Port Renfrew, British Columbia

Big Lonely Doug, the second-largest Douglas fir in Canada.
The road in the foreground leads down to the flat land where
Doug grows. KAMIL BIALOUS/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

This nature-rich outpost on Vancouver Island may not be as famous as neighbouring communities, but locals like to keep it that way

Big Lonely Doug is a perfect symbol for the Vancouver Island outpost of Port Renfrew. The giant Douglas Fir, about 230 feet high, or the equivalent of 20 storeys, has stood, growing and adapting, as everything else around it has changed.

In the case of Doug (nicknamed by the Ancient Forest Alliance), which is one of the tallest trees in the country, that means surviving while much of the forest around it succumbs to logging. In the case of Port Renfrew, that means asserting its identity as development reshapes neighbouring communities up and down the coastlines of the island.

Some say Port Renfrew is the next Tofino, others say it’s what Tofino was 20 years ago. Whichever way you look at it, the community, which hugs a road that runs off the Pacific Marine Circle Route, a road trip-friendly loop on the island’s south coast, is a place to escape to, a place to sit by the water and watch the tide or walk through old-growth forests and be reminded of the resiliency of nature.

And though it may be cliché, it’s a place to unplug (fittingly, when I arrived, a storm had knocked out power for the area so unplugging was literally the order of the day).

The community is bordered by natural landmarks. At one end, there’s Botanical Beach in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, where at low tide, you’ll find anemones, snails and other sea creatures and critters in and along the tide pools in the granite outcropping. Along the coast, the other way is Sombrio Beach, where cobblestones separate the water from the trees, and the mist hangs low as it moves inland. There’s a trailhead, too, for hikers, but even if you’re here just to dip your toes in the water, there’s still exploration to be done by way of a hidden waterfall at one end of the beach.

The community of Port Renfrew.
KAMIL BIALOUS/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Going inland is Avatar Grove, a treasure trove of easy hiking paths – think boardwalks and viewing platforms with benches, ideal for taking a seat and looking way up to take in the trees that earned the area its title as the tall-tree capital of the country. It’s a self-proclaimed title, but one hard to dispute. Victoria-based company The Natural Connection offers guided tours of various spots on Vancouver Island, and I walked with owner Ryan LeBlanc through both the upper and lower portions of the Grove. He explained the work that the Ancient Forest Alliance has done to protect the area from logging and promote conservancy of the old-growth forest. We had the place almost to ourselves, not always an easy thing to find on the tourist-friendly island. And just a bit further down the road is Big Lonely Doug.

In the midst of it all, this small community is proud of its natural riches, proud that it continues to conservatively manage its growth. This is not to say it’s a sleepy place. You’ll see plenty of faces during a visit to the Coastal Kitchen Café for breakfast, lunch at the waterside Bridgeman’s West Coast Eatery, or a beer at Renfrew Pub – proof that while many know Port Renfrew’s gems, they’re happy to keep the secrets to themselves.

How to get there
It’s an easy, scenic drive, roughly two hours, from Victoria.

What to bring
Layers, and portable batteries. You can get rain, mist, wind and sun in a day’s outing, so best to be prepared for all of it. The inclement weather also contributes to the odd power outage, and given its remote location, BC Hydro needs time to get on-site, which can mean upwards of a day without power.

Where to stay
Wild Renfrew has seaside and coastal cottages, plus a lodge, for a luxe stay among the nature of the Pacific Northwest.

*BY MARYAM SIDDIQI