Goldstream Falls

We departed the RV park in the morning, and plan to make several stops along the route and arrive Tofino before dark. Goldstream Falls is our first stop. It is part of Goldstream Provincial Park, which was established in 1858 to protect a range of habitats, including old-grown western red cedars, dry arbutus and shore pine-clad slopes, and salt marsh. Three species of salmon spawn here. Cultural wise, traditionally First Nations fished the winter chum salmon runs in the Goldstream River for food and ceremonial use. The park’s name recalls the brief gold rush on “Gold Creek”.

The trail we took is Upper Goldstream Falls Trail (2.90km, Easy, out-and-back), which is located at the south of the provincial park. The trailhead is near the park entrance. It is overall flat and follows the Goldstream River, which is more like a creek. It was an easy, pleasant hike in the rainforest. At the end of the trail, we climbed down some steep stairs to reach the waterfall.

If you have some extra time, you can also try the Goldstream Falls and Arbutus Loop trail (4.3km, Moderate, Loop).