SOMBRIO BEACH
48.4983° N, 124.2965° W
Rainforest meets a shoreline of smooth stones and cold-water surf. A landscape of kelp-strewn beaches and a hidden waterfall tucked between mossy canyon walls. It is a high-exposure environment along the Juan de Fuca Strait, where the ocean brings a constant, salt-heavy mist that clings to the tall trees.
You wake up in your tent to soft, diffused grey light. Overnight, a heavy mist has wrapped the world in a cool, damp blanket, muffling sounds and obscuring everything beyond your immediate camp. The morning feels hushed and slow as you sip your coffee, watching hikers quietly pass by on their journey along the Juan de Fuca Trail.
Soon enough, sunlight begins to pierce the mist. As it burns away the fog, beams break through gaps along the eastern treeline, illuminating the beach in gentle gold.
Before breakfast even starts, surfers have already paddled beyond the heavy shore break, heading toward their favorite spots up and down the coastline. Experienced surfers venture further north or south, becoming small black silhouettes against the rolling waves, only returning occasionally for warmth and a snack by the fire. You sit by your camp, eyes scanning the ocean beyond them, watching for the distinctive spouts of whales passing offshore, quietly moving through floating beds of kelp.
Wandering along the pebbly shoreline, dodging tangles of seaweed, you reach a rocky outcropping where the waves fill shallow tide pools, each teeming with life. Yesterday, a black bear stood exactly here, carefully picking mussels from the rocks. You continue further, passing other campers gathering driftwood and playing games along the shore.
ROUNDING THE BEND TOWARDS THE FINAL CRESCENT BEACH.
Hidden Canyon and Waterfall
Partway along this final stretch, a small river disappears beneath the sand. Following its path inland, you leave the open beach behind, pushing through dense ferns and wet brush. Deeper into the forest, a homemade dreamcatcher flutters gently in the breeze, marking a familiar path toward a hidden canyon.
Moss-covered walls rise on both sides, forming a narrow passageway shaded by fallen trees overhead.
ROUNDING THE BEND TOWARDS THE FINAL CRESCENT BEACH.
At the end, sunlight catches the spray of a waterfall cascading down. Hikers scramble along the slippery riverbed, laughing and dipping their heads beneath the falls, cooling off and capturing moments to remember.
Evening Rituals
As the day winds down at Sombrio, a unique moment arrives each evening. With the fading heat and golden light washing over the beach, campers pause their activities almost simultaneously and ignite their evening campfires. The scent of cedar smoke drifts along the shore, mingling with the salty breeze from the ocean. In this peaceful golden hour, people drift along the water’s edge, savoring this brief but perfect moment.
Twilight and Nightfall
Back on the beach, campfires burn brightly into the night, stories and laughter filling the air. Eventually, the chatter softens as eyes turn upward.
One by one, fires slowly dim, conversations trail off, and Sombrio settles gently into the quiet darkness, closing another day at one of my absolute favorite spots on Vancouver Island.
Far removed from city lights, the Milky Way stretches clearly across the sky, mesmerizing and bright far away from the city.