Qualicum Beach to Tofino

I would recommend staying out there for a while and not returning right away.

This trip is to go from Qualicum beach to Tofino, now this trip has some amazing stops and parks but beware  the road on this trip can be very treacherous. So my tip is to stay towards the centre when you can but watch for cars really carefully. The roads sides drop of at times which can get hairy so pay close attention don't be hesitant to slow down a little.


The Symbols on the map are:
Burger and shake: Food/Store
Bench: Park/Resting Spot
Blue: Gas
Yellow: Start/End
Purple: Heads-up/Info

I used the Pacific Rim Camping grounds the way-point on the Tofino end but both Tofino itself and Ucluelet offer great camping as well as accommodation options.
However I would recommend to stock up on the way on food since it going to cost a bit more out there to buy then at one of the big boxstores along the highway.
The view on the beach is great and the surfing is pretty decent for beginners as well.

Here are some summer pictures from our last Tofino trip.

 

Qualicum Beach to Tofino

*Updated 07.07.2013
We realized that while the destination is impressive and breathtaking we should include some more pictures that show how amazing the route is as well not only due to parks but simply because of the ground you do cover. As you may notice there is a picture of a black bear cub as well remember when you see a cub you can take pictures but stay away from them mama is usually near and they don't take kindly to strangers.

A black bear cup that happened near to pup up near the road...don't leave you vehicle when you see them!

Victoria To Qualicum Beach

This is a nice day trip ending at Qualicum Beach, I outlined all the basic stops for fuel and food as well as some bike shops on the way.

The Symbols mean as follows:

Yellow: Main Route Start/End
Blue: Gas
Pink: Shops/Multiple Items
Bench: Parks/Rest Spots
Burger and Drink: Food
Turquoises: Scenic Routes

The Route Starts in Langford because its a convenient spot to meet on the route for everyone from Victoria, The peninsula, Highlands or Sooke.

Now the route proceeds along the highway but you can follow the scenic routes to get some more twisties or just to see some additional nice areas without going into a dead end.

The route will take almost two hours one way without the scenic routes or stops so plan a full day accordingly. Also either bring along food or plan on eating out at the marked spots as you will need the food and break to drink don't forget to hydrate especially doing this ride in the summer will dry you right out.

I hope you enjoy the route.

Langford to Qualicum Beach

Motorcycle Day Trip Langford to Port Renfrew

This is just a quick update we are adding motorcycle day routes now to our link selection. This will be in the same fashion as dive sites via Google maps. We will also mention good spots to stop at for view or lunch and offer actual reviews while the Dive sites are just listed.

Stops are marked as follows:
Yellow: Start and End of route
Bench: Parks and/or lookout points which are worth checking out. 
Burger and Shake: Food and General supplies which would be worth while
Blue: Fuel


I would recommend doing this route on a stat or weekend day because otherwise you will be sharing the road with lumber trucks and they are space hogs. Also there some upgrades being done to the road right now so there would also be some construction zones. Also I would recommend to fill up on the way out since there is no big chain gas station in Renfrew and none between Sooke and Renfrew so be sure to have at least 200km of gas in your tank to be on the safe side. There is a Shell just before Sooke and another gas station right downtown Sooke so if in doubt fill up at either of these two.

The first route that we will be adding is the Victoria (Langford) to Port Renfrew route.

It is a lot of fun with plenty of twisties and a speed limit of 50-80km/h. The view on this route is amazing and there are a few great stops.

The ride takes between 90 minutes and 2 1/2 hours it entirely depends on how fast you ride and how many stops you make on the way.

The first good stop on the way is French Beach which is a nice provincial park with some paths and a nice beach to walk along.

After French beach you come through a small town along the road which has a nice beach but no good parking spots or nice access. It is better to just carry on to Jordan River where you can find a couple small eateries one a cafe the other one a corner store and Fish and Ships shop. There is a reasonable amount of parking space as well and easy access to the beach.

After these stops you are entering lumber land and the 80km/h zone so just let loose and enjoy yourselves.

Beware about 20km down the road you will see some road degradation in the twisties so be cautious since some of the damage is hard to see until you are mid-turn. I would recommend following the recommendation signs roughly.

There are also a couple stops where you can pull over easily and stop to take in the view from bridges and ledges I would definitely recommend making a couple stops here of course they are also marked on the map.

Once in Renfrew there is one General store a couple nice parks nearby and a great little beach also popular with the fishing folk and several nice campsites if you don't feel like going back on the same day.

Here is the link to the map and enjoy: Langford to Port Renfrew

*Update 07.07.2013
I decided to go out and get some new pictures for this route to post for so that you can see some of the beauty on this trip. I added two Park articles which are along this route as well as some Pictures of the Jordan River Stop. This is the more spacious stop for Jordan River with more space and a nice beach if you didn't bring food there is the Deja Vu Cafe just down the road from there but the parking lot there quite small.

When you see the Cafe's advisory sign you should be slowing down if you plan on pulling into this lot.