Cox Bay Lookout

A short steep hike with an incredible view.

• When – All times of year but better when sunny and clear.
• Where – Cox Bay (tofino).
• Why – Destination hike to view point.
• How – Hiking.
• Difficulty – hard (involves scrambling)
• Cost – walking is free.

Location / Direction 49.105298 – 125.868191

Cox Bay is located a few kilometres outside of the town of Tofino and is home to many resorts along its beach. Located just off highway 4, parking can be found at the public beach access just outside the gate for Cox Bay Resort. Spaces are limited and you may be required to park on the road due to the popularity for surfing at this beach.

The Hike

The view point at Cox Bay is an amazing little scramble up the hillside at the south end of the beach. You’ll have to tackle rocks, roots, mud, puddles, fallen trees, and unsure footing, in addition to a rope-assisted climb to take in the views.

Starting from the parking lot mentioned above, you’ll see a trail through the trees, follow the boardwalk until you get to the beach. Next head south along the beachfront, just under a kilometer, to where the sand meets the rocks and forest. This is where the hiking trail will start and is only around 200 meters each way. Multiple paths can be seen, but all seem to connect together at different points along the trail – keep in mind that you’re heading towards the top of the ridge, so aim in that general direction despite the branching trails, however, choosing the most worn-in trail is probably the safest bet.

The first 1/3 of the trail isn’t very steep, but has large puddles, exposed roots, and rocks to navigate around. The next section is where the canopy thickens and the terrain becomes steeper, with roots acting like laters steps. It becomes narrow in some areas, hugging steep banks, and has fallen trees to climb over or under in others. The last 1/3 of the hike gets very steep with exposed rock that may require assistance from a conveniently located rope (added by previous hikers). The trail continues up further to the first viewpoint of all of Cox Bay, but its not the only view to be enjoyed. The trail twists back into the forest, circling the top of the peak with another viewpoint of the entire cost-line, forest, and mountains.