The West Coast Trail is a 75 km (47 mi) long backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It was built in 1907 to facilitate the rescue of survivors of shipwrecks along the coast, part of the treacherous Graveyard of the Pacific. It is now part of Pacific Rim National Park and is often rated by hiking guides as one of the world’s top hiking trails.
The West Coast Trail is open from May 1 until September 30. It is accessible to hikers outside of this period but Parks Canada does not guarantee the accessibility of services (such as search and rescue) in the off season. It was originally known as the Dominion Lifesaving Trail (sometimes misidentified as the "West Coast Lifesaving Trail").
The trail itself winds through forests, bogs and beaches. It passes old growth trees, waterfalls, streams and thick patches of deep mud. Along the coast, the trail includes sand and pebble beaches, headlands, and exposed shelf and boulders at low tide. The trail often diverts inland to avoid dangerous surge channels and impassable headlands, where cliffs descend straight into the sea even at low tide, although in some areas the trail follows both a beach route and an inland route which hikers must select between. Portions of the beach sections can be made impassable by high tides; tide tables and maps are issued by Parks Canada staff to all hikers prior to starting the trek. In some inland areas the trail consists of a boardwalk, but care must be taken even there as the boardwalk can be in disrepair and covered with moss and mud.