Do you like quirky mini hikes when you’re on road trips? Me too! That is why we couldn’t resist visiting the Hole in the Wall on our drive between Nanaimo and Tofino on Vancouver Island in BC. The hole was originally dug into the surrounding shale to accommodate a water pipe. Now the pipe is long gone, so what is left is a small waterfall that splashed through the hole into a crystal clear pool in the forest.

This is a fun little hike that seems to attract hoards of tourists and locals alike. I guess it’s not often that you see such an odd-looking waterfall so people flock here to splash about and take photos for Instagram.

Hole in the Wall – the basics

Distance: 2 km-ish
Cumulative Elevation gain: 50m
Highest Point: 140m
Time: 40 mins – 1 hour (we recorded 32 mins moving time on strava)
What to bring: The 10 Essentials
Facilities: Nothing official. BUT you can stop for ice-cream accross the road once you’re done.
Dogs: Great for dogs, but you should keep them on a leash.
How hard is it? Easy. It can be muddy depending on the time of year, but it’s less than 15 minutes to walk down to the hole.

Is there an official trail to the Hole

No. This is not a sanctioned trail, it is on private property and there is no official parking for it. I even found an article saying the Alberni Valley Visitor Centre (in Port Alberni) won’t tell tourists about the location, as it is not safe. I had just seen photos on google maps, so I did not know any of that before we visited. Oops.

The spot is popular enough that it seems better to share information about how to visit safely, rater than pretending it doesn’t exist. Hopefully the plans to make it more official will lead to facilities here in the future.

Where to park for the Hole in the Wall

This hike is about 3.5 km outside of Port Alberni on Highway 4. Although it is not shown on google maps, there is a parking area next to Coombs Country Candy and Creamery, at the end of Lacy Lake road. Don’t park in the candy shop unless you are a customer (but I strongly recommend visiting the shop for ice-cream after your hike!) Alternatively, some people park on the verge on the south side of the highway, but there is very limited space there. Please be very careful when you cross the highway. People drive quickly along this stretch of road!

Once you’re on the right side of the highway, the trail is very easy to spot.

We found some signs pointing the way, but most of them had at least one word missing! In any case it’s less than 15 mins walk through lush green forest. There is a steep slope on the last section down to the river.

What caused the Hole in the Wall?

The hole was originally blasted into the shale to create a water pipeline for the growing town of Port Alberni. The hole is located on a U-bend in Roger’s Creek; This hole makes a short cut for the water through the ridge. The pipe was removed in the 1960s, so now there are only a few remnants like the concrete slab on the opposite side of the river, as well as the hole itself. I found a fab post with history about the waterworks here.

Great Picnic spot

We brought a tasty picnic from the Goats on the roof shop in Coombs, so we relaxed by the creek to eat. There was a large group of people by the hole, so we found large logs to sit on a bit further down stream.

I really love that you can clearly see the layers of sandstone and shale on the cliffs at the edge of the creek. It’s a fab spot for geology-nerds. Just don’t get too close to the cliffs. Those layers are quite soft and chunks and break off easily.

Marc and my friends were content to see the hole from afar, but I took of my shoes to cross the creek, as I was curious to climb through the hole.

Waterfall through the hole

There is a large tree stump that has lodged itself into one side of the hole. This has started a bit of a natural dam, so when the water level is low, the waterfall will be more of a trickle. We visited in May, and it was easy to cross the creek and get up close to the hole.

The other side of the hole

Once you climb through the hole, you’ll be greeted by more lovely scenery. There are fewer people this side as not everyone is willing to get their feet wet! This area feels remote and is gorgeous in the sunshine. It’s really interesting to see that the ridgeline is such a thin strip, after being eroded away by Rogers Creek.

Swimming by the Hole

In May the water level was very low, so it’s not really a good swimming spot. You can wade in up to your knees, but not much more. However this IS a good spot for children to play in the water. It’s a place to splash and explore, rather than a wild swimming location.

Once you have finished looking at the hole, retrace your steps back to the highway and grab yourself a well-deserved ice-cream.

The Hole in the Wall is one of those “hidden gems” that isn’t really hidden as it was quite busy when we visited. Still, I can see why it is popular. It’s a short walk to an unusual site. I loved being able to see a bit of Alberni Valley history, pretty forest and some cool geology all at once.