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Gear I Wish I Had Before Hiking Meares Island Big Tree Trail Tofino
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items That boardwalk looks easy in photos until you're ankle-deep in mud wearing cotton socks and your phone dies before you even reach the old growth cedars. If you're planning the Meares Island Big Tree Walk near Tofino BC and want to actually enjoy it i...
Sections
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Rain Gear That Survived Tofino's Sideways Downpours
Footwear That Won't Betray You on Wet Boardwalks
Camera Gear for Old Growth Forest Light
Snacks and Hydration for the Trail
Booking the Water Taxi and Getting There
Layers That Work Under a Raincoat in Cold Mist
Rain Gear That Survived Tofino's Sideways Downpours
I showed up my first time in a ‘water-resistant’ jacket and was soaked through in twenty minutes. Tofino rain doesn't fall, it attacks from every angle. These kept me dry when nothing else could.
Grab this before your trip. I wore a cheap rain shell and it completely soaked through halfway down the boardwalk. This one handled three hours of Tofino monsoon without a single damp spot underneath.
Arc'teryx Women's Beta LT Jacket Review
Pack these even if the forecast says partly cloudy. Tofino lies. I pulled these on over my hiking pants when the sky opened up, and my legs stayed bone dry while my buddy looked like he swam there.
Outdoor Research Helium Rain Pants Review
Keep a pair in your daypack for when the temperature drops and rain starts. My fingers went numb gripping wet boardwalk railings last November. These breathe but block water completely.
TEMRES® 282 – SHOWA Gloves
Toss your phone, wallet, and snacks in here before you even get on the water taxi. One rogue wave on the crossing to Meares soaked my friend's entire backpack. His phone never recovered.
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Bag | REI Co-op
Use this instead of a hood when the rain is light. Keeps drips off your face and your peripheral vision clear on the narrow boardwalk sections. I stopped constantly adjusting my hood once I switched.
Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat Review
Footwear That Won't Betray You on Wet Boardwalks
The boardwalk on Meares Island gets slippery enough to humble anyone. I watched a guy in trail runners go down hard on day one. Proper grip changed everything for me.
Wear these for the water taxi ride and the muddy sections near the dock. I used to stress about getting my hiking boots wet before the trail even started. These solved that problem completely.
Men's XTRATUF Ankle Deck Boots Review
Switch into these once you hit the actual trail. The grip on wet wood is ridiculous. I went from white-knuckling every plank to walking normally. Worth every penny for Pacific Northwest boardwalks.
SALOMON X ULTRA 4 MID Gore-Tex Women Outdoor
Bring at least two pairs. Cotton socks in Tofino rain is a blister factory. I learned that lesson with raw heels on my first trip. These stayed dry-feeling even after four hours in damp boots.
Men's Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Socks
Slip these over your boots if you're visiting between October and March. The boardwalk gets a thin layer of algae that's basically ice. Saved me from at least three wipeouts last December.
Yaktrax Walk Winter Traction Device Review
Spray your boots the night before. I treated mine at the Airbnb and they shed water all day on the trail. My untreated pair from the previous trip had been waterlogged within an hour.
GEAR AID Revivex Durable Water Repellent Spray
Camera Gear for Old Growth Forest Light
The light under those massive cedars is dim, green, and magical, but it wrecked every auto-mode photo I took. Figured out what actually captures that cathedral-forest feeling without carrying a whole studio.
Bring something with decent low-light performance. Phone cameras struggle under that thick canopy. I compared my phone shots to this camera's output and the difference made me cringe at what I'd been posting.
Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera with 18-135mm
Get this if you want to fit those 1,500-year-old cedars in one frame. I stood at the base of the Hanging Garden Tree with a normal lens and could only capture the trunk. This lens changed everything.
Sony 10 18Mm Terbaru
Clip your camera to your pack strap instead of letting it dangle. The boardwalk has sections where you're ducking under roots and branches. I bashed my lens twice before I got smart about carrying it.
Capture
Toss this in your pocket for the low-light spots deep in the forest. Handheld shots at 1/15 second were all blurry messes. This little tripod balanced on a boardwalk railing and saved my photos.
Pixi Mini Tripod with Smartphone Clamp black (Made in Italy)
Keep one in your jacket pocket. The moisture and mist in that forest coats your lens constantly. I spent half my first trip wiping glass with my shirt sleeve and scratched a UV filter doing it.
LensPen NLP-1 Camera Lens Cleaning Pen, Black
Snacks and Hydration for the Trail
There's no food or water on Meares Island. Zero. I packed one granola bar thinking it was a quick walk and was starving on the water taxi back. Don't repeat my mistake.
Pack three or four of these. The trail takes longer than you expect because you stop every two minutes to stare at a tree. Real calories, not just sugar. Kept me going when the drizzle made me want to quit.
CLIF Nut Butter Bar Energy Snack Bars
Fill this before you leave Tofino. There's no potable water on the island. I ran out halfway through and spent the rest of the hike with a dry mouth, which made the cold feel twice as bad.
32 oz Wide Mouth Bottle
Drop one of these in your water bottle. Sounds extra, but the combination of cold rain and hiking sneaks up on you. I felt way less wiped on the boat ride back compared to my first trip when I just drank plain water.
I Tried 15 Liquid I.V. Products—Here's My Honest Review
Try one of these instead of another sweet bar. After two hours in damp forest air, I wanted something savory and salty. This hit perfectly while sitting on a bench next to an 800-year-old cedar.
