# West Coast Trail — Essential Backpackers Guide

> Comprehensive guide for planning and navigating the West Coast Trail. (iPhone/iPad app by Orca Labs LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/west-coast-trail/id6469055680 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Orca Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1710826755)
- Category: Health & Fitness
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.90/5 from 18 App Store ratings · 57 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 129 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2024-01-09
- Data updated: 2026-08-26
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/west-coast-trail/id6469055680/reviews.md

## What is West Coast Trail?

West Coast Trail is the essential guide for hikers planning to backpack the legendary West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, BC.

Plan every detail of your hike with all the essentials at your fingertips:
• Customize your trip with unique dates, direction (north/south), and campsites.
• Automatic tide calculations for tide-restricted beach sections using official Tofino charts, adjusted for Daylight Savings.
• Interactive map with points of interest, trail highlights, shipwrecks, water sources, and ladder locations (with rung counts).
• Daily summaries showing distances, ladders, and tides.
• Campsite satellite images and detailed trail descriptions.
• Sunrise and sunset times for your exact dates.
• Save multiple trip plans or explore options for a YOYO hike.

In-App Upgrade: PRO Pass

The PRO Pass is a single-year, non-renewing purchase that unlocks all trail features:

• Trail Access – use the app fully offline with no cell service; remains unlocked during your hiking dates.
• On-Trail Map - full screen immersive map for navigation on the trail with GPS locate
• Trail Weather – get precision forecasts for every major campsite.

A PRO Pass is valid for the year shown (e.g. a “2026 PRO Pass” is valid through December 31, 2026).
It’s not a subscription — it never auto-renews and doesn’t need to be cancelled.

Note: The PRO Pass is not a trail permit. A Parks Canada West Coast Trail Backcountry Use Permit is still required to hike.

Free Version

The free version is fully functional for trip planning and ad-free, but it locks during your actual hiking dates.
Upgrade to PRO to stay trail-ready and access all offline features.

Terms & Conditions:
https://www.westcoasttrail.app/terms

## Key features

- Customizable trip planning
- Automatic tide calculations
- Interactive trail map
- Daily hike summaries
- Campsite details and satellite images
- Sunrise/sunset times
- Offline map and navigation (PRO)

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| West Coast Trail Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| West Coast Trail PLUS | $19.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Pass for 2026 Season | $29.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 57)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/west-coast-trail/id6469055680/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Ability to Print

*2026-08-24*

This is a great app!… not sure how to print out hard copies of my trip planning and site info etc.
Thanks

### 5/5 — Season window extension

*2026-08-24*

Hey, really appreciate the app and all the work you’ve put into it! Super helpful since I did the trail last time before this came out and have been using it in advance of this year’s trip. One thing I wanted to point out and give feedback on that would be an improvement is that you’ve limited the calendar window to Sept 30/Oct 1. Sept 30 is the last day to start the trail - it’s not the end of the window which people will be out hiking. With the ferries running until Oct 7, it would be helpful if the window went until Oct 7. For example, my group will be hitting Owen point in October and I can’t use the app to plan for that.

### 5/5 — Absolutely essential for west coast trail

*2026-08-01*

Did the trail in 2025 and doing it in opposite direction this year the app is very helpful for trail conditions in real time.  Works best when hiking community post to it what they see. The tides are indispensable in planning. My only suggestion would be more accurate route planning for inland route of Thrasher junction to beach access B, as some may want to stay in land and not go down to Thrasher at all on day 1 of there trip. Do not think twice you NEED this app!

### 5/5 — Saved our bacon

*2026-07-28*

Great app. Really helped with planning our days as well as to and from. What really saved us though was the map. We were pushing hard in the big rain to make the final crossing at Gordon river and near the high point of the trail it was confusing and we took a wrong turn. We were able to use the app to see where we were and correct our course. Kept checking when we were unsure and made the ferry with lots of time!! Not sure what we would have done without it!!

### 5/5 — Must have for the trail!

*2026-07-26*

Having this app to use on the trail made my trip so simple. Having it show me in real time where I was on the trail was amazing.  It was fun to read the shipwreck stories and to learn about what the next day has in store for us. I highly recommend this app for anyone planning to do the trail.

### 5/5 — My opinion

*2026-07-24*

Just love all the  information I keep finding when I go playing with the app.

### 5/5 — Be well prepared

*2026-07-14*

The app allows hikers to be well prepared. Read beforehand and during the hike.

### 5/5 — Incredible information

*2026-07-13*

Information on the Apps really helpful to plan and prepare your trip. This makes everything  easier and what to expect then you can enjoy the trail. Love it so much.

### 5/5 — Clair

*2026-07-03*

If you are doing the WCT you need this app and get yourself the pro version.

### 5/5 — An excellent resource

*2026-06-23*

This really accelerated our understanding of the complexities of our bucket-list trip. My fave feature was the calendar with the visuals on how favourable the tide times were - this was invaluable to selecting our dates!!!!!!!

## Frequently asked questions about West Coast Trail

### What does the West Coast Trail app do?

This app serves as an essential guide for backpackers planning to hike the West Coast Trail. It helps you customize your trip details, automatically calculates tide times for beach sections, and provides an interactive map with key points of interest. You can also view daily summaries of distances, ladders, and tides, along with campsite information and sunrise/sunset times.

### What features are included in the PRO Pass?

The PRO Pass is a one-year purchase that unlocks all trail features. This includes full offline access to the app, an on-trail map with GPS location for navigation, and precision weather forecasts for major campsites. The PRO Pass is valid for the calendar year it is purchased for and does not auto-renew.

### Is the app free to use?

The app has a free version that is fully functional for trip planning and is ad-free. However, the free version locks during your actual hiking dates. To access all offline features and stay trail-ready, you need to upgrade to the PRO Pass.

### What are the system requirements for the app?

The provided description does not specify the exact operating system requirements (e.g., iOS or Android versions). However, it is designed for mobile devices and offers offline functionality, suggesting it is compatible with smartphones and tablets that can run mobile applications.

### Can I use this app to get a trail permit?

No, the PRO Pass is not a trail permit. You are still required to obtain a Parks Canada West Coast Trail Backcountry Use Permit separately to hike the trail. This app is a planning and navigation tool, not an official permit acquisition service.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.196 — 2026-08-25

- Crabshack menu updates
- Improve leave feedback page

### 2.194 — 2026-07-21

Fix critical bug involving YOYO trips with a day-time flip point where trip-plan is not calculating correctly.

### 2.192 — 2026-07-11

Bug fixes:
- Improved discoverability of YOYO trip settings
- Fix bug with Feedback Dialog cropping Submit button on some devices
- Add sunrise/sunset times to Tide Graph
- Fix a bug with itineraries shared via URL not deep-linking to the App correctly

### 2.189 — 2026-07-04

Update to Gordon River starting instructions.

### 2.185 — 2026-06-28

Map edits

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## Related topics

[avanti west coast](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/avanti-west-coast)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*
