Pacific Rim National Park Visitor Statistics 2026 (1.21M Visitors)

Q: How many people visited Pacific Rim National Park in 2025?

In the 2025-26 fiscal year (April 2025 to March 2026), 1,212,426 people visited the park, 3.3% more than the year before and the most since at least 2001-02.

Q: Do you need a pass to visit Pacific Rim National Park?

Yes. Every visitor needs a valid national park entry pass. A daily adult pass costs CAD $12.25, and admission is free for youth 17 and under.

Q: When is the West Coast Trail open?

The West Coast Trail is open to overnight hikers from May 1 to September 30 each year, and spaces must be reserved through Parks Canada.

Q: How long is the West Coast Trail?

The trail is 75 kilometers long, from Pachena Bay to Gordon River. Most hikers take 6 to 8 days to walk it end to end.

Published Oct 26, 2026

At a glance

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve had 1.21 million visitors in 2025-26, its most since at least 2001-02 and the third-highest total of any national park in Canada after Banff and Jasper¹.
The park runs along the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and protects a coastline rich in Indigenous and marine heritage.
It's best known for the West Coast Trail, and visitors also come to hike, walk the beaches, surf, watch wildlife and see the storms roll in.

How many people visit the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve each year?

Pacific Rim has drawn more than 1 million visitors every year since 2016-17, apart from the pandemic year of 2020-21.² Parks Canada releases these figures once a year, so there's no year-to-date count for 2026. The latest numbers cover 2025-26 (April 2025 to March 2026).

1.21 million visitors came in 2025-26, the fiscal year ending March 2026¹. That's up 3.3% on the year before and the highest total since at least 2001-02².
In 2024-25 the park had 1.17 million visitors³, up 6.2% on 2023-24.
Before the pandemic, in 2019-20, it had 1.11 million visitors⁴.
Pandemic restrictions cut visits by 17.8% to 915,744 in 2020-21⁵.
Visits bounced back 30% to 1.19 million in 2021-22⁶, then eased 2.5% to 1.16 million in 2022-23⁷.
They slipped another 5.0% to 1.11 million in 2023-24⁸.

Column chart of annual visitors to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve by fiscal year ending March, from 2016-17 to 2025-26, ranging from about 0.92 million in 2020-21 to a high of 1.21 million in 2025-26. — Annual visitor arrivals to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve by fiscal year (ending March), 2016-17 to 2025-26.

Visitors to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve each fiscal year (April to March), with the change on the year before.
Fiscal year	Visitors	Change vs previous year
2025-26	1,212,426¹	+3.3%
2024-25	1,173,986³	+6.2%
2023-24	1,105,504⁸	-5.0%
2022-23	1,163,362⁷	-2.5%
2021-22	1,192,645⁶	+30.2%
2020-21	915,744⁵	-17.8%
2019-20	1,113,780⁴	-3.1%
2018-19	1,149,889²	+1.6%
2017-18	1,131,418²	+7.1%
2016-17	1,056,801²	+12.0%

Source · Parks Canada, attendance by park, 2016-17 to 2025-26.

How has visitation to Pacific Rim grown since 2001?

Visits to Pacific Rim rose about 84%, from 657,163 in 2001-02² to 1.21 million in 2025-26.¹

For more than a decade numbers barely moved, staying between about 731,000 and 819,000 a year from 2002-03 to 2014-15.²
Then came a jump of about 15% to 943,856 in 2015-16, and in 2016-17 the park passed 1 million visitors for the first time, with 1,056,801.²
Apart from the pandemic dip to 915,744 in 2020-21⁵, visits have stayed above 1.1 million every year since 2017-18.¹

Line chart of annual visitors to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve from 2001-02 to 2025-26, flat at about 0.75 to 0.8 million until 2013-14, rising to over 1.1 million by 2017-18, dipping to 0.92 million in 2020-21 and reaching a record 1.21 million in 2025-26. — Annual visitors to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve by fiscal year (ending March), 2001-02 to 2025-26.

How much does it cost to visit Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in 2026?

A day at Pacific Rim costs CAD $12.25 for an adult, and an annual pass for the park is CAD $60.50⁹. Prices depend on age and how long you stay, and some activities, such as the West Coast Trail, cost extra.

