Explore Spirit Loop on Vancouver Island

It conjures some imagery, doesn’t it?  A path steeped in the history of coastal first nation peoples.  Join me as I tour yet another magical area of my beloved BC. 

Vancouver Island’s Pacific Marine Circle Route or Spirit Loop as it is now called parallels part of the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island but is more attainable for the average person not into extreme hikes.  It can also be done by car or in this case RV in a day even, although my husband and I took nearly two weeks to complete it.  After all, it’s not only island time but recreational vehicle time, right? 

There is no shortage of things to see and do along the way as well as places to stop, camp and explore. 

Heading out from our home in Victoria we stopped in at the local Sheringham Distillery in Sooke. After all, you need provisions.  If you go at the right time of year you can take in the Sooke Fine Art Show where they transform the local sports arena into a spectacular art gallery showcasing amazingly talented local artists.

Then we enjoyed a light lunch at the popular Shirley Delicious Café in Shirley, BC before arriving at our first campsite at French Beach Provincial Park.

Alternatively, if you don’t mind getting cozy with your neighbours, the Capital Regional District (CRD) hosts a beachside campground at Jordon River where you can literally park your tires in the sand and admire the open ocean view.

We also stayed at Juan de Fuca Provincial Park from which you can walk to China Beach.  It’s one of those rustic west coast campgrounds where we’ve never been able to stay without it raining.  And by rain, I mean downpour that has my husband frantically digging minor trenches to divert the water from our outdoor living space. 

If you are into hiking, there are numerous options along the way.  One of which is Sombrio Beach (also located in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park).  They have built a beautiful big parking lot where you can leave your vehicle while you get out into nature. 

Along the way we stopped off for lunch at a pub in Port Renfrew – Wild Renfrew before exploring the possibility of staying at Pacheedaht Campground, yet another magnificent spot for oceanside camping.

Ultimately, we decided to stay a few days at Lakeview Park on Lake Cowichan, a lovely municipal campground right on the lake within walking distance to the township of Lake Cowichan where we wandered the shops and took in happy hour at one of the restaurants which is more our speed.

Our last stop was Stoltz Pool Provincial Park on Cowichan River where floating down the river on an inner tube is a fun pastime during the warmer months.  It was a bit early in the season to don a bathing suit, but we enjoyed our stay very much all the same.

There is so much to see and do on Vancouver Island it never gets old, whether we are exploring somewhere new or revisiting old haunts.  Speaking of old haunts, I’ll share some of our favorites in a future blog. 

For campgrounds and RV parks in British Columbia go to Camping and RV in British Columbia

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