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How to find the hidden waterfall at Sombrio Beach

Approximately two hours from Victoria, there is a Mystic Beach near a hidden waterfall that's inside a cave at Sombrio Beach in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.

The 1.4 km hike on the Sombrio Beach Trail, will take you towards this waterfall in a cave that many locals don't know about.... in fact, many travellers walk right past this oasis and unknowingly miss the flowing beauty within the cave.

<who>Photo Credit: Brent Beelby, public contributor alltrails.com</who>

Use this guide to ensure you find one of Victoria's best-kept secrets.

Getting There

Travel from Victoria to Langford, through Sooke and towards Juan de Fuca Provincial Park where you can hike and see the sights at Mystic Beach and the one with the hidden falls, Sombrio Beach Trail, a 1.4 km hike that is good for all skill levels.

Here are the directions from Victoria.

For your convenience, use this BC Parks information to learn about the area. It will inform you that Juan de Fuca Provincial Park on the west coast of southern Vancouver Island 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 km 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.

Sombrio Beach

Located at approximately Kilometre 29 of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, the large cobbled Sombrio Beach can be reached via a 250-metre access trail from the Sombrio Beach Trailhead parking lot, off Hwy 14. There are three designated wilderness camping areas at Sombrio Beach; East Sombrio, Main Sombrio and West Sombrio.

The Trail

To start, head to the Sombrio Beach Trailhead and follow the path until it splits. When the route divides, go left until you reach the beach.

Once you arrive at the rocky beach, turn left again and continue for a few minutes. Eventually, you'll see a small stream coming out of the trees, and this is where you need to begin searching. Following the creek, you'll come to a moss-covered cave, and you'll be able to step inside.

Inside the lush cavern, you'll feel transported to another time. Here, plants cover the walls making it feel like a tropical oasis, and a little further in you'll discover the massive falls.

<who>Photo Credit: bcparks.ca</who>

It is so gigantic that the rushing falling water will tower above you. You'll certainly want to make sure to have your camera ready to capture this unique natural wonder. Note that the cave is obviously wet, so make sure to use caution as it can be slippery inside.

Along the rest of the route, you'll get to enjoy relaxing at the beach and even crossing a suspension bridge.

Once you've arrived, take pictures and when you post them, please tag @VictoriaBCNow and use the hashtag #VictoriaNow, we'd love to watch your experience and we'll even repost some of your pictures so everyone can enjoy this mystical place.

From the team at VictoriaNow, we hope that you enjoy this experience and stay safe.



Send your comments, news tips, typos, letter to the editor, photos and videos to [email protected].



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