Rainforest Trail: circular walk in the coastal rainforest

We’ve barely taken a few steps on the Rainforest Trail when it feels as if the rainforest has swallowed us up. The gigantic trees and dense vegetation form a roof over the Rainforest Trail and on this sunny September day only the odd ray of sunlight finds its way down to us.

The Rainforest Trail

The Rainforest Trail lies in Pacific Rim National Park, an ancient coastal rainforest. Here, giant trees tower metres into the sky and between them ferns jostle tightly together. Lichen hangs from the countless branches and looks like long, shaggy hair. A precious ecosystem on Vancouver Island – home to American black bears, wolves and pumas. We step into this ancient forest and with the first steps it becomes clear that these trees have something absolutely dignified about them.

The Rainforest Trail is perfect for getting an impression of the gigantic rainforest on the west coast. On a simple and well‑built wooden boardwalk you can stroll along one of the two circular trails. The boardwalk leads over the damp and soft forest floor of the rainforest. All around lie fallen tree trunks in various stages of decay. And for as long as they lie there, they are overgrown with moss and other plants. We experience this primeval forest, left to its own devices, as a stark contrast to our neat and tidy forests in Germany.

Although this region gets almost four times as much rainfall as Hamburg, we happen to have a very sunny day. The sunlight that filters through the canopy only partly reaches the forest floor, so the light feels very dim. It must be truly mystical here when the sun isn’t shining so strongly.

After a one‑kilometre circular walk we are back at the starting point of the Rainforest Trail. Two hiking routes of one kilometre each start from the car park. You can easily do both fairly short walks in about an hour, even if you take your time. The paid car park is directly on Highway 4 between Ucluelet and Tofino. You can buy your parking ticket at a machine right by the car park and place it behind the windscreen.

Pacific Rim National Park

Pacific Rim National Park stretches for 130 kilometres along the west coast of Vancouver Island. This is where the Pacific meets rugged shores and, further inland, thousand‑year‑old trees grow. Close to the coast conditions are harsh. In winter there are many storms, so the Sitka spruce trees growing here have to withstand a lot of wind. In more sheltered locations, Sitka spruce often reach a height of 60 metres. Just imagine: that’s about as tall as a 13‑storey building.

Other giants of Pacific Rim National Park are Douglas firs, hemlocks and Western red cedar. These tree giants can reach a diameter of up to 2.50 metres. It is truly fascinating to stand right next to such a thick tree that you cannot even come close to wrapping your arms around.

During our glacier flight over Vancouver Island the landscape appears uniformly green. Below us are countless forested mountain slopes. In this region we don’t get the feeling that the primeval forests could be under threat. And yet the sad truth is different. Already 75% of the untouched coastal rainforest with its gigantic trees has been logged.

Particularly shocking is the scene around the logging town of Port Renfrew. On Google Maps you can clearly see the light patches on the map – the clear‑cut areas in the forests. Right in the middle, on a bare hillside, stands “Big Lonely Doug”. A gigantic Douglas fir that one logger left standing as a memorial.

We sincerely hope that more forest areas will be designated as protected zones so that the giant trees and the vast, interconnected ecosystem can be preserved. Because once the primeval forest has been destroyed, it won’t take years or decades to restore it. It would take millennia!

Have you ever been in a rainforest or primeval forest? Do tell us about your experience in the comments.