West Coast General Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3
3949 Port Alberni Highway, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 4S1
West Coast Trail · Checked October 2026
West Coast Trail emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 911 and Parks Canada dispatch
How to call for help with almost no phone signal, the nearest hospital for each of the 6 stages, and the park rules: reservations and permits, orientation, tides, campsites, fires, food storage and the ferries.
In an emergency call 911, or the 24-hour Parks Canada Emergency Dispatch on 1-877-852-3100 (from a satellite phone or outside North America, +1 250-726-3604). Do not expect mobile signal: use a satellite messenger such as an inReach or SPOT with emergency messages set up before you go, or send someone to the nearest Parks Canada staff, First Nation Trail Guardian or ferry operator, who will alert the authorities. Say which stage you are on, the nearest kilometre marker or campsite and, if you can, your GPS coordinates.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 911 | Police, ambulance, fire and search and rescue, free from any phone, 24/7. Mobile signal is rare on the trail. |
| 1-877-852-3100 | Parks Canada Emergency Dispatch, 24/7, toll-free from North American phones only, not from satellite phones. |
| +1 250-726-3604 | Parks Canada Emergency Dispatch, direct line: use it from a satellite phone or from abroad. |
| 8-1-1 | HealthLink BC: health advice from a nurse or pharmacist when it is not an emergency, 24/7 |
| +1 250-726-3415 | Parks Canada weather line (also VHF channel 21B) |
Do not count on a mobile phone on the West Coast Trail: there is no signal at Pachena Bay or Balaats'adt, and only occasional roaming on US networks along the shore. Carry a satellite messenger (inReach or SPOT) or a satellite phone with emergency messages and the Parks Canada numbers saved. Leave a trip plan with someone at home (your camps for each night, your exit date and what to do if you are late), check the tide table and the forecast every morning, and in an emergency look for Parks Canada staff, a First Nation Trail Guardian or the ferry operators.
Rules to know
- Season: the trail is open to overnight hikers from 1 May to 30 September, and closed from 7 October to 30 April. Reservations are mandatory and all spaces are reservable (there is no standby). 2026 bookings opened on 5 February at reservation.pc.gc.ca or 1-877-737-3783; daily numbers are limited and groups are up to 10 people.
- Fees per person: $208.50 for the West Coast Trail (Backcountry Use Permit $184.75 and orientation fee $23.75), plus $28 for each ferry (Gordon River and Nitinaht Narrows), the reservation fee ($11.50 online) and park admission (adult $12.25 a day). The Balaats'adt (Nitinaht Village) water taxi costs $70, paid to the operator. Fees are refundable only if you cancel 21 days or more before departure.
- Orientation: check in at the Pachena Bay or Gordon River orientation centre (9 am – 4 pm) with your confirmation, attend the briefing at 10 am or 2 pm (7 am at Balaats'adt) and watch the Hiker Safety Primer. Start at least 5 hours before sunset. Hikers must be at least 6 years old; the trail is not recommended under 12.
- Tides: carry a tide table and the official West Coast Trail map, and plan beach sections and headlands for low tide. Never try to round a headland on a rising tide, and do not wade a river when the water is above your knees.
- Camp only at the designated camping areas, which all have outhouses. Do not try to hike from Gordon River to Camper Bay in one day: camp at Thrasher Cove. The Carmanah Point and Pachena Point light stations are closed to the public, and the Nitinaht Triangle is closed.
- Fires: small driftwood fires only, on the beach below the high-tide line, with wood no thicker than your wrist; never in the forest. Fire bans are common in summer (Pacific Rim had one from 16 July 2026): check before you go.
- Wildlife: black bears, wolves and cougars use the beaches and the trail. Store all food, garbage and toiletries in the metal lockers or hang them 4 m up, and pack out everything, including leftover food. Parks Canada strongly recommends that at least one person per group carry bear spray.
- Water and food: collect water upstream and filter, boil or treat it. Do not eat clams, mussels or oysters: paralytic shellfish poisoning occurs. Freshwater fishing is not allowed; saltwater fishing needs a BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence.
- Transport: the West Coast Trail Express bus runs daily from 1 May to 30 September between Victoria, Nanaimo, Port Renfrew, Gordon River, Nitinaht and Pachena Bay; the MV Frances Barkley sails from Port Alberni to Bamfield on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The last Gordon River ferry leaves at 3:30 pm. Trailhead parking is not secure.
- Dogs and other pets are not allowed (service animals excepted), nor are axes, firearms or bear bangers. Recreational drones are banned in national parks. The trail crosses the lands of the Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht and Pacheedaht First Nations: respect cultural sites and closed reserve areas.
Nearest hospital for each stage
| # | Stage | Hospital (24/7 emergency) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pachena Bay → Michigan Creek | West Coast General Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 2 | Michigan Creek → Tsusiat Falls | West Coast General Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 3 | Tsusiat Falls → Cribs Creek | West Coast General Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 4 | Cribs Creek → Walbran Creek | Cowichan District Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 5 | Walbran Creek → Camper Bay | Victoria General Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 6 | Camper Bay → Gordon River | Victoria General Hospital – Emergency Department |
Hospitals
Cowichan District Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 3, 4
3045 Gibbins Road, Duncan, BC V9L 1E5
Victoria General Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 4, 5, 6
1 Hospital Way, Victoria, BC V8Z 6R5
Clinics and first aid
There is no clinic or doctor on the trail or at the trailheads, and we found no public clinic in Port Renfrew. Bamfield Health Centre, 5 km from the northern trailhead, is a nurse-led same-day clinic for minor injuries (no doctor on site). For medical advice when it is not an emergency, call HealthLink BC on 8-1-1 (24/7).
Bamfield Health Centre
- Opening hours only
- Stages 1, 2
Bamfield Road, Bamfield, BC V0R 1B0
Pharmacies, cash and supplies
- Pharmacies:
- ATMs:
- Shops: Gordon River
- Bus stops:
There is no pharmacy on the trail, and none in Bamfield, Port Renfrew or Nitinaht; British Columbia has no duty-pharmacy rota. Buy your medicines, blister kit and water treatment before you go, in Port Alberni, Lake Cowichan, Sooke or Victoria. There is no power on the trail: carry a power bank.
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Have the nearest help on your map, offline
Outest shows these hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs and stops on the West Coast Trail map, offline, together with the route, water and places to sleep.