Wesley Ridge is one of my favourite Vancouver Island hikes. The views from the top are incredible, and unlike many of Vancouver Island’s best hikes, the trailhead is easily accessed from the highway. The only barrier to entry is just how steep the hike feels.
If you’ve ever driven between Nanaimo and Tofino, as many visitors and locals do quite regularly, you’ll be familiar with beautiful Cameron Lake, which the highway winds directly alongside just before reaching through Cathedral Grove and then Port Alberni. It’s a super beautiful lake that unfairly doesn’t receive much praise because of the fact it’s so easily seen from the highway; many people don’t feel the need to stop when it’s already right there.
While the views from the road are beautiful, the views from the lakeshore are even better, and if you go one step further and do the steep hike up the viewpoint near the top of Wesley Ridge on the other side of Cameron Lake, then the views are some of the best in the area.
The actual summit of Wesley Ridge offers almost panoramic views away from Cameron Lake actually, looking towards the Salish Sea and distant mountains on the mainland. Walk a little further to a nearby viewpoint, and you’ll see not just spectacular Cameron Lake laid out below you, but also the inspiring Mt Arrowsmith directly across the valley from you.
Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience the Wesley Ridge hike near Port Alberni for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience.
When hiking it’s important to avoid harmful practices such as disturbing plants or rock-stacking, or removing any natural object from flowers to rocks, as it’s important to leave the environment as natural as possible for the animals and for fellow hikers to enjoy in perpetuity. As many flowers as there are, there are few enough that if we all took one, then there wouldn’t be any left. Take only photos, leave only footprints.
If you haven’t heard of Leave No Trace principles, they’re also really essential to read up on before heading anywhere into the outdoors in general. Following these important principles basically means doing your best to leave beautiful places like Wesley Ridge as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.
Wesley Ridge Round Trip Details
Distance: 7.2 KM / 4.5 MI
Elevation Gain: 555 M / 1821 FT
Hiking Time: 3 Hrs
Hiking & Safety Tips
Prepare for the possibility of wildlife encounters. There are almost no grizzly bears on Vancouver Island, but black bears are still common. Bear bells are proven to be an ineffective bear deterrent, and are even actively discouraged by Parks Canada. The best way to let bears know you’re around is simply to use your voice. Make sure to keep a respectful distance from wildlife and never feed the animals. It may seem kind but it doesn’t just kill wildlife and put people in danger, it’s also in many cases illegal.
More tips for hiking in bear country.
Research current trail conditions and make sure you are well-informed about the route before you leave, and assess if it is within your capability. Be aware of what time it gets dark and check the weather forecast. Make sure to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. Every year as more and more people try hiking for the first time, the number of rescues goes up. Being prepared is the best defense.
More information on staying safe in the outdoors.
Pack everything you need for a successful hike, including enough water and energy-rich snacks. Remember to pack out everything you pack in though – don’t expect to find a convenient garbage can halfway up the trail. Bring appropriate layers (remember you’ll warm up once you start hiking) and sun protection. Hiking poles may be helpful but are not required. In addition to not leaving any garbage on the trail yourself, I highly recommend bringing a garbage bag and collecting any trash that you do see on the trail. You’re guaranteed to make the hike up Wesley Ridge a more enjoyable experience for the next person.
How to Get to Wesley Ridge Trailhead
The start of the hike up Wesley Ridge is about half an hour from Port Alberni, or twenty minutes from Parksville. From Port Alberni, drive south along the Island Highway, passing through Cathedral Grove and then alongside Cameron Lake. Just after passing the end of Cameron Lake, keep an eye out for Chalet Rd turning off to the left. Pass this turnoff, slowing down, as the large pulloff is a minute past here on the left hand side.
If driving from the south, look out for signs for the turnoff for Little Qualicum Falls, about six or seven minutes past Coombs. The pullout for the Wesley Ridge trail is on the right, about two minutes past the turnoff for the falls.
