The Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve lies between Tofino and Ucluelet, right off Highway 4. Driving yourself is the simplest way in, and the West Coast Transit bus between Tofino and Ucluelet is the car free option for reaching the area.
Driving from Tofino along Highway 4
Highway 4 runs the length of the peninsula, and the park is signed along it. Head south out of Tofino toward the Tofino Ucluelet junction, where signs point you into the Long Beach Unit. The road is steep and twisting in places and gets very busy in summer, so use the pullouts to let faster traffic pass and allow more time than the map suggests.
The West Coast Transit bus
BC Transit operates the West Coast Transit System, and its Route 1 links Tofino and Ucluelet, about 43 kilometres end to end. Stops include the Tofino Visitors Centre and the Pacific Rim Visitors Centre at the Highway 4 junction. The route runs seven days a week with roughly ten trips a day each way, and late evening service was added in January 2026. The published schedule does not list individual beaches, so use the BC Transit trip planner to see exactly where a bus will let you off, and check how far you would then walk along the highway.
Passes and fees at Long Beach
Parks Canada requires a national park entry pass, either daily or annual, and regular fees apply. Daily and annual rates change, so read the fees page on the Parks Canada site for Pacific Rim before you go. Some parking lots have their own time limits, and the same page explains those.
Tours, rentals and a ride between towns
Local operators in Tofino run guided trips and shuttles, and several companies rent vehicles. Their routes and prices vary by season, so ask them directly. For a rough taxi fare between points on the peninsula, try the taxi fare estimator, or compare a rideshare figure with the Uber estimate calculator. Cell coverage can be patchy on the west coast, so agree a pickup time and place before you head onto the beach.
If you are coming from the east side of the Island
Highway 4 west from Port Alberni to the coast is 108 kilometres and takes at least 90 minutes on a steep, winding road. Parks Canada lists drive times of roughly 2 hours from Port Alberni and 3.5 hours from Nanaimo to the Long Beach area, and this is before any stops for photos or traffic.