Avatar Grove

Avatar Grove currently is officially closed due to trail damage, resulting in safety concerns for visitors and risk to the beautiful forest as a result of people leaving the trail and trampling the vegetation. The trails have been closed for a couple years now, and there is little sign of progress being made to start the process of repairing the trail, but that has done little to stop visitors from enjoying the trails through Avatar Grove every day. I’m keeping this post up to accurately reflect the current state of the Avatar Grove trails for anyone who does wish to visit, but also to recommend visiting other gorgeous old growth trees near Port Renfrew such as the Harris Creek Spruce, Big Lonely Doug, and Eden Grove. The damaged and sometimes unclear trail has resulted in a lot of people feeling justified in trampling plants and damaging the sensitive exposed roots of some of the giant trees that call Avatar Grove their home. Remember that as a visitor it’s your responsibility to help protect this place for others to enjoy, so if you do visit, tread lightly.

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 Avatar Grove as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.

Avatar Grove Round Trip Details

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 walk through Avatar Grove a more enjoyable experience for the next person.

How to Get to Avatar Grove Trailhead

From the first main intersection at the start of town, turn right onto Deering Road, following signs for Lake Cowichan. Follow Deering Road for 3 km as it crosses a couple of bridges before turning left at a T intersection onto Gordon River Road. From here the road gets increasingly rough. After 5 km keep right at a V, following signs for Avatar Grove. After 2 km you will reach Avatar Grove. Likely there will already be other cars parked alongside the logging road here, so follow suit. The sign for the Upper Avatar Grove Trail will be clearly visible, but it may take a second to see the lower trail heading into the woods on the opposite side of the road.

Click here to open the exact trailhead location in Google Maps.

Upper Avatar Grove

The large sign marking the start of the trail which leads uphill into Upper Avatar grove is impossible to miss.

From the first moment of the uphill trail, giants are visible.

After the stairs section and without one clear path, much of the forest here has become incredibly trampled from people walking all around in every direction, making it challenging to know where to go. Continue pwards, trying to stay in the center of the ‘trail’, to hopefully allow plants to regrow on the edges of the trampled area.

After passing multiple giant trees through the trampled area, keep an eye out for the boardwalk to begin as the trail starts to head back down towards a creek, which is where the real damage begins.

The boardwalk and stairs here are missing planks, Continue up along the creek to where stairs resume climbing just past where I’m standing in this photo.

The steepest section of stairs ascends up towards the end of the trail through Upper Avatar Grove.

Plenty of fantastic trees to see on the way here. For some people plenty of people have chosen this section to wander completely off the very clear trail, resulting in lots of random paths through the bushes, trampling vegetation. Stay on the trail here.

The end-point of the Upper Avatar grove trail is Canada’s Gnarliest Tree. The platform here offers an excellent photo spot, while a rope keeps would-be tramplers away from damaging the tree’s exposed roots. Yes, it’s bad for the tree. Don’t be a jerk. From here, walk back down the same way you came up.

Lower Avatar Grove

The path down into Lower Avatar grove starts with a platform overlooking the forest below, before climbing down stairs.

The main trail continues to the left, but a small detour heads off to the right to visit an impressive Douglas Fir.

Back on the main trail, and the boardwalk has clearly seen better days. Remember that the boardwalk was built to protect the plants and root systems from being trampled by careless visitors, and stay on what remains of the boardwalk as much as possible.Don’t be a jerk.

An incredibly impressive Western redcedar, and probably my favourite tree anywhere in avatar Grove. The boardwalk here allows one to get really close to the tree without damaging its roots.

Continuing past further giant trees.

The trail through Lower Avatar Grove is technically a loop, but I prefer to turn back near this section where the trail curves to the right above a steep hill. From here the trail is much more overgrown and blocked by deadfall that needs to be climbed over or ducked under, and all of he most impressive trees have already been passed.

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 visiting Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below or to contact me directly via social media.