On this pug adventure we travel with our pugs on a ferry, to go camping and pug hiking in Rathtrevor beach provincial park. Located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park is minutes away from the town of Parksville. Getting to Vancouver Island from the lower mainland, in a vehicle, one needs a ferry crossing to Nanaimo. See BC Ferries for booking and information. It is always advised to pre-book your ferry crossing as ferries fill-up quickly during the warmer months.
Preparing your Dogs for Traveling
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Preparation is required for traveling on a ferry with dogs in order to keep them as relaxed as possible for the journey across the water. Loud noises and the floating over water experience on a ferry can be a bit overwhelming for a dog. It takes up to two hours to travel from Vancouver to Nanaimo, so it’s important to keep your dogs comfortable so they can peacefully sleep in your vehicle for the duration of the journey. BC Ferries has a dog area for your pets, but with present COVID 19 restrictions it is a requirement to remain in your vehicle for the duration of the ferry crossing. Parking right up front, at the bow of the ferry, is best as it’s the quietest area of the ferry car deck, plus you get a nice sea breeze to lull your dog to sleep.
Our pugs slept comfortable in the back seat using a car seat cover for dogs . This car seat cover, otherwise known as a sling, has been a life saver for us! We use it all the time for traveling everywhere with our pugs, from trips to the dog beach to traveling to the mountains, or just driving around town to run errands. Our sling never comes out of the car. The beauty of the car sling is that it provides safety and comfort for your dog, while keeping your vehicle clean.
Trips to Vancouver parks often means muddy and wet paws (especially in winter). The car seat cover is waterproof so it keeps any dirt on the sling and not on your vehicle’s seats. The sling is easy to set-up with just a click of a buckle and also has zippered slots to fasten the vehicle’s seatbelt with a dog safety belt to keep your pooch safe and secure during your travels. The sling can be easily put away in the provided case and is machine washable.
Rathtrevor provincial park
Rathtrevor provincial park is the perfect camping and pugs hiking getaway for you and your dog, with over 347 hectares of park surrounded by old growth Douglas Fir trees! It includes over 2km of natural sandy beaches with dog friendly (on leashed) shore line trails. Pug hiking Rathtrevor beach provincial park has a nice mix of forest meadows and beaches to immerse your family (and dogs) in nature, where there is an abundance of wildlife.
This is a popular park for bird watching: eagles and owls have been spotted and wild seals in the ocean make regular appearances. Wild black bunny rabbits can be seen wandering around the park: it’s the cutest thing you’ll ever see! Our pug Petal loves bunny rabbits or is it something else she likes about rabbits? Check out the funny youtube video we made below to see what happens when Petal sees the bunnies! Also you will get a glimpse of this amazing provincial park and all of its beauty.
Hiking Trail
A map of the Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park Loop can be found here. It is such a great trail for every fitness level, even pugs can enjoy it! The 3.4km relatively flat trail (about an hour walk) is dog friendly (on-a leash) and loops the campground along the seashore. Pug hiking Rathtrevor beach provincial park loop you will see endless natural beauty of the lush forest, shoreline and the mainland on the other side of the water. Along this trail, there are many natural seating areas to take a break and take in your surroundings. Other trails are also accessible from the park, but we recommend the Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park Loop.
Camping
You can set-up camp in one of 25 walk-in camping spaces on a wonderful grassed surface area. Here you can relax in surrounded douglas fir trees and listen to the birds singing while smelling your barbequed mouth-watering feast for you and your pug! The campsite has all of the facilities required for camping and has on-site management that keeps the campsite well maintained. We were lucky to get a walk-in campsite but there are also many drive-in sites available. Parking is also available on-site for hiking or enjoying the beach. More information can be found on the BC Parks website and information on booking a campsite can be found here.
We are no pugsperts, but think this little gem of a park is a wonderful getaway camping spot, for an awesome friendly pug-venture!
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