Great post about a fantastic route.

I have a detailed trail description in Tofino Guide (www.tofino-bc.com/shop), which has a few more points, but you’ve pretty much got it covered here as well.

I just hiked it to check for changes (I’m updating the guide), and a here’s a few points that I’ve noted if it helps:

* There’s now a rope strung along much of the trial to help guide folks. Follow the rope if it’s there!

* Gumboots are the best footwear for this hike. It’s not that long — about 2km one way — and so no need for fancy hiking boots that may or may not survive the trip.

* Even though Parks Canada doesn’t recognize this as a trail, they would very much like folks to end their walk at the bomber. Echoing Randy’s comment, this is where almost everyone gets lost, necessitating a costly search and rescue.

* Avoid taking any of the side trails along the way — they all dead end, are uninteresting and are the other reason folks get lost on this trail.

* There is decent cell coverage (depending on your carrier), so bring along your phone for added safety.

Jackie and Randy’s comments are bang-on: I can’t stress the importance of route finding on this trail. Also, tell someone you are hiking the trail, when you’ll be back and contact them when you are back safely.

Cheers,

-John P.

http://www.tofino-bc.com

It’s tough to provide good information for hiking and stories from our trips and at the same time make sure people understand the importance of being prepared for the conditions and bringing a gps, knowledgeable person or even a compass to help get back to the car.

The trails are definitely a bit confusing but if you keep heading in the same direction you’ll get back to where you started. That said I had a gps with us to fall back on if we needed it. I brought it just to make the gps track and didn’t need to use it to get us unlost.

I’ll add it a little warning near the top but, to be honest, I’m not sure how much good it will do. I think there might still be those people that will head out unprepared and lose their way.

Thanks again for the comment.

Congrats on doing something about giving people hiking info. However, if you’re going to tell people about trails like this one, I’d like to really stress (as a Tofino local) that warnings should be put out for hikes like this one.

The reason that there is no “offical” info about the bomber trail (even though it is in the National Park) is because so many people end up getting lost out there. Partly because people think they can go from the wreck to the ocean (OK, of course some people can go anywhere – but you need to be a really good navigator to get there AND back again) and also because it is easy to get TO the bomber – but it is harder to get back, with all of the bifurcating trails. Lots of people get ost trying to get back, because they did not realize that they should pay close attention. (The ribbons change all the time – people add them or take them down – so you can’t count on them).

So if you’re giving info about “unofficial” trails, I think it’s important to give the warnings too – these trails re not for everyone. Both the bomber trail and the Radar Hill trail keep our Search and Rescue crews busy year-round because of people who, one way or another, weren’t prepared for trails that require mud-slogging and navigation.

Anyway, your website looks good. That’s just something I think you should be aware of. Like I said, these trails are not for everyone, and I hate seeing people get in trouble.

Thanks for the info!

Locals told us about these hikes, otherwise we never would have known about them. The next day we went to the blow hole just before Ucluelet. Have you done that one? It’s amazing! I could have sat there all day & watched it! I took some photos & a video of the water spouting up. The hike is short but hard to find if you don’t know about it.
We didn’t have time to find the tree house as we had to come back home to bustling Vancouver :0( so next time!
I’d be happy to send you some photos when I get organized here. We just got home & my photos are still on the card.