Field Trip: Outing – SOMBRIO BEACH (see below)

OUTING: SOMBRIO BEACH April 12 Located in between Port Renfrew and sooke area.

leave home about 8:00 am. Drive time is 1.5-2 hrs there AND back. We should all get there close to the same time about 10am. I will wait in the parking lot and greet everyone, let me know if you’re going earlier. (See map below) We could set up carpooling as well.

TO KNOW: SERVICE is REALLY bad there. Also, there is a possibility you dip into the US and Roming charges will apply on your cell phone. Place it on ‘airplane mode’ to avoid this. You phone should tell you when this happens by text. Also you will loose GPS maps in your vehicle from time to time.

Counting weather to be good, if it is a disaster we will cancel.

Pack out your garbage!

The hike isn’t long about 20-30 min each way. (1.5km each way) up hill on the way out.

Sombrio BeachThis is a FULL day with 3.5-4.5 hrs driving. Hiking is involved. Easy walking on trails but all uphill on the way back out. 

Tide charts: Low tide is 7:28am and high tide is 1:40pm at 2.2M. The tide shouldn’t impact us on this beach. (On botanical you risk being trapped on the rocks and the tide isn’t good this time for there.)

HISTORY Sombrio was a ‘hippy/surfing village/commune’ back in the day for about 25 years. People lived there. It is part of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.

 Washrooms… YES (no flushing toilets. out-houses  at parking lot and at east campsite, not always when/where you need one. None on beach, there is always a tree)

Lunch is picnic, bring water. Clothes for ALL weather. NO BATHROOMS on the beach. On the path there is and and at one of the camp area apparently (east side) There is always a tree if desperate. There are lots of logs to sit at.

(for future reference, I think there was an outhouse at Botanical, they were building one last yr.close to the beach, can’t be positive though)

Sombrio Beach is quite unique. It has a hidden waterfall (remember my red haired lady in my slideshow presentation) It has a ‘Cobbled’ stone beach ( can’t find those just anywhere). The rocks are soooo sparkly too. If you sit and listen to the waves there the sound is also quite incredible as they drain out of the rocks. (Known as susurration).This is a good time of year to go due to the fact there will be less people and you can get a good shot of the waterfall with out people pushing in past you. 

DO BRING BOOTS OR SANDALS  or water proof hikers FOR THE WATERFALL.  Even in the hot summer I got my feet wet to get the shot. The path into the water fall is a creek and is quite rocky. There may be water spray too. You WILL get an iconic shot.

2 ways to this get there .

1) Go through Lake Cowichan/Port Renfrew  or 

2) go through Sooke. Make sure you fill the gas take before you go. Roads are all paved.

You can also go one way and circle the other way around home. Takes the same amount of time.

Click on the drop arrow below or on the map to see the 2 routes (the sooke way is a tiny bit longer if your coming from Duncan/chemainus, this map shows chemainus as the start time ).

Dress for all weather and bring water

You can look up other parks in the area, there are MANY. (Mystic beach and sandcut beach are beautiful, but they also have an incredible amount of stairs!!)

IN CASE YOU WANT TO EAT ON THE WAY HOME or use a washroom….. 

In the town of Shirely (coming from Sooke side.) There is a restaurant.. ‘Shirley Delicious’, VERY good and VERY popular, not much seating, great coffee and London fogs, lunch and bakery too. If you’re inclined to stop (they are the only place to eat out in that area.are NOT open late) 

Port Renfrew has a pub to eat at and other places. SEE BELOW