Kludahk Trail: Western Trailhead to Upper Noyce Lake and Back (4 days / 38 km)
The Kludahk Trail is a subalpine hiking trail that traverses forested ridgelines with frequent small lakes and bogs, keeping hikers on their toes to avoid wet feet. A series of cabins and tent pads are set up along the trail and various equipment for hikers, making for a unique experience in southern Vancouver Island.
The western portion of the trail is a complex hiking route where you will cross many sections of rugged Vancouver Island forests, subalpine bogs, and rocky subalpine terrain. This section of the trail does not have many large falls, but there are many slippery sections which require careful foot placement otherwise, it could end with a wet foot, if you’re lucky, or an injury if not. As a result, I would recommend only hikers with some experience attempt this multi-day hike.
Overall, this hike was a fun adventure with a complex, interesting trail. The views are few and far between, but the up-close views of the mossy forests and rust coloured bogs are nonetheless stunning. This trail is lesser known but would make an excellent long weekend trip and should be added to your Vancouver Island hiking “to do” list.
This portion of the trail is ideal for hikers with only one vehicle, as it travels in an out-and-back path starting at the western trailhead, which is the more accessible end of the trail for any vehicles.
Trip Completed: April 2025
Trip Summary
| Starting Point | WC2000 Road (Western Trailhead) |
| Ending Point | WC2000 Road (Western Trailhead) |
| Trip Duration | 4 days / 3 nights |
| Trip Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Total Distance | 38 km |
| Elevation Gain | 1816 m |
Location: This trail is located along the southwest end of Vancouver Island, in the subalpine inland of the Juan de Fuca Strait. It is about a 2-hour drive from Victoria and is between Jordan River and Port Renfrew. Other hikes in the area include the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, which runs parallel to the Kludahk Trail and the West Coast Trail to the north.
Traditional Territory: The Kludahk Trail is located on the traditional land of the Pacheedaht First Nation, a Nuu-chah-nulth people from the southwest coast of Vancouver Island (https://native-land.ca/).
Maps & Resources
Map: Maps are available on AllTrails, but it is highly encouraged to buy the physical map from The Kludahk Outdoor Club. You can buy a set of maps from their website (https://www.kludahk.com/) for $20; you will need to organize a time to pick them up from the treasurer. Please refrain from posting the maps online, as this trail has largely been kept offline to limit the traffic (and therefore maintenance requirements). From my understanding, this revenue goes towards the preservation of the trail because there are no permit or reservation fees collected for camping.
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Tent spots are on a first-come, first-served basis. The cabins are by reservation and only available for volunteer members of the Kludahk Outdoor Club. The organization can be contacted through their website at https://www.kludahk.com/.
Permits: No permits are required for this hike.
Know Before You Go
Season: This hike is covered in snow during the winter months, and there can be snow on the trail anytime between November to June. In the winter, this trail becomes more popular for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The trail was well marked, but anyone who attempts snowshoeing and/or cross-country skiing should have experience in both winter camping and orienteering.
In the Summer, the trail has a reputation for lots of bugs because of the plentiful wetland areas with many pools of stagnant water. In the shoulder seasons, before/after the snow in the fall and spring, is ideal with no bugs and little risk of snow, but the nights in the sub-alpine can be quite cold.
Cell Reception: The trail does not have cell reception, and so hikers should come prepared with a satellite communication device. We did encounter good reception along the WC2000 with Rogers, as there is a cell tower set up near the trailhead.
Water: There are plenty of water sources and streams along the trail, just be sure to bring a water purification method. The campsites are located near small lakes or ponds with plenty of water available.
Wildlife: This area is home to black bears, cougars, and mice. All pose a threat to food improperly stored; therefore, it is important to properly hang your food in the cabins or a tree far from the tent sites. It is also recommended to travel with bear prevention, in particular bear spray, to ward off any curious black bears that might get too close.
