West Coast Trail
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia · multi-day trek
How West Coast Trail permits book: the winter launch day, the 21-day refund line that drives cancellations, and how to catch a start date that opens up.
Availability on 24 Oct 2026
- 0 open nights
- 0 of the next 180 nights fully booked (0%)
- Next open night: none
How booking works here
- Each park opens its season on its own launch day in January or February, usually at 8am local time.
- Most bookings are refunded in full (minus a fee) until 3 days before arrival, so cancellations bunch up just before that.
- West Coast Trail fees are only fully refundable 21 or more days before the start date. Lake O'Hara camping and bus bookings can be changed until 3:30pm the day before.
- Bookings are made on Parks Canada; we never book, hold or resell permits.
Official booking page
About
The West Coast Trail is the big one on Vancouver Island: 75 km of beaches, old-growth forest and suspension bridges along the outer coast of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Parks Canada puts it at six to eight days end to end for most hikers.
There are three ways on: Pachena Bay at the north end, Gordon River at the south end, and Balaats'adt (Nitinaht Village) at the midpoint, reached by water taxi (C$70, paid to the operator). The trail is open to overnight hikers from May 1 to September 30.
The sites
What you book here isn't a campsite, it's a start: a date and a trailhead for your party. Parks Canada limits how many overnight hikers set off each day, and once you're on the trail you camp at the beach and river campsites along the route. A party can be up to 10 hikers (custodial groups up to 18), and everyone must be at least 6, though Parks Canada doesn't recommend the trail for anyone under 12.
Every hiker also attends a pre-hike orientation. At Gordon River and Pachena Bay it runs at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily in season with no booking needed; at Balaats'adt it's at 7 a.m., with registration from 3 p.m. the day before. Everyone in the party must watch the Hiker Safety Primer too.
How booking works
Reservations go through the Parks Canada Reservation Service at reservation.pc.gc.ca or 1-877-737-3783. The whole season opens on one launch day behind a virtual queue. Last checked: October 2026.
- 2026: the launch was first set for January 19 at 8 a.m. PT, then postponed after technical problems and held on February 5, 2026, at 8 a.m. PT.
- 2027: not announced yet. Expect a January or February launch, based on 2026.
On top of the national park entry pass you pay a Backcountry Use Permit, a reservation fee, a per-person orientation fee and two ferry fees (Gordon River and Nitinaht Narrows). The amounts change, so check the Pacific Rim fees page before you book.
When it sells out
Expect the peak summer start dates to go on launch day, with July and August the hardest to get. Parks Canada says plainly that there's no standby list: every space is reservable. Shoulder dates in May and late September last longer, but the weather is also less forgiving.
How to get a cancellation
The refund rules decide when start dates come back:
- 21 or more days before departure: permit, orientation and ferry fees are fully refunded. The reservation fee isn't, and a cancellation fee applies.
- 20 days or less: only the ferry fees are refunded.
- Changes close at 11:59 p.m. two days before your start date.
So the busiest moment for cancellations is the few days before the 21-day line, when people who know they can't go take their money back. A second, smaller wave comes in the last couple of weeks from parties that drop out regardless.
You can watch the West Coast Trail on Canada Camp Alerts. Pick your start dates and we'll alert you when a sold-out date gets a free spot at any trailhead. Alerts are per date: we don't match your party size or a specific trailhead, and we don't hold or book anything. The free plan covers one watch with email alerts 15 minutes after we spot an opening. The season pass (C$25 once, 12 months, no auto-renew) gives up to 10 watches, instant alerts, and Telegram and browser push.
Tips
- Decide before launch day which trailheads and start dates you'd accept. Flexibility on direction (north to south or the reverse) widens your chances.
- When an alert lands, check the trailhead and how many spaces are free before you plan around it.
- Budget for the ferries and transport to the trailheads, which aren't in the permit price.
- If you're chasing a date inside 21 days of departure, remember any cancellation you make later won't refund the permit.
Nearby alternatives
There's nothing quite like the West Coast Trail on the island, but if your dates don't come through:
- Surf Grove Campground in Tofino puts you on the same coast for car camping (we can't monitor it; the page explains how to book).
- Ruckle Park on Salt Spring Island has walk-in sites on the water.
- For a different multi-day trek, the Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Park books in a single winter launch too.
Questions
When do West Coast Trail reservations open for 2027?
Parks Canada hasn't announced the 2027 date yet. For 2026, reservations opened at 8 a.m. PT on February 5, 2026, after the original January date was postponed. Expect a launch in January or February, based on 2026, and confirm on the Parks Canada West Coast Trail page.
Can I just turn up and hike the West Coast Trail without a reservation?
Parks Canada says all spaces are 100% reservable, so there is no standby or walk-up quota. If your date is sold out, a cancellation is the way in.
When do West Coast Trail cancellations happen?
Permit and orientation fees are refundable only if you cancel 21 or more days before departure, so many cancellations land just before that line. Others come in the final weeks when plans fall apart, even without a refund.
Does Canada Camp Alerts book the permit for me?
No. We email (or, with the season pass, push) an alert when a watched date opens up. You book it yourself on reservation.pc.gc.ca or by phone.
Nearby places we watch
- Green Point — Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia · 0 open, 0 of 180 nights booked out
Set a watch on West Coast Trail
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