Beach · Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
A crescent of sand earned by 7 km of muddy, rooty trail.
Overview
Keeha Beach is a sandy crescent on the open Pacific, with rocky headlands at both ends, tide pools and sea arches. Reaching it takes a 3.5 km hike each way from Cape Beale, so this is a real outing, not a quick stop off the road. I’d come for the open shoreline or an overnight camp; skip it if you only want an easy beach break.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe beach is the payoffMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Pacific Rim Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Pacific Rim audio tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Start at the Cape Beale trailhead at the end of South Bamfield Road. At the junction, take the left branch along the east side of Kichha Lake. The trail is 3.5 km each way, or 7 km return. It’s fairly flat, but exposed roots and slippery sections make the footing rough; expect mud and obstacles to make the walk feel longer. Marked parking is about 400 m up the road from the trailhead.
There’s designated beach camping and a composting toilet at the south end. Fresh water from Kichha Lake and its outflow needs treatment. Overnight camping runs May 1 to September 30 and requires a backcountry permit and park entry pass, so reserve ahead.
Look along the beach toward its rocky ends for tide pools and sea arches. For a photo, frame the curve of sand against a headland and keep some surf or tide pools in the foreground.
Wildlife
11 sightingsOrcaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
16 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
174 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
16 sightingsSea OtterMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
134 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
18 sightingsCalifornia Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Pacific Rim. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingCape Beale Lighthouse Trail14 km · 8 hr · 3.6 km awayThe tide sets the timing for a long walk to a lighthouse.ModerateKeeha Beach Trail7 km · 3.5 hr · 3.6 km awayA forest walk to a tide-pooled crescent on the open Pacific.
ModerateTapaltos Bay Trail7 km · 3.5 hr · 3.6 km awayA muddy forest approach ends at a crescent beach.
ChallengingWest Coast Trail75 km · 7 days · 4.4 km awaySeven days on a rough coast, shaped by tides, ladders and shipwrecks.
Beach · 2.2 km awayTapaltos BeachA crescent beach that takes a rough forest walk to reach.Sight · 3 km awayCape Beale LighthouseA 19th-century lightstation at the end of a tide-timed coastal hike
Campground · 4.1 km awayPachena Bay CampgroundA beachside staging camp for West Coast Trail hikers.
Visitor center · 4.4 km awayPachena Bay West Coast Trail Orientation CentreRequired orientation and trail updates before the West Coast Trail.Parkwolf’s Pacific Rim ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
