Black Rock Oceanfront Resort | Ucluelet, BC

Ucluelet, on the western coast of Vancouver Island, is a beautiful place with rugged, rocky coastlines. Its remote location means that it doesn’t experience the same level of crowds as other beach destinations on the island, making it an ideal getaway for both Canadians and international travelers. And if you’re planning to spend some time in Ucluelet, the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is the perfect place to stay.

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Disclosure: A huge thank you to Black Rock Oceanfront Resort for working with us on this trip. We partnered with them to show why Black Rock Resort is the perfect place to stay when exploring Ucluelet. As always, all opinions are honest and our own.

view from the Black Rock lobby

Even though we were already planning to stay in Tofino, I knew I also wanted to stay in Ucluelet. The two towns are only about half an hour apart, both on the western coast of Vancouver Island, but they’re VERY different. I would say that Tofino is a bit trendier, more expensive, and has more restaurant options. Ucluelet, on the other hand, is quieter, closer to more hiking, and considerably less crowded.

Black Rock Resort on the rocky Vancouver Island coast

Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is the perfect place to stay when you visit Ucluelet. Its location on the rocky bluffs of western Vancouver Island is perfect for watching the wild storms that grace the island or taking in the view of the ocean.

And even more impressive than the view is the fact that Black Rock strives to be a zero-waste hotel. They’ve maintained a Green Rating with the Vancouver Island Green Business Collective and take sustainable tourism to the next level.

living room in 2 bedroom trail suite at black rock

We had a fantastic two-bedroom suite with amazing views of the black rocks and the ocean. I love staying in two-bedroom suites because they usually have two bathrooms, and now that the kids are getting older and spend more time in the bathroom, it really is a lifesaver. Plus, having room to spread out, especially on a longer trip, can be such a sanity saver!

kitchen at Black Rock

Our suite also had a kitchen which is awesome if you’re planning to cook in the room to save a little bit of money. We ended up not using it other than to make sandwiches, but it’s such a great feature to have – and something we definitely would have used on a longer stay!

coffee on the balcony

Now, we did use the Nespresso machine. We’ve never actually used one before so we had to Google how to put the little pods in and more importantly, how to get them out, but it was a hit with the whole family! Rooms come fully stocked with the pods and then we also had little cups of half-and-half in the refrigerator. We went through all of it the first afternoon, but don’t despair, the front desk is happy to refill as needed.

Bedroom Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

Each bedroom featured a king-size bed and a private bathroom with a HUGE shower, a tub, and even heated floors! There were doors out onto the balcony from each bedroom as well.

girl playing on black rocks Vancouver Island

The first thing Ellie wanted to do when we arrived was head out to the beach, so that’s exactly what we did. There’s a trail down to the rocky coast and we lucked out and it was right by our room. Easy enough!

girl jumping big beach Ucluelet Vancouver Island

I swear she could have spent all day out there, hopping from rock to rock, checking out the tide pools, and just watching the waves crash. Do make sure to be careful if you’re climbing on the driftwood because it can shift and it’s not super sturdy.

Also, flip-flops were not the best shoes for climbing around the rocks. We wore hiking boots the next time but also would have been totally fine in our Teva sandals.

Black Rock Resort gym

The teens, on the other hand, were more interested in the gym than the beach. Black Rock Resort Ucluelet has a great fitness room in the main building and the teens spent a couple of hours there every single day. Gotta stay in shape for varsity sports!

Things to Do While Staying at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

Wild Pacific Trail

hiking the Wild Pacific Trail

One of the biggest draws to Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is the proximity to the Wild Pacific Trail. This trail runs along the coast, weaving in and out of the trees, and it opens up to expansive views of the ocean. Nick and Ben hiked the whole trail from the resort to Rocky Bluffs – about 3km each way – and then they came back changed into gym clothes and decided to run the trail. Pretty sure trail running is now a new hobby of theirs!

Wild Pacific Trail Vancouver Island

Can you think of a more beautiful place to hike?!

Wild Pacific Trail views

Views for days! And I seriously love that these two thought to take a picture of them together while they were out hiking!!

Pacific Rim National Park Hikes

Rainforest Loop Pacific Rim National Park Vancouver Island

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is also nearby. It’s situated in between Tofino and Ucluelet but we opted to visit on one of our Ucluelet days. We hiked the Rainforest Trail which has two separate loops – A (north) and B (south). We went for the A (north) loop as many reviews said it was the prettier of the two and it’s the one with the red National Park chairs.

Rainforest Trail Pacific Rim National Park Vancouver Island

The reviews did not mention the fact that there are TONS of stairs. While it is advertised as a boardwalk trail, note that it is NOT fully accessible due to the stairs. There are roughly 500 of them so be prepared to get your climb on! Each loop of the Rainforest Trail is only about 1km, so they are considered “easy” on AllTrails.

If you’re looking for an accessible trail, the Shorepine Bog Trail is just under 1km and gets excellent reviews! It’s another boardwalk trail and perfect for both wheelchairs and strollers.

Pacific Rim National Park Beaches

kids splashing in waves Long Beach Vancouver Island

After hiking, we visited Long Beach, also in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It is important to note, that in Pacific Rim National Park you either need to pay when you park or have a valid Canadian National Park pass. We ordered our National Park pass online ahead of time. And because we were visiting so many parks on this trip we went with the annual pass that covers admission for the whole family into all the parks for a year.

The water around Vancouver Island is freezing. Not literally – it was probably around 45–50°. But still very cold, especially without a wetsuit. My crazy kids were the only ones in the water without wetsuits, and they lasted longer than I expected. Long Beach is as you guessed it, a very long beach. In fact, it’s 10 miles long and is the longest beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Ucluelet Aquarium

girl at the Vancouver Aquarium

The Ucluelet Aquarium, while on the small side, is still a great deal of fun. It’s a terrific place to spend an hour and check out the sea life that lives in the area around Ucluelet. It is a collect-and-release aquarium (I never realized that was a thing!) so the exhibits are always changing. Most animals stay for around 9 months, but the giant pacific octopus is usually only there for 3-4 months in the late winter/early spring.

We had a fantastic time exploring the Ucluelet area for a few days. It’s a great spot if you’re looking for outdoor adventure and if you’re looking for a wonderful place to stay (in any season) to take in the beauty of western Vancouver Island, Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is perfect. Ucluelet is still one of those places that’s not on everyone’s radar, so it’s a bit of a hidden gem!

Is Vancouver Island on your bucket list?? While many people visit Victoria, the western side of the island is way less crowded! Ucluelet and the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort are definitely worth checking out!

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2 Comments

  1. October 3, 2022 / 2:45 pm

    That National Park Reserve looks like a beautiful place to take walks and enjoy nature.

    • Jennifer
      Author
      October 6, 2022 / 11:29 am

      Yes! Such a beautiful place!!

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