About 35km west of Victoria is East Sooke Regional Park, home to some of the best coastal hiking on Vancouver Island. The 10km Coast Trail hugs the shore along the Juan de Fuca Strait and offers amazing vistas of the water and the Olympic Mountains to the south. The challenging trail winds its way through pocket beaches, rocky outcroppings, tidepools, lush forest, and high cliffs. While hiking in the park, it is not uncommon to see seals, sea lions, eagles, hawks, otters and even Orcas - if you get lucky. East Sooke Park also features over 50km of trails, a farm, petroglyphs, and many beaches and picnicking areas.
To get there, follow the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) from Victoria and take the Langford (Millstream Road) exit and go south. Follow the Veterans Memorial Parkway and then turn right on to Sooke Road (Highway 14). From Sooke Road, turn left on Gillespie Road. Turn right on East Sooke Road to reach the entrance at Anderson Cove and Pike Road, or turn left to reach the entrance at Aylard farm off Becher Bay Road.
