San Josef Bay Trailhead Parking

San Josef Bay is one of the places I've been looking forward to visiting for ages. Years.I was trying to tell myself not to be disappointed, and that it wouldn't live up to expectations, and I was right. It exceeded them!Pro tip: check the tides before you head out, and plan to arrive at the Bay at low tide!The drive in there is tons of fun if you like gravel logging roads - dodging potholes was a good challenge for sure. Google maps told us to take a shortcut, but a plywood sign warned us away, saying Do not turn here". I'm still a little curious to know what was down the other road!The trailhead parking lot has ample space

This spot near the northern tip of Vancouver Island is, and probably always will be, one of my favourite places on the island. I was shown a picture similar to this one and I just knew I had to see it in person. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After taking this photo, it’s been framed and hangs in my home as a reminder of incredible memories with friends and loved ones. If I’m ever questioning whether or not I should get out and explore on a weekend, this picture answers that question for me every time with a definitive “YES”.

Incredible spot! Not to be missed if you’re in the area. Follow the signs not google maps for directions. You’re driving gravel roads and logging roads with lots of potholes and blast rock. Take it slow and take care of your vehicle. Trail is an easy 45 min hike.

San Josef Bay is my favorite place in the world. Every time I visit, it's a magical experience, no matter what time of the year I'm there. My last trip was amazing. Perfect weather, all the trails and access points were well maintained, and we even encountered a docile black bear napping in the sunshine without a care in the world. As always, a fabulous day in the bay!

Very sandy, pretty beach with the stacks. It was very busy when I was there. The parking lot was overfilled and the beach had lots of people on it.

After a long drive (60+km) on gravel roads from Port Hardy, the trail head parking lot is something of a welcome sight. Get out of the car, stretch the legs and make final adjustments to the trip plans! (E.g. Leave the extra pillow and 200 page novel in the car instead of packing them in and out!)There is a grand covered area for picnics and packing / unpacking stuff out of the rains, and two pit toilets.There is good information on the trailhead boards explaining the park as well. No cell reception.

Lovely trail. Even though it says you can bring a wagon, I wouldn’t again. The wagon which was under its weight didn’t survive. Unless maybe bring a very heavy duty one. They do have wheel burrows but if you bring one down you are not guaranteed to get one on the return. It would be helpful if the staff that check tickets or the program running it could ensure they have some at all times.Can be muddy at times. And is buggy. Trail from parking lot is closer to 3km one way. When you get down to the bottom there is a pit toilet that was well maintained (other than people throwing plastic and garbage inside it-don’t do that. What you bring down you must bring back. There is no garbage bins). If you walk along there is a lot of spots of tent camping. Some people felt it necessary to camp close to others when if they walked a few feet down the trail there was endless spots. Many treed and grassy areas as well. Again if you don’t use the outhouse dig your waste do others don’t have to look at it and don’t discard plastic. All food must be put in bear box or hung. They are shared so you cannot bring or use locks. You can usually keep water with you and just use the food bin for food to ensure enough space for everyone. Again, bring your cans and garbage with you. No one is there to do it for you and it will ruin the area if left behind. There are bears and other wildlife. Be cautious. The water is not as heavy as Grant Bay but still has some undertows and such so be aware. They do check tags for sleeping so have handy. One thing I don’t like is the fee structure as it costs more to camp there for a family than to use the regular provincial sites that have water and toilets and access. It’s set up better for an individual at $10 a night per person. If your BC resident you should have a smaller fee as they pay taxes and charged the same as a visitor. And the fee should be capped for families to a maximum of maybe $20 a night but even that is steep for a family. Really should be $10 a family for bc and visitors who don’t pay taxes a bit more and charge for non family groups.

Follow the trail down from the gravel parking lot and hike about 15 mins through a thick supernatural BC Forrest and arrive at a beautiful west coast beach. With endless views and breathing taking scenery around you.

My friends, my dog, and I adventured to San Josef Bay in the first week of August of 2016. The windy gravel road to arrive to the trailhead built anticipation. The short trail hike to the beach was another level of excitement. The beach itself was wide and secluded. There was a bear cache where we stored our food for the night. Along the forest, there was a nice open toilet without the walls or roof of a portable toilet. Tons of places to explore. I would love to come here again.

Always a treat. Even on stormy days. The walk from the parking lot takes about 40 minutes. It is easy walking - you could easily bring a stroller or wagon (one slight hill but otherwise very flat). Lots of interesting trees to see. The beach is gorgeous. Low tide is best for exploring. There are often bears and wolves around so be aware and prepared for anything.