Victoria BC Tourism

Lesson 5: Parks & Beaches

Sooke

Roche Cove Regional Park
Gillespie Road
This park features numerous trails that take visitors through thick forests, grassy knolls, beaches and lookout points along the way. The cove is popular for canoeing or kayaking. Motor boats are not allowed. Kellett Point offers a beautiful view of the Sooke Basin and the mountains of Washington State. The Galloping Goose Trail passes through this park and allows connection to Matheson Lake Park. This is a busy trail with hikers, joggers and roller bladers.

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East Sooke Regional Park
Becher Bay Rd (south of East Sooke Rd)
Located between the Sooke Basin and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, this rugged landscape is west coast wilderness at its best. The old growth forest has Douglas fir and Sitka spruce as old as 300 years. There are several trails through the park with three entry points, but the Coast Trail is for experienced hikers only. Visitors who want to enjoy the picnic area and the sandy beaches should enter the park from the Aylard Farm side.

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Whiffen Spit Park
Whiffen Spit Rd
This mile long spit protects the waters of Sooke Harbour from the ocean. This area is prone to storms and high winds so visitors may see ocean waves crashing up on the shore. Beach combing is very interesting due to the constant changes in water levels. The path is grass and gravel and perfect for a stroll. Visitors can enjoy the view of Sooke Harbour and the Olympic Mountains of Washington State.

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French Beach Provincial Park
Highway 14
This campground and picnic faces the Juan de Fuca Strait and features swimming, beach combing, picnicking, and camping. The hiking trails go through forests of fir, spruce and pine with grassy areas at the edge of the beach. From the shore, Gray Whales can be spotted during their migration season in the spring and fall. This is also a great area for watching sea lions and otters. The campground is open all year round while the Nature Interpretive Centre is open during the summer.

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China Beach
Highway 14
Located on the open water of the Pacific Ocean, this beach is known for its thundering waves. The path to the beach is laden with first growth forest of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and Western Red Cedar. The beach is fine sand and the tidal pools are full of marine life at low tide. At the west end of the beach, there is a waterfall. This is the perfect place for watching the migratory whales in the spring and fall. This is reputed to be the best surfing location in the fall.

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Sandcut Beach
Hwy 14
Located about 1/2 hour west of Sooke, visitors enjoy a lush forested trail to the beach. As Sandcut creek makes its descent to the ocean, there are waterfalls cascading over rock faces. There are potholes on the beach where marine life can be viewed at low tide.

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Jordan River
Highway 14
Lying half way between Sooke and Port Renfrew, is home to the West Coast Surfing Association. Surfboarding and wind-surfing is popular during the summer, though there are some experienced surfers who will brave the untamed waves. At this point, Highway 14 takes a dip along the shoreline so visitors can have an open view of the ocean. There is a small campsite and a picnic area at the beach.

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Mystic Beach
Highway 14
A steep trail though the dense forest leads to a long sandy beach. At the south end, there are cliffs with waterfalls. It is a wonderful experience to stand under the falls and feel the cascading warm water. On sunny days, the streams of water sparkle in the sunlight. At the north end of the beach, it is heavily treed and the mist from the surf hugs the forest.

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Sombrio Beach
Highway 14
Although there has been clear-cut logging, the beach is still worth seeing. A logging road leads to the parking lot and then there's an easy 10-minute walk to the beach. Just before the beach, there is a suspension bridge over Loss Creek. On the sand and gravel shoreline there are large mounds of cobblestone. A walk to the north end of the beach is well worth it due to a spectacular waterfall.

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Parkinson Creek Seal Grotto and Kuitsche Seal Cove
Highway 14
Accessible by a road for 4-wheel drive vehicles only, visitors can observe west coast seals in the four grottos at Parkinson Creek during the spring and summer. In the winter, the seals move to Kuitsche Seal Cove. All of the shoreline is cliffs and it enables a great view of the seals plus the migrating whales in the ocean. This is very much a wilderness area so cougars and black bears may be lingering in the area.

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Warning! If you are driving beyond Sooke, make sure you gas up. There are no gas stations until Port Renfrew.

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