Clayoquot: 5040 Peak Trail (2 days / 7 km)
The 5040 Peak Trail is a popular hiking route that starts in a beautiful west coast Vancouver Island forest and climbs into the stunning alpine landscape. This hike includes stunning views of the coastal Vancouver Island mountains from the trailhead to the summit, with many camping areas near Cobalt Lake, by the 5040 Peak hut (Hišimy̓awiƛ), and even up on the saddle or the western peak.
This is not a long hike, but it is very steep with many technical sections that involve climbing short distances with the help of roots, trees, or some rope volunteers have installed as hand holds. Because of this, I would recommend that hikers with some hiking experience or who are in good fitness should attempt this trail.
Regardless of the difficulty I saw people of all ages and skill levels on the trail enjoying the amazing scenery. This is a must-do for any avid hikers visiting the Tofino area.
Trip Completed: September 2024
Trip Summary
Location: This hike is in the Clayoquot region on Vancouver Island off of Pacific Rim Highway (Hwy 4), halfway between Port Alberni and Tofino/Ucluelet.
Traditional Territory: This route is located in the traditional territory of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nations (https://native-land.ca/).
Maps & Resources
Map: For this hike, I used the AllTrails map for navigation. It is well-marked and there aren’t very many confusing sections, so I rarely had to refer to the map. At the time of writing, I could not find any official maps of the trail but there are some other unofficial digital maps of the area online.
Interactive Map: Click here to view and modify this route using the interactive Route Planner.
Permits & Reservations:
Campsite Reservations: Campsites are first-come-first-serve on the campground around Cobalt Lake, at the tent spots outside the 5040 Peak Hut (Hišimy̓awiƛ), and anywhere in the region.
If you don’t feel like camping, the hut requires reservation through the Alpine Club of Canada Vancouver Island Section (accvi) website and usually books up very early as there are only 12 spaces for hikers per night.
Permits: No permits are required for this hike.
Know Before You Go
Season: The best time to visit 5040 is between June to October. Outside of these months there is a high chance of snow and requires specialized equipment and mountaineering training to attempt safely.
Cell Reception: There was cell reception near the summit and ridge, but otherwise there was no signal along the rest of the trail or along the access road.
Water: Most of the trail is adjacent to a stream running from Cobalt Lake and provides multiple spots to refill water. Past Cobalt Lake there are water reservoirs (small ponds) near the hut but otherwise no water sources. These ponds are not as clear and clean as Cobalt Lake; therefore, I would suggest using them only if absolutely necessary.
Wildlife: This area is home to black bears, cougars, and mice. All pose a threat to food unproperly stored; therefore, it is important to use the bear bins provided near the campgrounds or to properly hang your food far from the tent sites.
Waste: There is a volunteer-maintained outhouse that was recently installed near Cobalt Lake, as well as facilities within the 5040 Peak Hut (Hišimy̓awiƛ). Otherwise, all waste must be packed out. Also, for those with dogs, their waste is to be packed out, as leaving waste near the campground can contaminate the water sources.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: I did not use any outfitters, but there are multiple outdoor stores and grocery stores in Port Alberni with all the required equipment and/or food for the trek.
Shuttle: There is no shuttle system available for this route and is only accessible by highway and dirt roads. Hikers will have to organize their own transport via car to the trailhead.
Trip Report
Day 1: 5040 Peak Trailhead to the summit of 5040, then back to Cobalt Lake
The day before our hike, we drove up from Victoria and stayed overnight at the Little Qualicum Falls Campground to ensure an early start the next day. From there, we drove to the trailhead, which was accessible thanks to recent improvements on Marion Creek Forest Service Road. While the road is now manageable for most vehicles, it’s still a mix of dirt and gravel, which requires some caution on the uphill and downhill sections. Previously, hikers had to park along the highway and begin their trek from the start of the service road, which was only navigable by 4-wheel drive or off-road vehicles.
We arrived at the trailhead around 12:30 pm and set out on our hike. The trail immediately ascended steeply, starting with a forest path that occasionally widened allowing many spots to let others pass without backtracking. The hike was consistently uphill, with most of the route being steep yet walkable. Some sections were so steep that they necessitated basic climbing, using tree roots as footholds and handholds. The trail featured very few switchbacks, and as we progressed, the forest began to thin, and the path became rockier. In the steep rocky sections, ropes have been installed to assist with climbing, though they were not strictly necessary.
After hiking for two hours, we reached Cobalt Lake. We stopped there for lunch, set up our camp, and then took our daypacks and some snacks for the ascent to the peak. This section of the trail continued in a similar fashion to the route up to the lake but became even rockier and more uneven as we entered alpine terrain. We passed 5040 Peak Hut (it was very well maintained, more of a cabin and not a hut) about halfway up, where several tents were set up at a small pond outside.
Continuing past the hut, we made our way to the peak. The trail here was starting to get less steep. We chose to go directly to the actual peak at 5040 feet on the eastern end rather than traverse the ridge to the western lower peak. We did see a tent set up on the western peak, which offered more flat space than the actual peak, which did not have any clear safe tent spots.
