Pilgrimage to Doug
Highlights & Remarkable Spots
Port Renfrew / Beginning and End of Ride
The town of Port Renfrew, native land of the Pachedaaht First Nations, was once a thriving logging community. When conservation efforts began focusing attention on the incredible old-growth forests in the area, the town’s focus shifted from logging to ecotourism. Port Renfrew has attracted an increasing number of tourists who wish to see the largest and oldest trees in what is now known as the “Tall Tree Capital of Canada.” With all the changes, the community has realized that revenue from tourism surpasses that from logging. [Ancient Forest Alliance]
San Juan River / ~ Miles 0.5 and 20.5
The San Juan River supports six species of salmon: Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye, and Steelhead. These salmon provide food for the Pacheedaht First Nation as well as catches for recreational fishermen. The area has undergone a four-year stabilization project to add a gravel bar of nearly 120,000 square meters. This bar has been planted with young conifer and willow stakes. As these plantings grow into shrubs, they will stabilize the gravel bar, allowing for the ecology to recover and a forest to grow. The gravel bars, in turn, will capture and stabilize bedload material that will create deep pool habitats allowing for juvenile and adult salmon to thrive. [Signs posted around Port Renfrew and Fisheries and Oceans Canada]
Gordon River Estuary / ~ Miles 2.0 and 19.0
Two projects to improve the habitat of the T1′ oqwxwat’ Estuary (Gordon River Estuary) were completed by the Pacheedaht First Nation in 2020 with funding from the Government of Canada’s Coastal Restoration Fund. The first project involved removing a dike and restoring the pond behind the dike to salt marsh habitat. This project doubles the amount of salt marsh rearing habitat for salmon. The second project involved excavating breaches to reconnect historic tide channels between the existing salt marsh and Brown’s Slough. This project provides fry from the Gordon River with access to rearing habitat in the slough as well as the salt marsh. [Signs posted around Port Renfrew and Fisheries and Oceans Canada]
Avatar Grove / ~ Miles 6.5 and 14.5
The Avatar Grove is located just to the north of Port Renfrew. The Avatar Grove is home to many impressive old-growth trees, including “Canada’s Gnarliest Tree.” In late 2009, the Ancient Forest Alliance identified the grove and began a 2-year campaign to protect the trees. Thousands of people supported the campaign, as well as the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce and business community. In February 2012, Avatar Grove was declared off-limits to logging. [Ancient Forest Alliance]
According to the Ancient Forest Alliance, Avatar Grove is “the most accessible and finest stand of ancient trees left in a wilderness setting on the South Island.” [Big Lonely Doug]
Photo Credit: TJ Watt
Big Lonely Doug / ~ Miles 10.0 and 11.0
Located in the Gordon River Valley, Big Lonely Doug is the second largest Douglas fir by volume in Canada. Big Lonely Doug stands more than 230 feet tall (70.2 meters). It has a circumference of more than 39 feet (11.9 meters) and measures nearly 13 feet (3.9 meters) in diameter. The tree was seeded approximately 1000 years ago. In 2011, logger Dennis Cronin discovered the tree while surveying land to be logged and wrapped a green ribbon around the tree with the words “Leave Tree.” In 2014, photographer and activist T.J. Watt happened upon the tree and named it “Big Lonely Doug.” The tree has become a symbol of conservation in Canada and is featured in the 2018 book Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees by Harley Rustad. The tree has been designated for protection by the Government of British Columbia. [Wikipedia]
Eden Grove / ~ Mile 10.5
Eden Grove, adjacent to cutblock 7190, is located on Edinburgh Mountain in the Gordon River Valley. The grove was named by Ken Wu and TJ Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance, as it reminded them of the Garden of Eden. The grove includes approximately 30 hectares of prime valley bottom ancient forest, including Douglas fir and Western red cedar. Many of the grove’s trees are 500 to 1000 years old. [BC Tree Hunter]
When We Like to Ride This
Though the route is rideable year-round, the winter months are cold and wet. The riding is best June through September when the temps are warmer and the skies are drier.
Terrain & Riding
The route is entirely paved until you get past the Port Renfrew Marina and RV Park (~mile 2.5). After that, the route will be intermittent pavement and gravel until you reach the Gordon River Bridge over Baird Creek at which point the road turns entirely to gravel. This route has a variety of gravel surfaces. You’ll see everything from solid gravel to smooth-as-butter hardpack to sections of chunky rocks. Keep your eyes out for potholes, especially those obscured by the shade. Keep your eyes out for logging traffic, too.
Allow at least 50 minutes to explore Upper and Lower Avatar Groves.
Shortly after passing the Edinburgh Main Bridge, you will encounter a very steep section of road that has large chunks of rock and deep craters. If you’re hardcore, feel free to ride this section. If you’re sane, get off your bike and hike your bike past this section. The yucky road won’t last for long. Soon you’ll be back in the saddle.
There are three main viewing points to see Big Lonely Doug, and we recommend that you check him out from all three locations: 1) the old logging pad (this is down a short gravel spur to the right before you approach Doug), 2) the road above Doug, and 3) at Doug’s base (follow the steep trail down to the forest floor). Allow at least 30 minutes to meet Big Lonely Doug.
Allow at least 25 minutes to explore Eden Grove before beginning your ride back to Port Renfrew.