Waste: All waste must be packed out, as there are no garbage bins at the cabins or campsites.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: I did not use any outfitters, but there are multiple outdoor stores and grocery stores in Sooke and Langford 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: WC2000 Road (Western Trailhead) to Tent Lake
We started our day in Victoria and left the city around 10:00 am and made a few pit stops for food along the way before getting to the dirt road leading to the trailhead around 12:00pm. Having a quick lunch at the car, we soon departed down the road with our packs strapped to our backs and our bear spray on our hips. The dirt road (WC2000) leading to the trailhead is in fairly good condition, but our car is not suitable for off-road conditions, so we drove as far down the road as possible and parked along the edge of the road.
The start of the hike was about halfway down the WC2000 for about 30 minutes from where we parked our car, before finding the official trail. This is traditionally the end of the trail, so the signage is not very clear, but there is flagging tape that limits confusion to the turnoff from the dirt road.
Right away, it was clear the trail was going to be wet, with many puddles and muddy sections. The trail was not flat or straight from the get-go, with many roots and stones to navigate. These conditions continued for most of the forested sections of the hike. We descended a few dozen meters into the forest before starting the mostly uphill trek for the rest of the day. It alternated between steep and gradual uphill hiking with few sections of downhill, therefore, it was quite a tiring trek for the first day. As with many alpine trails, tracking elevation is more reliable than tracking distance travelled if you are planning waypoints. Saying this, there were still kilometre markers along the trail, although they are in descending order as the western end is traditionally the end of the trail.
As we ascended, we entered a subalpine forested ridge with the occasional but not frequent views of the Juan de Fuca Strait, the Olympic Mountains, and the mountain range to the north of us.
Throughout the day, we encountered more and more boggy sections of the hike. The sections were covered in beautiful red-tinted foliage, reminiscent of peatland in the United Kingdom, according to my English friend, with whom we were hiking. These sections often had wooden or metal boardwalks. These were in a variety of conditions, some very clear and easy to traverse, and others needed maintenance or had sunken into the bog. Regardless, it is highly likely that your feet will get muddy or wet at some point, so I would recommend wearing hiking boots or gaiters.
We passed a campsite labelled on the official map and was named “Old Tent Site” on AllTrails, which was not an ideal campsite. There was a very small cleared area with a metal skeleton of an old structure beside a small lake. This could be used as an emergency stop for a night, but I would not recommend planning to camp in this area.
At this elevation, being April, there were occasional patches of snow.
The map that we received had markers for every hour of travel time, and we found them to be fairly accurate. Also, there were some creatively named spots highlighted on the map, which I am sure have a history to them, but it sounds like you would have to contact some of the volunteers for the stories. We finished our day around 5:00 pm at the Tent Lake Cabin.
Campsite: Tent Lake
At Tent Lake there was a nice wooden tent pad, a little hut, a drinking-only lake, and a clean outhouse. There is no bear box or fire pit, but this was not a problem as the cabin has a woodfire stove for fires and provides a convenient indoor space to hang food at night. Hikers are allowed to use the cabin’s resources (stove, dishes, chairs, axe, etc.) but must be respectful and cannot sleep in the cabin unless they have reserved it through the Kludahk Trail Outdoor Club, which requires you to be a volunteer.
Tent Lake (much like the other lakes we pass on the trail) was a very small lake, some might even consider it a pond, especially if you are used to Ontario lakes. Regardless, Tent Lake was very pretty and provided a convenient water source for cooking and drinking. People are asked not to bathe or swim in the Tent Lake but instead go about 10 minutes down the trail to another lake, which is designated as a swimming lake to separate the drinking from the bathing water sources.
We set up our tents on the tent pad and spent much of the night and our dinner, and breakfast in the Cabin. No one else arrived, so we had the campsite all to ourselves. The Cabin was a small blessing as it got very cold at night, and this provided a spot to warm up before bed and play some cards while being heated by the woodfire stove.
| Total Distance | 9.25 km |
| Elevation Gain | 789 m |
| Campsite Reservation | Tent Lake Tent Pad – No Permit Needed |
Day 2: Tent Lake to Upper Noyce Lake (9.36 km)
We had a slow start after a cold night in the tents. We warmed up and had some tea and breakfast in the Cabin. I always manage to forget how much colder it gets just around 800-1000 m elevation gain, so I am lucky I brought extra layers for nighttime.