Daily adult admission (18-64 years): CAD $12.25⁹.
Daily senior admission (65+ years): CAD $10.75⁹.
Daily family/group pass (up to 7 people): CAD $24.50⁹.
Annual adult pass for Pacific Rim: CAD $60.50⁹.
West Coast Trail end-to-end hiking fees total CAD $264.50 per person: the CAD $208.50 trip fee plus two CAD $28.00 ferry fees (Gordon River and Nitinaht Narrows)⁹, excluding park entry.
Broken Group Islands backcountry camping: CAD $15.00 per person per night⁹.
Green Point Campground serviced sites: CAD $40.00 per night⁹.

Is a Parks Canada Discovery Pass worth it for Pacific Rim?

If Pacific Rim is the only park on your list, its annual pass pays for itself on the fifth day: five daily adult passes cost CAD $61.25, while the annual pass is CAD $60.50.⁹ The Parks Canada Discovery Pass costs CAD $83.50 for an adult and covers admission to more than 80 Parks Canada destinations for 12 months¹⁰, so it pays for itself by the seventh day at Pacific Rim, or sooner if you visit other parks too.

Adult: CAD $12.25 a day, $60.50 for a Pacific Rim annual pass, $83.50 for a Discovery Pass.⁹
Senior (65+): CAD $10.75 a day, $51.50 for an annual pass, $71.50 for a Discovery Pass.⁹
Family or group (up to 7 people in one vehicle): CAD $24.50 a day, $120.75 for an annual pass, $167.50 for a Discovery Pass.⁹
Youth 17 and under: free.⁹
Admission to Parks Canada places was free from June 19 to September 7, 2026, under the Canada Strong Pass.¹⁰

How many people hike the West Coast Trail?

More than 7,500 backpackers hike the West Coast Trail every year¹¹. The 75-kilometer route runs between Pachena Bay and Gordon River, and most hikers take 6 to 8 days to walk it end to end¹².

To prevent crowding and protect the trail, Parks Canada caps how many overnight hikers can start each day¹¹.
The trail is open to overnight hikers from May 1 to September 30, and spaces are booked through the Parks Canada Reservation Service¹².
Reservations for the 2026 season opened on February 5, 2026¹².
Hiking end to end costs CAD $264.50 per person in mandatory Parks Canada fees: CAD $208.50 for the backcountry use permit and orientation, plus CAD $28.00 for each of the Gordon River and Nitinaht Narrows ferry crossings⁹.

How many people camp in Pacific Rim National Park?

More than 7,500 backpackers camp on the West Coast Trail every year, spending 6 to 8 days moving between designated sites on the route.¹¹ Closer to the road, Green Point Campground is full every night in high season, so it pays to book ahead.¹³

Green Point is the park's only frontcountry campground.¹⁴ Everyone else camps in the backcountry, in the Broken Group Islands or along the West Coast Trail.

Green Point sits in the Long Beach area, midway between Ucluelet and Tofino, and is open from May 1 to mid-October¹⁴.
It has 94 drive-in sites, all with hook-ups, and 20 walk-in sites, plus one oTENTik and one group walk-in site¹⁴.
A serviced drive-in site costs CAD $40.00 a night, an unserviced site CAD $34.00 and the oTENTik CAD $147.50⁹.

Note: Parks Canada does not publish the total number of people who camp in Pacific Rim each year, so these are the closest published measures.

Bar chart of campsites at Green Point Campground by type: 94 drive-in sites, 20 walk-in sites, one oTENTik and one group walk-in site. — Campsites at Green Point Campground, the park's only frontcountry campground, by type.

Bar chart of nightly camping fees at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in Canadian dollars: oTENTik $147.50, serviced drive-in site $40, unserviced site $34, backcountry camping $15 per person and group camping $8.75 per person. — Nightly camping fees at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in Canadian dollars, per site unless marked per person.

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How do you visit the Broken Group Islands?

