West Coast Trail Evacuations as Heavy Rain Makes Sections Impassable

Parks Canada issued a hazardous‑conditions warning after a weekend of heavy rainfall turned sections of Vancouver Island’s 75‑km West Coast Trail into impassable routes. Swollen creeks and rivers forced the agency to advise against crossing water, and more than 70 hikers were evacuated by boat and helicopter to Nitinat Village, where buses awaited them.

The owners of the Crab Shack, a floating restaurant at the trail’s midpoint, said they had not seen weather of this magnitude in July. Hikers with reservations through Aug. 1 were offered full refunds, and while many turned back, a new group set out northward on Wednesday, avoiding the damaged southern section. Reports described four‑foot‑deep creek crossings and rescue operations for hikers swept by swift currents.