EPIC Provisions Venison Sea Salt & Pepper Bars, 12 ct, 15.6 oz | 100% Grass-Fed Venison, Keto & Paleo Friendly, Whole30 Approved, 12g Protein & 1g Carbs per Bar
Bring your trash out with you. There are no garbage cans on the island, and this is First Nations protected land. I use these for wrappers and apple cores. Keeps your pack clean and the forest cleaner.
Starter Kit 10-Pack
Booking the Water Taxi and Getting There
You can't drive to Meares Island. You need a water taxi from Tofino, and if you show up without a plan, you might wait an hour on the dock. Here's what actually worked.
Call ahead or walk to their dock on First Street. I showed up randomly on a Saturday in July and waited 45 minutes. When I called ahead the next day, I walked right onto the boat. The crossing takes about twelve minutes.
Tofino Water Taxi
Bring cash, small bills. The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations maintain this trail and there's a donation box at the trailhead. I forgot cash my first time and felt terrible. Five or ten bucks is reasonable.
Big Tree Trail
Download the Tofino and Meares Island area before you leave your hotel. Cell service dies the second you leave the Tofino harbor. I was trying to check the return taxi schedule and had zero signal.
Download areas & navigate offline in Google Maps
Save this trail offline in the app. The boardwalk has a couple forks and zero signage in spots. I took a wrong turn and added thirty minutes of bushwhacking before finding the main loop again.
Big Tree Trail, British Columbia, Canada - 886 Reviews, Map
Use this if you're coming from Vancouver Island without a car. I drove once and bused once. The bus was honestly less stressful since Tofino parking in summer is its own nightmare.
Tofino Express Bus
Layers That Work Under a Raincoat in Cold Mist
Even in summer, Meares Island feels ten degrees cooler than Tofino because of the canopy and moisture. I was shivering in a t-shirt under my rain jacket in August. Layering right fixed that.
Wear this as your base layer. Cotton under a rain jacket turns into a cold wet rag in minutes. I swapped to merino on my second trip and the temperature regulation difference was night and day.
Men's Capilene® Cool Merino Shirts
Layer this under your rain shell. It's thin enough to not feel bulky but warm enough for that damp forest air. I was comfortable at 8 degrees Celsius when my friend in a fleece was hugging himself.
Patagonia Men's Nano Puff® Packable Insulated Jacket
Wrap this around your neck when the mist creeps in. That cold moisture dripping down your collar is miserable. I pulled mine up over my ears during a downpour and it made a huge difference.
Multifunction Headwear Buff Original EcoStretch Neckwear
Pull these on under your pants from October through April. I hiked in jeans once in November and my legs were numb by the halfway point. Merino underneath kept the cold from getting through.
Men's Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Bottom
Bring these for shoulder season trips. Your hands get cold fast when you're gripping wet railings and stopping to take photos. These let you use your phone without exposing your fingers to that raw air.
Black Diamond Lightweight Screentap Gloves | REI Co-op
Where to Eat in Tofino After the Hike
You come back from Meares Island cold, damp, and starving. I made the mistake of not having a dinner plan and wandered around for an hour. These spots fixed every post-hike craving I've had.
Head straight here when you get off the water taxi. It's a food truck near the harbor and the fish tacos are unreal after a cold wet hike. I've eaten here after every single Meares trip. The line moves fast.
Tacofino
Book a table for dinner if you want something sit-down. Their seafood chowder warmed me from the inside out after a rainy November hike. Reservations fill up fast in summer, so call a few days ahead.
Shelter
Stop here before your morning water taxi for a proper coffee. I tried to caffeinate at my hotel and regretted it. Their espresso is strong and they open early enough for first-boat hikers.
Angkringan Rhino
Try the salmon burger if you're post-hike hungry but not sit-down-restaurant hungry. It's right on the waterfront. I ate one standing in the rain and it was still one of my favorite meals of the whole trip.
Wild Side Brewing Company
Swing by for breakfast the morning of your hike. Their portions are big enough to fuel a full trail day. I had the eggs benny at 7am and didn't feel hungry until three hours into the walk.
Tofitian Cafe Menu (Updated 2026)
Where to Stay in Tofino for Easy Meares Access
Location matters more than you think. I stayed twenty minutes outside town once and the morning logistics of driving, parking, then walking to the dock ate an hour. Stay close to the harbor and everything gets simpler.
Book a room here if you want walkable distance to the water taxi dock without spending resort prices. I rolled out of bed, walked ten minutes, and was on the boat. The vibe is fun and a little weird in the right way.
Hotel Zed Tofino
Stay here if you want to be right on the water. I watched the boats heading to Meares from my room and timed my walk perfectly. Their on-site restaurant saved me from wandering around hungry after late hikes.
Tofino Resort & Marina
Pick this spot if you're combining Meares with beach days at Cox Bay. It's a bit farther from the dock but the surf-and-forest combo made my trip feel like two vacations. Drive to the dock in about ten minutes.
Pacific Sands Beach Resort
Try this for something quieter. It's tucked into the trees and felt like a preview of the old growth forest before I even got to Meares. Not fancy, but the setting matched the whole rainforest mood of the trip.
Middle Beach Lodge
Grab a bed here if you're on a budget. I met other hikers in the common kitchen who tipped me off about calling the water taxi ahead. Saved me money that I spent on fish tacos instead. No regrets.
Tofino Travellers Guesthouse