French Beach Provincial Park
Juan de Fuca
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It’s hard to choose where to spend your day with so many great beaches along the highway from Sooke to Port Renfrew. French Beach Provincial Park offers amenities that make this a perfect spot for a family adventure!
French Beach is a perfect year-round place to stop when travelling hwy 14 along the Juan de Fuca Strait. The government park day-use setting is well maintained and offers easy access, plentiful parking, picnic sites with tables and fire rings, drinking water, a playground and camping.
This kilometer-long sand and pebble beach offer a fantastic place to hang out and enjoy the ocean air or wander along one of the forest trails.
If you explore the park area, you will discover a forest trail hidden behind the playground that heads south towards a footbridge. Cross the shallow creek at the end of the beach to find even more walking paths.
Another adventure can be found by heading north along the beach as far as you can to discover the shallow tidepools and seashell fossils locked in the rock formations making an appearance from years of erosion.
French Beach Provincial Park offers green space for the family to play, beautiful scenery riddled with driftwood, lush forests and creeks. Take in the fantastic views of Juan de Fuca Strait and always keep your eyes open for gray whales, orcas, seals, otters and eagles.
French Beach is located 20 minutes east of Sooke and just past Shirley along Highway 14 in the south island zone. The parking lot is a fair size and easy to access. The walk is short and easy, with an incline down to the day-use area just back from the beach area.
IS THERE CELL SERVICE?
Currently, it’s iffy and will probably hit off of American towers. by the end of 2022, and tower upgrades are scheduled to be complete.
IS THERE A FEE FOR ACCESS?
It’s free for day parking and beach access. There is a cost for camping.
"French Beach is great. The drive is nice, the parking lot was spacious and clean, the bathrooms were immaculate, no garbage anywhere, great park and grass area, and amazing long beach to explore."
The campground offers year-round vehicle accessible camping in a beautiful natural setting within only a few minutes walk to the ocean.
The 69 site campground is open year-round. With more services offered from April 1st to Oct 26. Winter rates Oct 27 – March 5th with no services.
French Beach Campground is one of the busiest campgrounds in the area, it books fast and once school is out the “Campground Full” sign rarely comes down.
There can be a few first come first serve sites that open up but during summer camping season, reservations should be made through Discover Camping. In winter when reservations are not available on the website all campsites function as first-come, first-served.
Group Campsite Reservations are available during the summer camping season.
You can also try the China Beach Campground in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, it’s larger and not too far down the road. Booking
A large beach to explore with great amenities. French Beach is a great spot to set up for the day. You will find a pleasant provincial park and an excellent place to stop for the day.
Parking: Large parking lot separate from the campground room for RVs if arrive early on Weekends.
Amenities: Toilets, picnic tables, water and playground
Cell Coverage: Not great, most likely reach American towers. By the end of 2022, and tower upgrades are scheduled to be complete.
Helpful links:
Tide Information
Google Maps
More Beaches along Juan de Fuca Strait
Sandcut Beach Waterfall: Beautiful hike, pebble beach and a unique waterfall.
Muir Creek: Fossils, seals and sandstone cliffs.
Mystic Beach: A hike to Waterfalls and Sea Caves.
China Beach: A peaceful beach with a hidden waterfall.
Pack Out:
We love this Island, and want to keep the natural beauty please respect the places you visit and pack out what you pack in and leave the area better than when you arrived. We all know how much trash can spoil an experience and the environment, so please help us keep it clean!
Wildlife:
Vancouver Island is a land of natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Please be aware of your surroundings and take the usual precautions for personal and wildlife safety.
Black bears, cougars and even wolves are common on Vancouver Island for more on Wildlife Safety Click Here
Tide and Seasonal Safety:
Changing seasons and tides can have a drastic effect on most locations on Vancouver Island. Please be cautious as the information in this post may vary depending on the time of year and weather. Make sure to check for current weather and tide information before you make your journey!
When visiting the beach, it’s essential to pay attention and stay safe! Please be cautious walking on the shore during high tide. At this time, some areas may not be accessible. Click here for the tides in your area. Be aware of ocean currents before swimming, paddle boarding or kayaking.
Disclaimer:
The information on this website should not be taken as accurate, complete or up-to-date. Please check and look into the information yourself. We do not assume any liabilities for the use of this information. It is unreasonable to rely solely upon the information from this website.
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