The Broken Group Islands, a cluster of islands in Barkley Sound, can only be reached by boat.¹⁵

Overnight camping is allowed only from May 1 to September 30, and only in the designated camping areas on Hand, Turret, Gibraltar, Dodd, Clarke and Gilbert islands.¹⁵
You can stay up to 14 days in the islands but no more than 4 nights at any one camping area, in groups of up to 12 people.¹⁵
Peak visitation is in July and August. Parks Canada suggests camping in May, June or September to avoid the crowds.¹⁵
Backcountry camping costs CAD $15.00 per person per night⁹, and every visitor 18 or older also needs a national park entry pass.¹⁵
qaaha (Willis Island) has been closed until further notice since a windstorm in November 2024.¹⁵

How does Pacific Rim compare with other national parks in Canada?

Pacific Rim was the third most-visited national park in Canada in 2025-26, behind Banff and Jasper in the Rockies, and the busiest national park in British Columbia¹.

Banff National Park: 4,558,171 visitors¹
Jasper National Park: 2,392,849 visitors¹
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve: 1,212,426 visitors¹
Prince Edward Island National Park: 852,834 visitors¹
Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks: 834,939 visitors¹

Its nearest rivals in the province, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier, Yoho (743,775) and Kootenay (578,263) national parks, all drew fewer visitors¹.

Pacific Rim drew about 7.7% of all national park visits in Canada in 2025-26: 1.21 million of about 15.7 million.¹

Banff and Jasper together took about 44% of national park visits, which makes Pacific Rim the busiest national park outside those two.¹
Within British Columbia, Pacific Rim accounted for about 36% of the roughly 3.4 million visits to the province's national parks.¹

Note: Gros Morne National Park did not report attendance for 2025-26¹, so it is not included in the national total or these shares.

How did COVID-19 affect visits to Pacific Rim National Park?

Visits fell to 915,744 in 2020-21⁵, mostly because of COVID-19 restrictions.
That was 17.8% fewer than the year before⁴.
Visits recovered quickly, rising 30.2% to 1.19 million in 2021-22⁶, and by 2025-26 they were 8.9% above the pre-pandemic level of 2019-20¹.

Frequently asked questions

How many people visited Pacific Rim National Park in 2025?

In the 2025-26 fiscal year (April 2025 to March 2026), 1,212,426 people visited the park¹, 3.3% more than the year before³ and the most since at least 2001-02.

Do you need a pass to visit Pacific Rim National Park?

Yes. Every visitor needs a valid national park entry pass.¹² A daily adult pass costs CAD $12.25, and admission is free for youth 17 and under.⁹

Is Long Beach free to visit?

No. Long Beach is part of the park, so you need a pass. A Beach Walk pass costs CAD $7.75 for adults and is valid for up to four hours at the Long Beach, Kwisitis, Incinerator and Wickaninnish parking lots.⁹

When is the West Coast Trail open?

The West Coast Trail is open to overnight hikers from May 1 to September 30 each year, and spaces must be reserved through Parks Canada.¹²

How long is the West Coast Trail?

The trail is 75 kilometers long, from Pachena Bay to Gordon River.¹² Most hikers take 6 to 8 days to walk it end to end.

More Canadian national park statistics

References

Parks Canada attendance 2025-26 · open.canada.ca ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r
Parks Canada attendance 2001-02 to 2018-19 · open.canada.ca ↑ b c d e f g h
Parks Canada attendance 2024-25 · open.canada.ca ↑ b c
Parks Canada attendance 2019-20 · open.canada.ca ↑ b c
Parks Canada attendance 2020-21 · open.canada.ca ↑ b c d
Parks Canada attendance 2021-22 · open.canada.ca ↑ b c
Parks Canada attendance 2022-23 · open.canada.ca ↑ b
Parks Canada attendance 2023-24 · open.canada.ca ↑ b
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve — Fees · parks.canada.ca ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r
Admission — Parks Canada (Discovery Pass and Canada Strong Pass) · parks.canada.ca ↑ b
West Coast Trail Hiker Preparation Guide 2024 · parks.canada.ca ↑ b c
West Coast Trail — Pacific Rim National Park Reserve · parks.canada.ca ↑ b c d e f
Green Point Campground in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve — Tourism Tofino · tourismtofino.com ↑
Camping — Pacific Rim National Park Reserve · parks.canada.ca ↑ b c
Broken Group Islands — Pacific Rim National Park Reserve · parks.canada.ca ↑ b c d e f