The trail from China Beach to Mystic Beach is very well travelled and well maintained. The inland trail is uneven in places and can be muddy, but this is the easiest section of the Juan De Fuca trail so it's a great introduction to the trail.

This is a gentle start to a 4 day backpacking trip on the Juan De Fuca Trail. The trail starts at China Beach Trailhead and as this is a through hike you will need to either drop a car at the end of the trail, or use the West Coast Trail bus to shuttle you back to your car.

When you arrive at Sombrio beach there's a small creek you can hike up to find the waterfall. This is well worth the quick side trip as the waterfall is spectacular - you really don't want to miss this as it's one of the highlights of the entire Juan De Fuca trail. Sombrio beach is probably the best campground on the entire trail in my view, it's a long beach which prevents any crowding, you get great views the entire way along the beach and if you have good weather the sunset here is epic.

As you get to Botanical Beach your 4 day trek is almost over, but before you begin the easy trail back to the car, stop to check out some of the rock pools on Botanical Beach if it's low tide. They are full of wildlife and you will see a wide range of sea creatures.

If you are looking to get away for a few days and experience some of the amazing scenery found on Vancouver Island, then this is a great way to do it. There's a great mix of terrain, plenty of waterfalls and some unbelievable sunsets. This trail is family friendly and has a number of entry and exit points to allow you to mix up the itinerary to suit you.