port Alberni and the Pacific Rim. Nanaimo is well supplied with pumps, supermarkets and restaurants, so fill up before heading across the island. The harbour front is pleasant for a short walk and a coffee, a gentle way to shake off the crossing before the forests and mountains of the interior.
- Port Alberni
fuel
Port Alberni sits at the head of the Alberni Inlet, a long, narrow fjord that reaches almost halfway across Vancouver Island from the west coast. This geography has shaped its history: it became a major centre for logging, sawmills and fishing, and the smell of the pulp mill has long been part of daily life. In 1964, the great Alaska earthquake sent a tsunami up the inlet, and the funnelling effect amplified the waves, which flooded parts of the town. Today, the waterfront has a harbour quay with shops, cafés and boat tours down the inlet.
The ride in from the east is one of the highlights of the island. Highway 4 passes through Cathedral Grove, in MacMillan Provincial Park, where ancient Douglas firs, some hundreds of years old, tower over the road. It is worth stopping to walk among the giants, but parking is tight and the road is busy, so be careful. Beyond, the highway climbs over the shoulder of Mount Arrowsmith before dropping steeply into the Alberni Valley, with tight bends and heavy truck traffic.
West of town, the road follows Sproat Lake, long home to giant Martin Mars water bombers that fought forest fires across the province, before heading into the mountains towards the Pacific coast. This next stretch is narrow, winding and remote, with few services and limited mobile coverage.
Port Alberni is therefore the last major service centre before Tofino and Ucluelet. It has fuel and food in abundance, so fill up, eat and check the bike before continuing. The weather can change dramatically between here and the coast, with rain and fog common, so pack your waterproofs on top.
- Pacific Rim, Tofino
sight
The road ends at Tofino, and it feels like the end of the world in the best possible way. This small town sits at the tip of a peninsula on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island, surrounded by the waters of Clayoquot Sound, with forested islands, mountains and the open Pacific. It has become famous for surfing, storm watching and its relaxed, slightly bohemian atmosphere.
The ride here, along Highway 4 from Port Alberni, is long and challenging. The road winds through mountains, along Kennedy Lake and over the Sutton Pass, with tight curves, steep grades and stretches where rock walls and drop-offs leave little margin for error. A major rebuild around Kennedy Hill has improved the road, but it still demands concentration, and rain is frequent. Allow time and enjoy the scenery: old-growth forest, rushing rivers and glimpses of the sea.
At the junction, the road splits towards Ucluelet in the south and Tofino in the north, and between them lies the Long Beach unit of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, with miles of sand, rolling surf and rainforest trails. A park pass is required to stop. Clayoquot Sound has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2000 and was the scene of huge logging protests in the early 1990s, among the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history.
Tofino has fuel, supermarkets, cafés and restaurants, but prices are higher than on the east side of the island, and accommodation fills quickly in summer. Winter brings spectacular storms, when people come to watch the waves crash against the rocks. Whatever the season, take a walk on the beach, breathe in the salt air, and enjoy having reached the edge of the continent.
- Vancouver finish