Halfmoon Bay Trail

Halfmoon Bay Trail is a 3.6 km (2.2 mi) out-and-back from Willowbrae Trailhead parking to a small, sheltered sandy bay. That total includes the 1.3 km shared approach on Willowbrae Trail before the Halfmoon branch. It is a moderate walk with an unusually satisfying beach at the end; allow about 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on how long you spend at the water. The main catch is the return: after a steep stair descent, you climb those long flights back out.

The first 1.3 km follows the marked Willowbrae route through old-growth western red cedar and hemlock. Fallen trunks become nursery beds where seedlings take hold. At the signed junction, take the Halfmoon Bay branch; the shared approach also serves a separate walk toward Florencia Bay, so keep following the Halfmoon markers rather than adding that other destination to this outing.

Beyond the junction, narrow wooden boardwalk sections—about 80 cm wide—thread the forest, joined by muddy dirt patches with poor footing. The descent steepens through spruce-fringe forest and uses several long flights of stairs. Handrails are fitted along the stairs and raised boardwalk portions, but the muddy gaps still need care. On the way back, the stairs become the hardest climb of the hike.

The route ends at a small sandy cove, not a high viewpoint. Driftwood gathers along the shore, and the rocky edges can hold small tide pools; across the water, the sandy cliffs by Florencia Bay help give the cove its sense of place. For a photo, frame the curve of the beach with the wooded point and offshore rocks. A tight crop of surf loses the shape that makes this stop distinctive.

The trailhead is reached from Willowbrae Road by roughly 250 m of gravel access road, about 2 km south of the Ucluelet–Tofino junction. The Parks Canada visitor spaces occupy the right side of the small lot; the rest serves Wya Point Resort. Parking is limited, roadside parking is prohibited, and there is no RV or bus parking. A composting outhouse is at the lot. A park entry pass is required; no food or drinking-water stop is identified on the trail.