Secret Sea Lion Cave Trail

When you travel west past Sooke, between Mystic Beach and Sombrio Beach there is a trail that leaves the Juan de Fuca Marine trail and drops down to the water where there is a land based Sea Lion Cave. The trail to the sea lion cave begins on the Highway to Port Renfrew on a forestry road. There is a bright yellow gate that marks the start of the trail. 2km down the trail you step off into the bush and begin a descent down to the water. It is rugged and has a bit of danger requiring you to be careful. When you get to the water there is a cave that sea lions use during the winter months. They begin leaving the area each spring around April or May. Enjoy the video.

Sombrio Beach - Rugged West Coast Beach

If you travel west from Sooke, there are a number of beautiful and rugged beaches that are great places to visit. One of the largest and most beautiful of the beaches is Sombrio. It used to be home to a group of homesteaders until it became a part of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Park. There is a campsite at the West end of the beach that is used by people hiking the Marine Trail. The Sombrio river dumps into the ocean right near the campsite and there is a small suspension bridge over the river near here. At the other end of the beach there is a good sized cave that most people can stand up in. It is best exposed at low tide. The beach is gravel and sand, more sand when the tide is out. The trail from the parking lot to the beach takes about 10 minutes and it is one of the easiest accesses to this beautiful marine park shoreline.