Klanawa River Camp

Klanawa River Camp is a designated backcountry campsite on the 75 km West Coast Trail. It is for hikers already making the multi-day trek, not a drive-in campground or a day stop. You'll need a West Coast Trail permit; overnight trips run May 1–September 30. Hikers often choose Tsusiat Falls instead, so come here for a less-used riverside night, not a waterfall show or guaranteed solitude.

About 23 km from Pachena Bay, the camping area follows a pebble-and-sand beach around the deep Klanawa River mouth. Driftwood divides the beach tent areas, with a few pitches back in the forest. Guides report an outhouse and food cache. There is no food service, so bring what you need for the trail. The ocean view is not far-reaching, though Washington's outline can show on a clear day. For a photo, frame the river mouth with driftwood along the shore instead of looking straight out to sea.

There is no treated tap water: collect from rivers and creeks upstream, then purify, boil or filter it. The trail crosses the Klanawa by cable car, and tides, weather or high water can delay travel on this rough, muddy route. Check Parks Canada's trail briefing before setting out and carry your tide information and water-treatment gear.

The West Coast Trail follows Indigenous paths and paddling routes used for trade and travel by Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht and Pacheedaht communities. After shipwrecks along this coast, a telegraph route became part of the Dominion Life Saving Trail; it entered the national park reserve in 1970 and became a recreational hiking route in 1973. Klanawa is one overnight stop on that larger story, not a separate historic exhibit.