REGION History

“Imagine loving to travel so much, you would walk across Canada! Imagine falling though the ice in the Northwest Territories. Losing all the toes off one foot and the heel off the other to frostbite! Imagine not stopping there, traveling by boat and canoe down the Bulkley Valley to Vancouver. Only to paddle around Vancouver Island to find your future home. It took pioneer James French two adventurous years to travel from New Brunswick to Victoria. French died in 1952, survived by his family who continued to live on the property. His home and favourite beach would become French Beach Provincial Park in 1974 – 20 years later, Juan de Fuca Provincial Park would further his dream.”

bcparks.ca
Average Temp.


High

14

Low

4
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Average Temp. 4 5 6 8 10 12 14 14 13 9 6 4

High

57

Low

39
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Average Temp. 39 41 43 46 50 54 57 57 55 48 42 39

Tripadvisor

Raving Reviews

tripadvisor.com – almost five stars

L L

“Great beach!”

This beach is a family favourite and has great trails and sandy areas. The north walk takes you past the group campsite and follow the beach to a small hidden waterfall. The south walk takes you to the end of the beach where there is some interesting intertidal pools at low tide.

Reviewed 09 July 2015

jack77381

“Great place to relax”

We visited French Beach twice during our recent trip. This is a very rocky beach but it is great to sit and watch the tide come in. The beach is covered with small smooth rocks. When the tide comes in it moves the rocks towards the beach. When the tide goes out the rocks move back out and rub against each other making a great sound. Could sit there for hours listening to the relaxing sound.

Reviewed 07 July 2015

Jessica C

“Great spot for kids”

Great spot for when you’re not quite feeling up for a hike, but want to go to the beach with the kids. The beach is very large round rocks, so not sandy, but still fun.Be warned, it’s somewhat hilly. They have a great playground here and dogs are allowed. There are campgrounds nearby that seem to be popular. We’ve been here atlas a dozen times; we go here when we don’t quite want to endure the trek of Mystic Beach or China Beach but still want to get some fresh air.

Reviewed 10 December 2014

French Beach Provincial Park

Beach Adventures

French Beach Provincial Park is situated on the scenic Strait of Juan de Fuca on the west coast of southern Vancouver Island. It offers much more than just beautiful hiking trails through lush forests. A wide swatch of green lawn fronts this sand and pebble beach, where visitors can relax and enjoy a picnic or take a cool dip in the ocean. In addition to offering fabulous views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains, the 1,600-metre beach at this park is an ideal location for exploring and whale watching.

1,000M
Length of Beach
59HA
Size Of Park
1975
Park Established
James
French
Pioneer and Naturalist

A Land Of Beauty

Vancouver Island is known for its isolated beaches, old growth rainforests and abundant marine life. Glide silently past otters, sea lions and shore birds in their natural surroundings or experience some of the greatest diversity of marine life in North America with an abundance of spectacular dive sites. Or Just sit along the beach and watch the wildlife while relaxing on the sandy shore.

French Beach Provincial Park

All Season Camping

French Beach offers year-round vehicle accessible camping in a beautiful natural setting within minutes walk to the ocean. Facilities include a picnic/day-use area, a sani-station, pit toilets and fresh water. The campsite is open with full services March 13 – October 31, from November 1 – March 12 reduced services are provided. Take a Closer Look ›

French Beach – Camping

T’sou-ke First Nations

Heritage

“French Beach lies within the traditional territory of the T’Sou-ke First Nation. Their economy was based on hunting, fishing and gathering, and extended families among the Straits people owned the lands and resources, which could not be sold, only inherited.””

BCPARKS.ca

Take a Closer Look ›

French Beach

Park Amenities

Available Activities


Winter Recreation


Saltwater Fishing


Hiking


Swimming


Leashed Pets


Wind Surfing


Wildlife Viewing


Road Cycling


Interpretive Programs

Available Facilities


Potable Water


Group Camping


Campfires


Sani Station/Dump


Playground


Picnic Areas


Pit Toilets


Wheelchair Access


Winter Camping


Vehicle Camping

Coastal Experiences

Make sure you experience these wild coast array of things to tempt and taunt the senses.

  1. Distinctively Canadian

    Indulge your senses by viewing the most impressive Canadian Art collections, sampling uniquely local flavours, and experiencing our diverse history.

  2. Stay with us

    Whether you want to stay in a cozy bed & breakfast, cottage or inn, or upgrade to one of the many extraordinary resorts or vacation homes – we have it all. It’s easy to spend a relaxing or invigorating vacation here.

  3. Attend a Festival

    Art, music, and culture. Our region is a hot bed of activity year round. With the Tall Trees Festival, Bluegrass Festival, Sooke Fine Arts Show, our many Art festivals, Canada Day, Festival of trees and the Pacific Rim Whale Festival we celebrate our Island culture and environment.

  1. Hike the WCT

    The West Coast Trail is a world renowned backpacking trail. Open from May 1st until September 30th, this gruelling 75 km (47 mi) trek is well worth the challenge for the breathtaking examples of the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

  2. Sea To Sky Hiking

    Discover the raw beauty and uncharted nature of the CRD. From seasoned backpackers to amateur day hikers you can traverse up to the tallest peaks and back down to the rocky shores of the Juan de Fuca by hiking historical trails.

  3. Going Coastal

    Our Coast has long been inspiration to all kinds of musicians, writers and painters. It is not hard to see why – take a walk through ancient forests with gnarled trees and green canopies, explore hidden creeks and spot eagles taking flight or bears ambling through the undergrowth.