The view from the peak was breathtaking, and we were fortunate to have clear weather. The hike up took us about an hour, and from the summit, we enjoyed a panoramic 360-degree view of the nearby Triple Peak, the entire mountain range, and even glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. After spending some time at the peak taking pictures and having snacks, we began our descent back to Cobalt Lake. We managed to complete the descent in about 45 minutes, 15 minutes faster than our ascent.
We got back to our tents around 7 pm, just in time to prepare dinner and enjoy the sunset. That evening, we enjoyed the starry sky before heading to bed, tired but satisfied after a challenging and rewarding hike.
Campsite: Cobalt Lake Campground
We stayed along the shore of Cobalt Lake. It is a small alpine lake that is a beautiful blue reminiscent of its name. There are many tent spots on all sides of the lake, and there are no reservations so it is first-come first-serve. We got a camp spot right near the water, but across from the outhouse and bear box, which meant there was not much traffic from the other campers, but it was a bit of a walk to the washroom and bear box to store our food and toiletries.
There were no official fire pits, but some remains of makeshift fire pits were at some tent spots. The area around the lake is either rocky or grassy clearing, meaning there were not many trees immediately beside any of the spots so there is not much shelter from bad weather or the sun.
| Total Distance | 5 km |
| Elevation Gain | 881 m ascent // 328 m descent |
| Campsite Reservation | Crown Land – No Reservation Needed |
Day 2: Cobalt Lake to 5040 Peak Trailhead
On the second day, we woke up around 8 am and took our time enjoying the morning air and spectacular view of Triple Peak being lit up by the rising sun. After enjoying breakfast at 9 am, we finished packing up and were ready to leave by 10:15 am. As with the previous day but in reverse, the trail began rocky and as we descended the trail became more forested. Fortunately, the abundance of roots and branches made the descent less hazardous, although we still had to turn around and climb down a few times to tackle particularly tricky sections.
The hike down was quite busy in both directions, and at one point we found ourselves stuck behind a large group that was moving slower than we preferred. This delay, combined with the need to navigate the descent carefully, meant that it took us nearly as long to descend as it had to ascend.
We had a dog in our group, so that made it difficult to pass groups, otherwise, there would have been opportunities to pass without much hassle. As I always find when retracing my steps on mountain trails, there were even more beautiful sights that I had missed the first time, so be sure to take plenty of breaks to soak in the beauty of Vancouver Island. We reached the parking lot at 12:30 pm, just in time for a quick lunch by the car before heading on our way.
| Total Distance | 2 km |
| Elevation Gain | 0 m ascent // 527 m descent |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Reflections
This hiking trip went extremely well, with no real issues throughout the trip. Nearly everything went well but as with all trips, there was always room for some improvement, although this time it was largely out of our control.
What went well
Weather. The weather was perfect for this weekend, no rain, no strong wind, great visibility, hot sunny afternoons that are perfect for swimming in a cold alpine lake, and cooled down at night but was not very cold. I was able to sleep with a summer sleeping bag and thermals, no extra sweater was needed.
There were almost no bugs and none that bite. At this time of year, there were nearly no bugs on the whole trail. We did encounter some gnats that were prevalent at the peak, but they did not seem to be biting anyone. The gnats were mostly interested in some hikers’ hats. Considering I have seen past reports of lots of mosquitoes in early August, we ended up going at a really good time of year to avoid any swarms.
Newly done road with few potholes. This route used to be difficult to get to because it required parking near the driveway and hiking up about 5 km of dirt road to get to the trailhead. Recently there has been maintenance to flatten and make the road drivable for most cars and is no longer only for offroad vehicles.
The nearby hike to Triple Peak was conveniently located and easy to add onto the second day of this trip. After getting back to the car on the second day (at 12:30 pm) my group had a quick lunch, strapped on the day packs, and went further down Marion Forest Service Road to the trailhead of Triple Peak. This hike is at a more advanced level than 5040 Peak Trail, with many very technical rock sections, making the second half of the hike nearly vertical, requiring some scrambling and climbing to get to the lake. Beyond the lake mountaineering equipment is required to summit. This hike was stunning and worth the trip if you are confident with scrambles and want some extra hiking.
What didn’t go well
Gravel road – can be slippery. There were a couple of spots that my friend’s car (An old two-wheel drive sedan) had some trouble, be sure to drive in low gear and be aware of how heavy the car is when going up some of the hills with loose gravel. In one steep hill spot we had to get out of the car to lower the weight for the driver to make it up the hill.
This was a busy hiking route. Likely due to it being one of the last weekends at the end of the season, there were many hikers at all parts of this hiking trail. It was comforting from a safety point of view, but inconvenient when getting stuck behind slower hikers or if you wanted seclusion. Thankfully everyone we met was extremely nice, but the hike was more sociable than I’d expected from a steep mountain trail.
Author Bio
Daniel Labbé is a past camp counsellor and tripping director from Ontario. He grew up in Toronto but would spend his summers at a summer camp in the Halliburton region, where he would eventually become the Trip Director. He was primarily in charge of running canoe trips but has recently started hiking more in his spare time. Now he lives on the west coast, in Victoria BC, where he works as a marine biologist and takes every chance he gets to go hiking and canoeing.
Instagram: @danny.labbe