West Coast Trail 2025 - Michigan to Pachena Bay

Last day! Just 12 km to go.

But first—a little overnight drama.

At some point in the night, I woke briefly to the sound of someone in a nearby tent making noise. It was short-lived and sounded like a bad dream, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. Then, around 2 a.m., our small area of the campground erupted in chaos.

From the tent right next to mine came loud, panicked screaming—high-pitched enough that it genuinely sounded like a woman being attacked. I recognized the tents as belonging to the large group I’d met the day before. No one in the group was saying anything, which was… odd.

I called out, “Is everything okay?” No answer—just more screaming. Other campers started asking if it was a bear, but I doubted it. We were deep in the middle of a cluster of tents, and a bear wandering through without anyone else hearing or seeing it seemed unlikely.

Then, a male voice, quietly said, “I’m stuck.”

I sat up, baffled. “What’s going on, you guys?”

“I’m stuck,” he repeated.

“What do you mean, you’re stuck?”

Pause. “I’m stuck in my tent.”

…Seriously? At 2 a.m.? I could only think: You’ve got to frickin' be kidding me! Someone else in the tent finally called out, “We’re all okay. Everything’s fine.” Things settled down after that, but it was one of the strangest wake-up calls I’ve ever had. In the morning, I was tempted to ask for the full story, but decided to let it go.

I got up around 6:30 and was on the trail by 7:25. The first kilometre was notoriously muddy, something I’d read about on the WCT Facebook group and in the route description in the app. Thankfully, the recent dry weather worked in my favour—I made it through without getting swallowed by the mud.

The first landmark was the Pachena Point Lighthouse, but Parks Canada closed all the lighthouses on the trail last year due to unstable ground (and probably money). The short access trail was blocked, so I had to settle for a glimpse through the trees and fog.

Next up was Sea Lion Rock, which I’d been excited about for days. The guidebook promised, “you can hear, and smell them long before you see them.” The side trail was about 250 m downhill, but as I approached, I couldn’t hear—or smell—anything. Sure enough, when I got to the viewpoint, the rock was empty. Another hiker optimistically said, “Oh, they’re in the water!” but my telephoto lens confirmed it was kelp, not sea lions. Honestly, if I had one disappointment on this entire hike, it was not seeing more wildlife.

Not a sea lion in sight!

A few sea gulls in the fog.

A few kilometres later, I finally did hear the barks of sea lions drifting in from the coast—but the trail was inland, and there was no way to get a view.

One last relic from years gone by.

The final stretch of trail was the easiest of the entire trip—mostly flat, well-worn forest path. Trail signs counted down the distance to Pachena Bay, which somehow made the last kilometres feel slower.

If the tides are low, the last 800 m to the finish is a pleasant walk on firm sand; if not, you have to tackle seven more ladders. I happily arrived at low tide and strolled the beach to the Parks office, marking the official end of the West Coast Trail.

I reached Pachena Bay at 11:40 a.m.—12 km in 4 hours and 15 minutes, including the side trip to Sea Lion Rock and the muddy start. After a refreshing shower at the Pachena Bay Campground, I began the long drive home.

Final backpack weight: 19 lbs.