The Start
The route begins at the Pacheedaht Gas Bar in Port Renfrew. There is a gas station here, as well as a small convenience store. The Visitors Center, which offers information and WiFi, is located in the back left corner of the property. Ask for permission to park here. You may or may not be granted permission.
If you are staying overnight in Port Renfrew, it would be best to park at your lodge or campground and cycle to the Pacheedaht Gas Bar to begin the route.
Day-use parking is available for $15/day at the Pacheedaht Campground. The campground has two day-use lots – one at the entrance to the campground at the northwest corner of the San Juan Bridge and the other just across from the West Coast Trail Registration office. Pay for the parking at the Pacheedaht Campground Office (305 Pachidah Rd in Port Renfrew). Be aware that the office is not staffed full-time, so you may need to wait an hour or so for staff to appear.
Food & Water
- Start & End / Community of Port Renfrew
Route Notes
The climate in southwest Vancouver Island is temperate. Temps can be warm or cold and the skies can be dry or wet…all in the course of a single day! Be sure to pack appropriate layers and raingear. Wear visible colors, especially since you are riding a route with logging traffic.
The light on the route can vary from sunny to shady and all hues of filigreed light in-between. Wear bright colors and consider using bike lights. Keep your eyes open for potholes or other obstacles that may be obstructed by the shade.
Do not judge your time to ride this route based on the mileage and elevation alone. Allow plenty of time to get off your bike to walk around and meet the trees. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes for walking. Be mindful not to tread on the roots of the big trees. Also, keep in mind that it is very easy to get turned around in the forests. Consider tracking your location with your phone or device as you walk the forests so that you can find your way back to your bike.
Black bears live in the forests of Vancouver Island. Though the bears in the southern part of the island tend to be skittish, be bear-wise and consider carrying bear deterrent with you.
Most of the bridges in the area are narrow and can only accommodate one-way traffic. Slow your speed as you approach all bridges, and be mindful of the signs indicating to yield to oncoming traffic. As you cross the bridges, consider peeking over the sides, as some bridges cross creeks with dramatic canyon walls, waterfalls, and/or pools. Perhaps one of these creeks will entice you for a mid-ride swim!
You will not be able to ride your bicycle along any of the trails to see the big trees or groves. You may be able to find a place to lock up your bicycle, but keep in mind that many of the trees in the forests too girthy for a bike lock. Consider stashing your bicycle in a not-so-obvious place near the trailhead.
There is active logging along this route. Consider riding this route on the weekends to avoid logging traffic. It is fine to ride during the week, just be aware of logging trucks. If you hear a truck approaching, pull clear off to the side of the road and wait for the truck to pass. Keep in mind that these trucks will likely kick up dirt, which will obscure the road until the dust settles. A respectful friendly wave and a smile will get you far, as the logging trucks are more likely to radio to other drivers to let them know there are cyclists in the area. For more information on riding BC logging roads see our resource page (a highly recommended read!).
Sections along the route are steep and may require a hike-a-bike, though none of these sections lasts for long.
You’ll get far more bang for your buck on this tour if you learn to identify Western Red Cedars, Sitka Spruces, and Douglas Firs. We recommend you learn to recognize the barks of these trees, as the needles for these giants will be too hard to see. Cedar bark is linear, spruce bark is scaled, and fir bark is cracked.
There is a sign posted outside Avatar Grove that reads: “ATTENTION: Avatar Grove Recreation Site – Temporary Closure for Public Safety and Environmental Protection Concerns. Effective: January 20, 2022. For updates see Recreation Sites and Trails BC.
We’d like to get a more accurate read on the elevation gain for this route. After you’ve ridden this route, leave us a note in the Comments telling us the gain according to your device.
Dirty Freehub's READ & RIDE Program
It’s one thing to see massive trees in an old-growth forest as you cycle along beautiful gravel roads. It’s another thing to understand the significance, history, and impact of the trees. This route is part of Dirty Freehub’s READ & RIDE program. READ to learn about the old-growth trees on southwest Vancouver Island. Then RIDE to meet the trees in-person. Click here to learn more.
Videos
Giant Tree Hunters
Big tree photographer and wilderness explorer, TJ Watt, searches to find the biggest tree in Canada in the rainforests on southern Vancouver Island. In Port Renfrew, he's joined by two big tree climbers in an attempt to break a world record.
Climbing Big Lonely Doug
Watch climbers ascend Big Lonely Doug.
Podcasts
Big Lonely Doug
Ever visited a location from your favorite book? Cool, right? Dirty Freehub’s new READ & RIDE allows you to do just that! READ & RIDE matches 5-star gravel routes with books to create a memorable journey. Read to learn, then ride to bring the pages to life! No worries if books [...]
Tree Conservation Through Photography with TJ Watt
Meet TJ Watt, Big Tree Hunter, co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance and an award-winning nature and conservation photographer from British Columbia whose images have helped bolster campaigns to secure the protection of important environmental areas.
In this episode, TJ explains [...]
Saving Old Growth Trees with Ken Wu
Ken Wu, former Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, has spent years protecting ancient forests in British Columbia. A major player in protecting Big Lonely Doug, Ken tells how he named the iconic Doug Fir. He also talks about how the indigenous people of Canada [...]
Big Lonely Doug with Author Harley Rustad
Meet Harley Rustad, author of Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees. In this episode, Dirty Freehub’s Sarah Burch interviews Harley about his book for the READ & RIDE program. Learn what inspired Harley to write Big Lonely Doug, how his book has [...]
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