Click here to open the exact trailhead location in Google Maps.
Hiking Wesley Ridge
The Wesley Ridge hike starts by plodding along train tracks next to the highway. Don’t worry, they’ve been abandoned for years.
The tracks even cross a small trestle bridge. Watch your step!
After no more then five minutes, the trail breaks off to the left. Keep your eyes peeled, as it’s not marked. This fallen tree makes for a pretty good landmark, but there’s no guarantee it will be here forever.
While some deadfall has been cleared from the trail (thanks to you, whoever has done that!) there are still some obstacles that have to be climbed over.
As the trail climbs up the hillside, it gets progressively steeper and rootier.
The trail is braided in several areas. I scrambled up this rock face here not realizing there was an easier route to the right.
Views of the hills on the other side of the valley appear briefly, but for most of the hike are obscured by trees,
There’s an important fork that I initially didn’t notice, and went the wrong way. When you reach this point keep right. Both trails seem to be well used, but the trail on the left (which I mistakenly followed for some time) doesn’t seem to gain any elevation, it just continues along the side of the ridge.
A couple minutes later a small meadow opens up. There still weren’t really any views from here, but Cameron Lake is visible through the trees.
Getting steeper and steeper as I approach the first viewpoint.
Finally. The hike up to the first viewpoint is the steepest part of the hike. From here to the summit is much much easier.
Many people turn around at this viewpoint, tired out from the climb up here, but I highly recommend continuing on. Even though this is only halfway up elevation-wise, because the second half of the hike is nowhere near as steep I didn’t notice the later elevation gain at all.
The trail continues up steeply past the viewpoint for no more than a couple minutes before flattening out as it proceeds up along the plateau atop Wesley Ridge.
The trail continues alongside the edge of the ridge for a little bit, offering glimpses of views through the trees, but soon heads deeper into the woods.
Note the fork in the trail here. The route on the left bypasses the summit, heading straight towards the upper viewpoint of Cameron Lake and continues all along the ridgeline to Mt Wesley at the other end of the lake. I highly recommend keeping right here to head up to the summit, which still connects directly onto the upper viewpoint.
Entering the large clearing at the Wesley Ridge summit. This is the first time Mt Arrowsmith is visible in the distance.
Views looking south down the Island. I could see peaks like Notch Hill, Little Mountain, the Lantzville Foothills, and even Mt Benson in the distance.
Continuing past the radio tower at the summit, the trail heads towards the upper viewpoint over Cameron Lake.
This seems to be an access road to the summit tower, as the trail here is wide, muddy, and full of tire tracks. I expect it’s also used by atvers,
The trail heads sharply downhill.
The atv trail / access road curves right, and the hiking trail to the upper viewpoint heads left. From here it continues along the ridgetop, winding past a bunch of small ponds. I wish I had taken more photos here, but at this point I was racing to make it to the viewpoint in time for sunset.
The super important turnoff for the upper viewpoint. Note the main ridgetop trail continuing at right. It goes all the way to Mt Wesley at the other end of the lake, which would be a much much longer hike if you accidentally went that way. Fortunately the turnoff here is marked with some flagging, but flagging doesn’t last forever so I suggest using alltrails or another app to keep track of how close you are to the turnoff.
The narrow winding trail to the viewpoint is hardly trafficked – if you’re not sure if it’s the right trail, it probably is. After several minutes it make its way out of the trees and to the ledge overlooking Cameron Lake.
Incredible views over Cameron Lake from near the top of Wesley Ridge. The highway can be seen alongside the opposite end of the lake.
Views of Mt Arrowsmith, still fairly wintery. I’d really really like to get up to this iconic Vancouver Island peak this summer, but it was still amazing to be face to face with it.
