Kludahk Trail

Kludahk Trail (often called the Trail of the Elk) is a ~40–48 km long-distance hiking and snowshoe route along the San Juan Ridge on Vancouver Island. The path runs semi-alpine and point-to-point between Jordan River and Port Renfrew, following the Juan de Fuca Strait inland.

Route character is wilderness-leaning: sections can be wet and overgrown, with terrain that forces careful footing in boggy ground and areas that may require bushwhacking to stay on route.

Expect intermediate effort over multiple days: about 1,800 m of elevation gain across the full length and a typical completion time of 3–5 days for the complete route.

The trail is built and maintained around a hut-and-shelter system with five rustic cabins/shelters along the ridge (with names including Tea Hut, Tower Hut, and Meadow Cabin). Access to huts and support is tied to the Kludahk Outdoors Club’s structure.

Seasonality is a major planning factor. The route is snow-covered for roughly 6–7 months (about November through May/June), while late spring/summer brings wetter conditions early and a shorter snow-free window for hiking.

Access depends on gravel logging roads and can be highly variable; there’s no general shuttle system, so you need your own transport to reach the trailheads on the logging roads.

The route passes a mix of Crown land, working forest, and private land, and it runs through a working forest corridor where it’s important to stay within the trail right-of-way in active harvesting areas.

On-trail guidance emphasizes Leave No Trace habits, including packing out waste and avoiding open fires on the trail; winter conditions can be in effect from about October through April.

More information: Official website, Kludahk Trail: Western Trailhead to Upper Noyce Lake and ..., Hiking the Kludahk Trail on Vancouver Island – Vlog 76