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Can the red area be accessed by road? I ask NOT about Ucluelet because it can.

I do not know how, and so use purple arrows, to highlight roads on Google Maps; but please tell me if you do! All roads (e.g. Highway 14 from Victoria) appear to terminate at Port Renfrew. enter image description here

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Are you using a different Google Maps than I do? The one I am using shows a lot of roads in the area -- not in the reserve itself, of course. There is even a shuttle bus going to Pachena Bay and Bamfield from May 1 to September 30. You could also fly to the Bamfield airport. enter image description here

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    A road being shown on Google Maps doesn't necessarily mean it's always open to all public vehicles, unfortunately. See Greg's answer ("semi-public logging roads" and uncertain insurance status). – user56reinstatemonica8 Apr 15 '16 at 10:27
  • While the road may be closed, every insurance I'm aware of would cover the vehicle if the road is open to the public, even if it is privately owned. – phoog Apr 15 '16 at 11:13
  • It's a good idea to ask Google Maps for directions, not just look at the roads - it'll tell you if any of the roads are known to be private. (Of course it's still possible for there to be missing data, but it's a lot better than nothing!) – Cascabel Apr 15 '16 at 14:53
  • Thank you all. User 'chx': Sorry for my neglect; I should have looked more carefully, because my uncle asked this and he has bad eyesight. – Greek - Area 51 Proposal Apr 15 '16 at 22:53
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Yes, you can certainly drive to Bamfield by car (which is located right around the word "Rim" in your map above). The main route takes you through Port Alberni and uses semi-public logging roads.

If you're renting a car, be sure that your insurance covers driving on these roads. I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess I would assume it does not.

Between Port Renfrew and Bamfield, you will find the West Coast Trail which is a backpacking route, and there is certainly no road that direction.

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  • If the road is open to the public, insurance is most likely valid, even if the road is privately owned. – phoog Apr 15 '16 at 11:14
  • @phoog I'd still check. They might consider a private logging road to be off-roading. – ceejayoz Apr 15 '16 at 14:41
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    @ceejayoz I just read a sample of rental terms and it forbids the use of the car on unpaved roads. There's no mention of the road's ownership, only of its surface. Also, this is independent of the insurance; even if you have your own insurance it may not cover you if you're using a car without the owner's permission (or in violation of the terms of that permission). – phoog Apr 15 '16 at 14:47

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