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History
Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island is an association of neighbourhoods spread out along the seashore, river estuary, and Highway 14. Most of Port Renfrew's residents live in the Beach Camp area, which was once a one-time logging rail yard and log dump. This site was converted into a timber company townsite after the logging railroad was rendered obsolete by truck logging.
Prior to this and for hundreds of years, the Pacheedaht First Nations members lived and travelled up and down the west coast and throughout the San Juan Valley. Evidence of their use of this area and possibly other First Nation's use, is confirmed by the presence of archaeological sites which occur within the plan area. The first residents of this area used the various waterways as a method for travelling to other First Nation territories. One of the first contacts between the local First Nations people and Europeans occurred on July 13, 1798, when the crew from the British ship, HMS Iphigenia engaged the local residents in a dispute.
Pioneering European settlers began to move into the Port Renfrew area after the founding of Fort Victoria in 1859. References to Port San Juan began to show up in the 1850s, and more so in the 1860s and 70s, as some gold was found in the local rivers and creeks. This promoted the construction of a road from Sooke to Port Renfrew, which was finally constructed in the 1950s. Prior to 1950, a series of waterway routes, logging roads and trails connecting Port Renfrew to Cowichan Lake, was the only land base route out from Port Renfrew.
Direct access to Port Renfrew by water started on a regular basis around the 1890s and continued through to the 1950s. The water route was considered dangerous - a large number of shipwrecks have been recorded in the vicinity of San Juan Harbour.
As time passed, other economic activities such as logging and fishing, and to a lesser extent farming, were recognized and became prominent in the San Juan Valley. Logging eventually became the mainstay of economic activity throughout the San Juan Valley. This is evident as the main residential area known as "Beach Camp" can be attributed to the logging industry around Port Renfrew.
It is not known exactly where the name Port Renfrew came from, although it is thought locally that it comes from the Prince of Wales, Baron of Renfrew, who visited Canada in 1860. Many of the familiar names for street names and land formations originate from the early pioneers. For example, Parkinson Road, which is the main road through the village, is named after an earlier homesteader who built a three and one-half (3.5) mile boardwalk from the main wharf in the harbour to his farm homestead. Other significant activities in the area include the establishment of the Botanical Beach research station at the turn of the century by the University of Minnesota, as a place to study rare and not-so-rare sea plants and animal life.
Location
Port Renfrew is located at the end of the scenic West Coast Road (Highway 14), on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, 107 kilometres (66 miles) northwest of Victoria.
Places to See
- Botanical Beach
The Botanical Beach parking lot is the western terminus of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, located at Kilometer 47. This parking lot provides access to nearby Botany Bay and Botanical Beach itself.
Botanical Beach affords visitors with access to uniquely rich tide pools and shoreline trails with fantastic geological features. The extensive variety of marine flora and fauna in this colourful intertidal zone includes red, purple, and orange starfish and sea urchins, white gooseneck barnacles, blue mussels and green sea anemones and sea cucumbers. Coralline algae, periwinkles, chitons, and sea stars can also be seen at Botanical Beach.
The region is so biologically significant that the University of Minnesota installed the first marine research station in the Pacific Northwest at Botanical Beach in 1901. Since then, the area has been used for research by a number of universities in BC and Washington.
- Parkinson Creek
The Parkinson Creek Trailhead is located at Kilometer 37.6 of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. From here you can hike east to Sombrio or west to Botanical Beach. There are 2 campsites nearby - Payzant Creek at Kilometer 40 and Little Kuitsche Creek at Kilometer 33.5.
This moderate section of trail takes hikers through regenerating logged areas and old growth forest fringe and along the beautiful rugged shoreline. Watch for marine mammals that frequent this area.
- Sombrio Beach
Located at approximately Kilometer 29 of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, the large cobbled Sombrio Beach can be reached via a 250-meter access trail from the Sombrio Beach Trailhead parking lot, off Highway 14. There are two designated wilderness camping areas at Sombrio Beach; one at East Sombrio and one at West Sombrio.