Recommended Hiking Gear
Water is a must whenever I’m hiking, especially if the sun is going to be out. My favourite water filter I’ve used is the Katadyn BeFree 0.6L, which unlike other water filters I’ve used packs up really small and lightweight. For hikes where I know there won’t be any readily available water sources along the way, I make sure to bring my own. The Hydrapak Stow 1L bottle is my go-to, for the same reason that it’s made of a soft plastic that folds up and doesn’t take up any more extra space than necessary in my pack. Finally, Aquatabs are another great option for purifying water, with one tablet being suitable for one litre of water. I previously used the Grayl water filter while travelling internationally, and though I found its hard body more convenient for day to day use and easier to drink from, it has a little too much bulk for my fast-and-light style of hiking.
The secret to all my photos of gorgeous sunset and sunrise mountaintop views? A lot of hiking in the dark. And let me speak from personal experience when I say that the last thing that you want to happen when hiking is to be caught in the dark without a headlamp. I used the Black Diamond Spot 400 for years and it worked great – until I lost it on top of a mountain somewhere. The only downside to it was having to worry about the batteries dying, though there’s also a slightly more expensive version that has a rechargeable battery. Nowadays I’m using the Petzl Actik Core, which is a bit pricier than the more budget-friendly Black Diamond, but is also brighter, more comfortable (in my opinion), and has a hybrid power system that is rechargeable but can also take AAA batteries if needed.
You won’t see me using trekking poles on shorter hikes often – but on long hikes and backpacking trips, as well as certain scrambles, they are an absolute lifesaver. I’ve invested in a high quality ultra-lightweight pair of MSR DynaLock Ascent carbon poles which, while pricey, I don’t regret one bit. If you’re not entirely sure how much use you’re going to get out of a pair of trekking poles, the best budget-friendly option would be the Trekology Trek Z 2.0. Amazon does sell a lot of cheaper Made in China-style trekking poles for cheaper, but these usually are much much heavier and not worth buying.
All the best and most long-lasting cables and power banks I’ve ever owned have been Anker. I once had a phone cable from them that lasted me over three years of daily use! That’s why I keep an Anker PowerCore Essential 20K power bank on me. Like many people I use my phone for a lot of stuff when hiking (checking in with family, using online maps, taking photos, flying my drone) so I like to be prepared for that low battery warning by having a backup power source on me just in case.
The only socks I ever buy for myself are from Darn Tough, and I almost always make sure to wear them when hiking. After years of having no problems only wearing these comfortable and rugged socks for hikes, I accidentally wore a pair of no-name socks on a hike last year and ended up with blisters on both feet. Safe to say I’m back to sticking with the Darn Tough. And the best part? They have a lifetime guarantee, meaning that if they ever wear out you can send them back for a brand new pair. For hiking footwear I go between a pair of lightweight approach shoes for quick and dirty mountain ascents or anything involving scrambling and more heavy-duty boots for longer treks. I’ve worn a couple different versions of the lightweight but super durable Arc’teryx Konseal FL 2 approach shoes for a few years now and am very impressed with the durability. I also really like the thick toecap that keeps me protected every time I stumble into a root or large rock. For longer, tougher, or muddier treks I rely on my LOWA Camino EVO GTX, which I find insanely comfortable and made of very high quality.
I wear my Ar’teryx Gamma Lightweight Pants on every single hike I go on, and on many days when I’m not hiking. After several years of abuse they are still holding together extraordinarily well, with only a few small holes from where I’ve fallen down and some slight stains from being repeatedly coated with mud. They’re lightweight, breathable, and super comfortable. For lightweight and breathable hiking tops I’m a big fan of both the Patagonia Capilene Shirt and the MEC Core Shirt. My Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody shows up in a lot of my photos. It’s super lightweight and packable, and does a great job of cutting the wind while also being pretty breathable. I also have an Arc’teryx Atom Hoody and Arc’teryx Beta LT that I pull out for cooler or wetter conditions.
I hope you enjoyed this guide to hiking Wesley Ridge near Port Alberni! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below or to contact me directly via social media.