Waterfalls, Cathedral Grove Rainforest, and Coombs Adventure with Hiking

We took a full day tour to see the wild side of Vancouver island. We were met at our hotel and were driven in a large comfortable Toyota Highlander. The guide named Alan was very knowledgeable about the island and regaled us with interesting stories about the natural wonders of Vancouver island. Alan was thoughtful and responsive to our needs (toilets, mobility challenges, vegetarian food). He showed an interest in us and it was delightful to get to know him as well. He was a safe and careful driver (even through pouring rain). He provided water for our trip. We stopped at several provincial parks and did short hikes to see: * Waterfalls (multiple) * Massive old growth trees * Amazing views across Salish sea towards Washington state and across the strait of Georgia towards Vancouver We also stopped at a charming town full of murals about BC history. We followed a walking trail through the downtown and saw at least 20 murals in about 30 minutes. Lunch was in a large very busy market/ restaurant. It is famous for goats on the roof. We saw them. Overall this was a great experience. It was a particularly interesting complement to the other main attractions of Victoria which are formal gardens and British architecture.

Step off the highway and into the forest to enjoy the smell and feel of waterfalls nearby. It’s a perfect hike, not too much or too little to feel like you got some fresh air and forest scenery.

The parking was plentiful and there are lots of restrooms. There are trails on both sides of the road and one of them has a boardwalk that is ADA accessible. It is chilly when the winds pickup so bring a jacket! It was also pretty muddy so hiking shoes are recommended. A local from the area told me that they taped some of the most recent Jurassic Park movie in this area.