- Walk to the beach: 5-10 min (about 500 m, flat gravel)
- Petroglyphs loop: 3.5 km, 1 to 1.5 hours, easy to moderate
- Drive from downtown Victoria: 55 min via Hwy 14
- Difficulty: Easy to beach, moderate to petroglyphs
- Cost: Free entry and parking
Aylard Farm is the main southern entrance to East Sooke Regional Park, about 45 minutes from downtown Victoria on the south end of Vancouver Island.
From its parking lot near Sooke, BC, an easy 5 to 10 minute walk through grassy fields leads to a white-sand pocket beach at Becher Bay, with onward trails to Creyke Point lookouts and the Coast Salish petroglyphs at Alldridge Point.
Entrance is free, washrooms and picnic tables are available, and dogs are welcome under control.
The beach is a pleasant stroll from the new parking lot, passing through the fruit trees and across the field known as Aylard Farm. As you get closer, you will come upon a picnic area. You will see the white sand beyond the trees.
Travel down the trail and find yourself at an endearing cove that invites you to sit back and relax in its breathtaking scenery. You will find a pocket beach with white sand nestled between two rocky outcrops. Climb and explore tide pools during low tide, and enjoy a swim in the cool and refreshing water. \
Take off your shoes and run along the shoreline barefoot with abandon! Afterward, pull out a packed lunch and enjoy it while taking in all the coast has to offer.
Amenities Aylard Farm
Aylard Farm has pit toilets, picnic tables, and a covered picnic structure at the parking lot. CRD upgraded the lot to handle higher traffic volumes, since this is the busiest of the three East Sooke Regional Park entrances.
Alldridge Point Petroglyphs (Coast Salish carvings)
The petroglyphs are slowly fading away due to erosion caused by continual wind and saltwater exposure, yet they are still a sight to behold if you think about the history! The Petroglyphs date back hundreds or even thousands of years, when the SC’IȺNEW̱ chiselled the ancient petroglyphs into the soft sandstone. Unfortunately, it won’t be long before the images have all but faded away.
Please do not get too close to the Petroglyphs as Heritage BC protects them, and it is illegal to touch them.
Two trails link to the Petroglyphs, creating a nice loop to take in East Sooke Park. To get to the Petroglyphs, take the trail in the trees to the right at the parking lot entrance. It edges the field along the forest, cutting across to the Petroglyphs.
Or take the well-established path that continues through the open field toward the beach. Turn right and follow it along the coastline through the forest. As you approach your destination, you will see signage. While walking along the coastline, keep an eye out for wildlife, whales, seals, eagles, and otters.
GPS – Download before you go.
Cell signal can be limited outside major towns.
When hiking or visiting a new location, using AllTrials and downloading the map before you drive up will give you confidence during your visit; the Aylard Farm AllTrails link.
Creyke Point – The View You Don’t Want to Miss in East Sooke Park
There is one more stop before calling it a day. For an Instagram-worthy panoramic view, trek down the path to Creyke Point. The short trail weaves through the trees. You’ll see your first glimpse of an outcropped rock to the right. As you continue, the trail will open up where you can veer right and head down a winding shore path to a small rock island. (great for photos)
Following the main route, you reach a rocky hill, which requires some climbing, but once you reach the top, Creyke Point offers stunning views of Becher Bay and the Juan de Fuca Strait and probably one of your best shore lookouts for whale watching. Bring binoculars, grab a rock, and you just might get lucky. Orcas and humpbacks are known to be seen coming right into the cove.
To get back to the parking lot, take the trail along Becher Bay, watching for otters, seals and other wildlife. The path opens back up to the Aylard Farm field and wraps up a great day at East Sooke Park.
Hiking East Sooke Coast Trail
If you are looking for more of a challenge, this area is a great starting point for all types of day hikes, including the rugged but gorgeous East Sooke Coast Trail. Once you pass the petroglyphs, the terrain becomes more challenging; expect lots of ups and downs over uneven rocks.
But in return, you will get a well-marked, beautiful, rugged coastline with pirate coves, pebble beaches and an old trap shack at Cabin Point. You can find more information on the trail on our dedicated East Sooke hike page.
From Alldridge Point, the Coast Trail continues another 30 to 45 minutes south to Beechey Head, the southernmost tip of the park; the route gets noticeably harder past the petroglyphs, with exposed rock and scrambling sections that sometimes need hands for balance.
On a clear day the lookout at Beechey Head opens south across Juan de Fuca Strait to the Olympic Mountains in Washington, with seals, sea lions, and the occasional whale visible on or off the rocks below.
How to Get to East Sooke Park
By Car:
A 45-minute drive from Downtown Victoria, East Sooke Regional Park should not be missed by anyone looking for a rugged BC coast with a perfect mix of pebble, sand and rock shoreline.
To get there, take Highway 14 towards Sooke, and turn South on Gillespie Road until you come to the three-way stop. Make sure to pull over and snap a photo next to the driftwood Sasquatch. Then head back southeast down East Sooke road before turning right onto Becher Bay Rd, which will open up into a reasonably sized parking lot in a meadow area. You will find washrooms and a well-maintained park.
Directions – Google Maps
Fun Fact –
Becher Bay Road has more than one spelling. Canada Post spells it Becher Bay Road. The original settlers here spelled it Beecher Bay Road, and the 1913 map at the Sooke Harbour House spells it Beecher Bay Road. The road actually has two signs—one with Becher and one with Beecher. Not too far down the road, the local First Nations Reserve land is still spelled Beecher Bay.
By Bus:
There isn’t a Bus stop at the parking lot, but the number 64 bus goes by Becher Bay Road. (25min 1.7k walk to the parking lot)
Helpful links:
- East Sooke Coast Trails
- Looking for more sand beaches? – Check Out Witty’s Lagoon
- Directions – Google Maps
- All Trails Hiking Map
- Sooke Guide
