Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
The Bedwell Lakes trails are some of the best in Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island.
We’ve added Bedwell to our list of best hikes in North America.
The up-and-back Bedwell Lake Trail:
10km return
1-3 days
875m elevation gain/loss
Bedwell Lake lookout 980m
camping fee at trailhead
Bedwell Lake lookout
If adventurous, you could continue to longer routes including:
climbing Big Interior mountain
continue to Mt Myra
continue to Phillips Ridge
exit via Flower Ridge
exit via Price Creek
climbing Mt Tom Taylor
Best would be to continue to Bedwell Sound, organizing a water taxi to take you to Tofino.
Good navigation needed on all those options, of course.
If I had proper snow gear I would have continued on to Cream Lake (at least) where you get views of Nine Peaks, Mt Septimus and Della Falls, highest in Canada.
I did talk to one couple who were trying to posthole their way to Cream. And they looked prepared. It would be easier later in the season.
CAUTION – A hiker died here in 2015, Anders Jason Newman. He slipped and fell from height somewhere above the lakes.
Cycled to the trailhead, walking the last 3km as Jim Mitchell Lake road was steep!
Full Strathcona Park map (PDF)
Started up about 3pm in perfect weather.
Bedwell is possibly the best maintained trail in Strathcona. So steep and (potentially) wet, numerous anti-erosion measures are necessary: wood bridges, metal bridges, boardwalk, etc.
I reached Baby Bedwell lake about 6pm. A gorgeous vista looking over to Mt. Tom Taylor.
Relaxed. Enjoyed dinner from the rocks watching the fading light.
Next morning perfect weather again. No wind.
En route to the big lake are a number of steel ladders and one chain assist. It would be very slippery when wet descending in the rain.
Wow. You arrive well above Bedwell lake with astonishing vistas.
There are tent platforms at both lakes. Personally I prefer those at Baby Bedwell over these at Bedwell.
With good weather, my return back down the same trail seemed easy to me.
Source: BestHike