Visitors can explore or hike east or west along the beach, enjoy a picnic or try their hand at surfing in this world-class surfing area. Sombrio Beach is part of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, so please respect trail hikers. Parkinson Creek is approximately 9 km west of Sombrio Beach; the nearest trailhead to the east is the Juan de Fuca East (China Beach) Trailhead at Kilometer 0.
- China Beach
China Beach day-use area is a spectacular spot for family outings and day trips. The China Beach Campground is a separate facility, located in a forested area with open understory just east of the China Beach day-use area and Juan de Fuca East trailhead.
Second Beach is reached from a 1 kilometre trail down from the campsite via stairs and a fairly steep gravel trail. The 15-20 minute hike (each way) through the mature forest of Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, and Western red cedar leads visitors to the great rolling breakers of a tumultuous sea.
- Juan de Fuca Provincial Park
Juan de Fuca Provincial Park offers scenic beauty, spectacular hiking, marine and wildlife viewing, and roaring surf in its course along the Pacific coastline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
There are four main areas to the park: the China Beach Campground, the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, the China Beach day-use area, and Botanical Beach.
A major feature of this park, the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, follows 47 kilometers of wilderness stretching along the western shoreline of the southern Island. There are four trailheads to the Juan de Fuca Trail at Juan de Fuca East (China Beach), Sombrio Beach, Parkinson Creek, and Botanical Beach. Although most of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is designed for strenuous day or multi-day hiking/camping in this rugged and isolated area, some easy to moderate day hiking opportunities to the beach or along the trail are available starting from the trailheads.
Juan de Fuca Provincial Park offers ample opportunity to view larger marine mammals as well, including Grey and killer whales, which can often be spotted feeding just off the points. The best time to see Grey whales is during their migration from the Mexican coast to Alaska in March and April. Seals and sea lions can also often be seen playing offshore.
Things to Do
- Hiking
Port Renfrew is the southern trailhead of the West Coast Trail, which lies within the southern boundaries of Pacific Rim National Park, and runs for almost 77 kilometres along the west side of Vancouver Island between Port Renfrew and Bamfield in the north. If you're planning to begin from Port Renfrew, you must make arrangements to be transported across Port San Juan to the trailhead at the mouth of Gordon River. The Pacheedaht First Nations provide a shuttle service from the federal wharf in Port Renfrew to the trailhead from April to September. Many hikers begin from Port Renfrew in order to cover the most challenging section of the trail first.
The northern terminus of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is also located near Port Renfrew. The trail leads for almost 47 kilometres (30 miles) along the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island, from Botanical Beach Provincial Park to China Beach Provincial Park. Intended to be an alternative to the increasingly popular West Coast Trail, the easiest section of the trail is near its northern terminus at Botanical Beach.
- Fishing
Port Renfrew rates among those with the best salt and freshwater fishing in the world. For the sport fisher, three distinct areas vie for attention: the mouth of Port Renfrew harbour, the Carmanah/Nitinat waters, and the Swiftsure Bank. The San Juan River is home to hefty steelhead, as well as northern coho averaging 20 pounds.
- Kayaking
For those who have paddled only in sheltered passages, sea kayaking along the outside waters of Vancouver Island is another world, one where you go big or you go home. However, if you pick your time, particularly in summer months, you'll find that the Pacific can be as well-behaved as a sleeping giant. The 60-kilometre (37-mile) ocean route between Sooke and Port Renfrew, with its string of beaches to touch on, can be paddled in a day.
Of course, you don't have to do the entire length of this coast to enjoy an outing. Pick your launch locations, such as from French Beach, one of the few beaches where you can drive to within a short distance of a launch site. Two other good locations include Jordan River and Pacheedaht Beach.
Events
- Jazzfest International
Enjoy 10 days and nights of the coolest music in town. The biggest summertime music festival on Vancouver Island, Jazzfest promises jazz, blues, gospel, and world beat music of the highest calibre. More than 250 musicians in more than 60 performances entertain at venues around the city.
Contact Information
Port Renfrew Community Website
Website: www.portrenfrewcommunity.com
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