We started down the trail at around 10:00 am and enjoyed the start of the trail along the ridge line with good views to the north. The trail today was similar to what we experienced on the first day but felt less steep and had about half the elevation gain. There were increased boggy and subalpine areas, with fewer mossy forests, and this was very enjoyable as we were getting into the rhythm of dodging the major muddy puddles. There were a few snowy sections along the hike, mostly at the highest altitude portions, with the occasional frozen puddle.
The trail was mostly downhill in the morning. Around midday, there were plenty of flatter forested sections. We had lunch at one of the bridge crossings around 12:00pm and then resumed our trek upwards back to elevation. There were not many viewpoints, but there was a great break spot overlooking distant mountains, which was marked on the map. Right before the viewpoint, there was a flat mossy area which had been used as a campsite with an old, partially destroyed fire pit and a bench made of logs. This would have made a great lunch spot, had we not already stopped by the bridge.
We arrived at Upper Noyce Lake at around 4:30 pm and found our tent pad. The cabin was occupied by a group of Kludahk Trail volunteers, so we kept to the tent pad and fire pit. Starting a fire with the dry wood under the cabin, we stayed warm and somewhat comfortable as we ate dinner and chatted by the fire.
Campsite: Upper Noyce Lake
The Upper Noyce Lake campground is very nice, sitting on one of the nicest lakes on the trail. This is a larger lake that offers very nice views of the surrounding subalpine forests. There are a few canoes stored by the cabin, which can be used to explore the area by water.
There was a tent pad, an outdoor fire pit, an outhouse, and a large cabin. I did not get a great look inside the cabin, but from my quick look around, it was even nicer (and larger) than the Tent Lake cabin with a wrap-around porch, propane stove, wood-burning stove, and many other useful bits and bobs. We were allowed to use the cabin and its equipment, but we did not want to bother the others that reserved the cabin.
| Total Distance | 9.36 km |
| Elevation Gain | 378 m |
| Campsite | Noyce Lake Tent Pad – No Permit Needed |
Day 3: Upper Noyce Lake to Tent Lake (9.93 km)
On the third day, we woke up and got moving early. We did not have a fire or a cabin to warm up, so instead we decided movement would help. We shook off the frost from our tent flies and packed up our things by 9:00 am. Unfortunately, it had dipped below freezing that night, so my boots (which had gotten wet the day before) had frozen solid. It was a cold start to the day before they thawed out enough to be comfortable.
Otherwise, our bodies had started to adapt to hiking again, and we were headed back towards the trailhead, so the start of hiking was quite smooth. We hiked along the lakes before starting the slight descent of the trail we had climbed up the day before. We were going to stop at the old mossy campground for breakfast, but forgetting how far it was, we instead stopped near the great view we noticed the day before. Turns out that was less than 5 minutes apart, but the view was worth the less-than-ideal seating.
The trail conditions for the rest of the day were similar to the last few, marshy and boggy with many metal planks. We also had plenty of hiking time along the forest paths and subalpine terrain. This was the clearest and sunniest day, we kept our eyes peeled for any peaks through the forest to see the ocean and mountains.
Near noon, we had a quick lunch along the side of the trail. The rest of the trail was mostly uphill, but we managed to push through quite quickly, cutting off about half an hour.
We arrived back at Tent Lake around 2:00 pm to a beautiful sunny afternoon. We set up on the tent pad again and got ourselves settled. No one was staying in the Cabin, so we used the time to start a fire and warm it up for the evening. For the rest of the afternoon, we read in the sun, played some card games, sawm, had dinner, and chatted on the cabin porch. We did not sleep in the cabin but were sure to warm up before heading back to the tents for the night.
