The best walks and hikes in Dawley Passage Provincial Park

Radar Hill offers the highest viewpoint in the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, with sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean, surrounding rainforest, and the mountains beyond. During the Second World War, the summit was the site of a military radar station built to help defend Canada's west coast. A later radar installation operated here in the early 1950s before being decommissioned, giving the hill the name it still carries today. A short paved trail leads to the observation platform, making it one of the park's most accessible viewpoints.

This memorial honours the Canadian and Australian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Kapyong during the Korean War in April 1951. Unveiled on Radar Hill in 1988, it commemorates one of Canada's most celebrated military engagements and serves as a place of remembrance overlooking the forests and coastline of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It's a worthwhile stop before continuing to the nearby viewpoint.

Radar Beach is a quiet, sandy stretch of shoreline backed by dense coastal forest and scattered driftwood logs. A small creek often winds across the sand before meeting the ocean, adding to its tucked-away feel. It’s a peaceful place to sit, watch the waves, or explore the shoreline. While it’s not known for classic rocky tide pools, at very low tide you may spot small patches of intertidal life along parts of the coast.

Radar Beach Trail is short and fun, but far from easy. Expect muddy sections, exposed roots, and steep scrambling where you’ll use ropes and tree roots to climb. It can be slippery, especially after rain, so sturdy footwear is essential. Navigation can also be a bit confusing in spots, so keep an eye out for trail markers. The effort pays off at the end with a wide, rugged beach and open ocean views that make the challenging approach worthwhile.

Incinerator Rock is a striking rock formation on Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The beach is popular with surfers. There is paid parking for cars and small RVs – included in the entrance ticket to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. During World War II, the Royal Canadian Air Force maintained a waste incinerator next to this rock to burn waste from the Tofino Air Force Base. https://www.knowbc.com/limited/Books/The-Encyclopedia-of-Raincoast-Place-Names/I/Incinerator-Rock We are at the beach early in the morning on May 18, 2025. The temperature is pleasant under blue skies and light clouds. At low tide, we take the opportunity to walk far out on the beach and observe the numerous surfers – a magnificent setting.

From the Pacific Rim Highway, the Canso Bomber Ruins Trail leads to a low ridge where the ruins of a building stand. The former utility building is covered in graffiti. The trail continues down a muddy, root-filled path into a wetland; rubber boots are recommended for the hike. Fortunately, wooden planks have been laid in the depression, allowing us to reach the site where the plane wreckage was left with dry feet. The wreckage fascinated more than just us; on no other hike on Vancouver Island did we encounter so many people. (May 17, 2025)

On the path to the crash site of the Vickers PBV-1A Canso A, there is an abandoned building, a lost place, covered in graffiti. It was presumably part of a communications or radar station during World War II and was used for coastal surveillance.

The Royal Canadian Air Force's Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Canso A crashed at the foot of Radar Hill shortly after takeoff in February 1945. All 12 passengers survived the crash. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/338715 https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/canso-bomber-plane-crash The path to the aircraft's wreckage is not an official Parks Canada trail but is entirely within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.