Evacuations underway on B.C.'s West Coast Trail as rain makes Vancouver Island hike 'impassable'

Evacuations underway on B.C.'s West Coast Trail as rain makes Vancouver Island hike 'impassable'

Parks Canada urging visitors to delay or cancel planned trips

Parks Canada says it is responding to multiple evacuation requests along Vancouver Island's West Coast Trail as heavy rainfall has made sections of the highly popular hike "impassable."

"Creeks and rivers are running high, and more rain is expected through Wednesday," the agency said in a statement Monday, urging people with planned trips to delay until at least Thursday.

The West Coast Trail, in Pacific Rim National Park, is a hugely popular multi-day backpacking trip covering 75 kilometres along Vancouver Island's South Coast.

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On its website, Parks Canada warns it challenges even experienced hikers as they traverse "more than 100 ladder systems with a heavy pack, trudge through deep mud, wade through fast-flowing rivers, and endure rough West Coast weather."

It is estimated that 7,500 people hike the trail each year, though many fail to finish.

In its post, Parks Canada says it is currently unsafe to cross creeks and rivers on foot.

Anyone with reservations who decides to delay their trip will be allowed to visit the park once it is safe to do, the service says, and anyone with reservations between July 27 and Aug. 1 may cancel for a full refund.