Campsite: Tent Lake
We stayed at the same Campsite as the first night, so please refer to day 1 as there were not significant differences.
| Total Distance | 9.93 km |
| Elevation Gain | 455 m |
| Campsite | Tent Lake Tent Pad – No Permit Needed |
Day 4: Tent Lake to WC2000 Road Trailhead (9.03 km)
On our last day, we got up early, warmed up the cabin, and had a quick breakfast. We hit the trail around 9:30 am and started through another/the same wet boggy section.
This was the most enjoyable day as there was little uphill and mostly downhill hiking. It allowed us to really enjoy the hike through the subalpine BC forest. The vantage point of the mossy forest was ideal when moving downhill, in addition to not having to huff and puff every stop we got.
It seemed like no time passed between each landmark from the first day, and before we knew it, we were climbing out of the forest and back on the logging road from day 1. The hike back to the start always manages to feel faster, but the walk down the logging road felt like it stretched on for miles, but it was not too long before seeing the car in the distance and knowing we had completed the hike.
We got to the car right around 1:00 pm, leaving plenty of time to drive into town for lunch. We managed to complete this section of the trail an hour faster than the first day, likely as a result of mostly going downhill but also our getting used to avoiding puddles and knowing the trail from the previous day.
| Total Distance | 9.03 km |
| Elevation Gain | 194 m |
| Campsite | N/A |
Reflections
Overall, this trip was a lot of fun and we had little issues along the way. The cold nights were the biggest problem, but this also meant there were no bugs and few other hikers. But we all enjoyed this section of the trail that we cannot wait to come back and do the full Kludahk and not only the western half.
What Went Well
Fun to Hike
The variety of the trail was a surprise to me, as I was not expecting the trail to be as wet or bog-like as it was. I had been expecting a standard BC forest trail, but was happily surprised. The change in trail from subalpine, forested with many roots, and muddy puddles was more difficult, but added an extra challenge to the trail. I often describe these trails as puzzles, allowing me to exercise my brain, which I generally enjoy. This also meant low risk if one were to slip or step in the wrong place, as likely it would just result in a wet boot for the most part and not big falls.
New Discoveries
I entered the trail with the bare minimum knowledge and enjoyed learning the trail. I was not aware the trail had been put on AllTrails and so I had only seen the trail on the physical map we bought. The map was detailed enough to complete the trip safely but it lacked the clear distance and elevation shown on AllTrails. In addition, I had not seen any images of trail. This was a fairly unique situation as I typically do plenty of research before hand but this trail is not as well known and therefore more for us to discover while we hiked. I am excited to hike the eastern portion one day and see what else there is to discover.
Lesser-Known Trail with No Traffic
Because this trail is less known and it was during the shoulder season (early spring), we only encountered three other campers across all four days. All those that we met were staying at the Noyce Lake cabin, and we did not see a single person while hiking. This was a nice break from many of the other hiking trails across BC, which feel much more social. This hike felt like we were in the wilderness and gave me a great break from society.
What Didn’t Go Well
Cold Nights in the Subalpine
As I’ve mentioned above, I tend to forget how much the temperature can change with elevation. As a result, I was surprised by the below-freezing nights. Thankfully, I tend to pack an extra layer, but it was still uncomfortably cold. If we had not had fires each nigh,t it could have become miserable.
Wetter than Anticipated
The trail was wetter than anticipated, which in combination with the cold ended up with having frozen boots in the morning. Not ideal, but notable if I ever try this trail in spring again. In the future, I may consider bringing gaiters to prevent mud/snow from getting into my boots.
Few Tent Spots
We got lucky that no other hikers were staying in tents at the same time as us, as there are few good tent spots near the cabins. Ideally, the trail will continue to be less travelled and not busy enough for this to become a problem, but currently, the tent pads are the only good tent sites near the cabins. The rest of the land was fairly wet and covered in shrubs; overall, not an ideal environment for a tent.
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
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