Aerial view of Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, BC |
An ancient settlement on the northern edge of Barkley Sound, Ucluelet takes its name from the Nuu-chah-nulth phrase, Yu-clutl-ahts, the people with a good landing place for canoes.
Until the early 1870s, Ucluelet was a First Nation village with the main reservation at the entrance of the Inlet on the east side, just as it is today. As far as is known, the first settlers here were fur sealers, who established a trading post at Spring Cove, located at the southern tip of the Ucluth Peninsula.
The Village of Ucluelet was incorporated on February 26, 1952, and later changed its status to the District of Ucluelet in 1997, to reflect the increasing population of the community. In August 1959, the long awaited road from Port Alberni was finally opened, with the subsequent steady growth of Ucluelet to its present population of approximately 1,900. Now a logging, fishing and tourist village at the south end of Pacific Rim National Park, Ucluelet is a base for commercial and sport fishing, as well as wildlife and whale watching excursions.
Ucluelet is situated in the Long Beach unit of Pacific Rim National Park, located between the villages of Tofino and Ucluelet - the most accessible and most developed component of the Pacific Rim National Park. Named for its 12-mile stretch of surf-swept sand, Long Beach is open year-round and offers outstanding beach hiking, surfing, storm watching and whale watching. The open sea stretches off unbroken and vacant, while the elemental forces at play here, the winds and tides, the sun and rain, excite within visitors a deepseated resonance, a sense of belonging in this place.
The territory now occupied by the park has a significant history, having been inhabited by the Nuu-chah-nulth people for thousands of years. A rich natural heritage evolved as Vancouver Island became isolated from the mainland, retaining a great diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish species.
Population: 1,978
Location: Ucluelet can be reached via Highway 4 (Pacific Rim Highway) that starts in Parksville and winds across the spine of the Vancouver Island Mountains to Port Alberni and the open ocean at
Ucluelet and Tofino. This is the route to the Pacific Rim National Park. You can also board the MV Frances Barkley in Port Alberni and sail down the Alberni Inlet to Ucluelet. The route leads through the Broken Group Island in Barkley Sound to the fishing ports of Bamfield and Ucluelet. In the course of a day's trip the sturdy wooden packet freighter drops mail, groceries, supplies, and the occasional passenger along the way at float homes and the Sechart Whaling Station.
View maps of the area:
Map of the Pacific Rim
Map of the Pacific Rim - Detailed Map
Map of the Pacific Rim / West Coast Trail
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Amphitrite Lighthouse, Ucluelet |
Amphitrite Point is a good venue from which to enjoy the splendour of summer sunsets. Amphitrite Point Lighthouse, built in 1905, commands a stunning view over Barkley Sound and the open Pacific Ocean. There are excellent views of migrating grey whales in March and April, and Amphitrite Point is a perfect spot for storm watching in winter. The Wild Pacific Trail leads along the coastline from Amphitrite Point towards Ucluelet.
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Ucluelet Aquarium offers visitors an an up-close and personal encounter with a diversity of local marine life by providing a stimulating hands-on learning environment for children of all ages. The aquarium is literally part of the local marine ecosystem, with water from Ucluelet harbour flowing directly through the tanks. All display specimens are gathered in local waters right outside the aquarium’s doorstep, and the creatures seen on display are later released back into the wild. Ucluelet Aquarium is a small white building located right next to the water, between the government dock and Jamie’s Whaling Station.
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Ucluelet Government Dock and adjoining seawall promenade offers good viewing of sea lions, seals, and eagles.
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Thornton Creek Hatchery is best visited from mid-October to mid-November, when adult spring and coho salmon return to the hatchery waters after three to four years at sea. The hatchery raises chinook, coho and chum salmon.
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Ucluelet Boat Basin, Ucluelet, British Columbia |
Scuba diving: Ucluelet is a gateway to some of the best scuba diving in the world, with a vast array of intertidal life, underwater life and fascinating historical shipwrecks that provide great artificial reefs for marine creatures. The clear waters of Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands offer a maze of islands, islets and reefs that offer a variety of exciting diving opportunities.
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Whale Watching: Grey whales, Humpback and Killer whales migrate the coastal waters, and porpoises, seals, sea lions, and elephant seals are viewed along the coastline. Every spring, Ucluelet co-hosts the Pacific Rim Whale Festival, to celebrate the incredible west coast migration of close to 20,000 gray whales! For an even more exhilarating, close-up view of these magnificent animals, one can venture onto the open Pacific aboard local charter boats offering scheduled whale watching excursions from either Tofino or Ucluelet.
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Boating day trips to the Broken Group Islands offer great opportunities for day trip exploration of the more than 100 rocky islands and islets. Contact the Long Beach Information Centre for more detailed assistance.
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Offroad Touring: Exciting raincoast backroad adventures are offered out of Tofino and Ucluelet in the comfort and safety of 4 x 4 vehicles. View the newly formed Clayoquot UN Biosphere, pristine mountain lakes, streams and waterfalls, with magnificent vistas of Barkley Sound and Clayoquot Sound. Walk nature trails through ancient forests with huge old-growth cedar trees, see bears, birds and waterfowl. Full or half day trips.
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Storm watching near Ucluelet in winter allows visitors to experience the raw power of the mighty Pacific Ocean, as ferocious waves roll in from Japan and pound the shores of the rugged west coast - nature in all it's fierce majesty!
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Big Beach, Ucluelet |
Beaches: You can spend days walking the beaches between Ucluelet and Tofino, and in the process discover why some folks spend their whole lives caught up in the surf and tidal rhythms here. Radar Beach, Long Beach, Combers Beach, and Wickaninnish Beach run successively from north to south and stretch for 25 kms between Cox and Quisitas Points.Ucluelet has two beaches in particular that welcome picnickers. A trail leads from Bay Street to Big Beach. You'll find picnic tables near the trailhead and then a lengthy walk to the beach. A much shorter approach leads through He-Tin-Kis Park to Terrace Beach near the Amphitrite Point lighthouse at the south end of Peninsula Road.
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Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre is a definite highlight for all ages. The centre's purpose is to provide an understanding of the North Pacific Ocean, its influence on nature and man. The history of the North Pacific coast is illustrated by a collection of artifacts used by Nuu-chah-nulth Indians, the traditional inhabitants of the area. Open during the day, late spring to fall.
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Kayaking: Experienced kayakers enjoy the challenge of Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands, and for the novice, take a half-day trip by kayak or canoe to discover the wild side of the inner habour, to observe bears along the shoreline, or otters, seals, eagles, and a myriad of cheerful songbirds.
In the centre of Barkley Sound, east of Ucluelet, are the Broken Group Islands - over 100 of them - home to killer whales, gray whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, sharks, river otters, cormorants and eagles. The popularity of these islands with paddlers and boaters has soared over the past decade. One of the main reasons that the Broken Group Islands are so popular for ocean kayaking is that they provide a true west coast experience in sheltered water. Barkley Sound is not normally subject to the extreme ocean conditions farther west in the open waters around Ucluelet and along the west coast of Vancouver Island. The ease with which less-experienced sea kayakers can reach the Broken Group Islands on the MV Frances Barkley from Port Alberni and Ucluelet contributes greatly to their allure and charm.
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Golf: The Long Beach Golf Course, on the Pacific Rim Highway between Ucluelet and Tofino, is surrounded by the ancient rainforest of the Pacific Rim National Park, one of the most scenic golf courses in BC. The 9-hole championship course is also known to be one of the most challenging courses on Vancouver Island. Golf Vacations on Vancouver Island.
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