Sandcut Beach
Location:
Sandcut Beach is situated between French Beach Provincial Park and Jordan River, just 31 kilometres west of Sooke on Highway 14. Access to the beach is clear with a gravel parking lot and it is only a 15 minute hike from the parking area along a rugged wooded trail leading to a stone and pebble beach with sandstone and waterfalls. Note that small children and anyone with bad knees may need help with stairs. There are quite a few stairs to climb down on the way there.
The Waterfall:
In the spring, fall and winter, the majestic waterfall flows the best and is a short walk from the beach heading east. This day-use area is a longtime favourite of locals.
It’s a perfect spot to plant your picnic basket and blanket to take a break for lunch. Cliffs line the beach and at the end there is a gorgeous rock formation that you can climb to get a bird’s eye 180 degree view of Juan de Fuca Straight and the Olympic Peninsula on a clear day. Sandcut beach is a great place for a campfire to roast a tasty lunch (please mind the fire restrictions), and if you’re lucky, you’ll even see a pod of whales playing out in the open water as you sit on the beach listening to the wind, waves and the pebbles tumbling in the surf.
Do not leave valuables in your vehicle. Thieves are active in the area and are not shy to break into cars. Make sure you take your valuables with you and lock your car before heading to the beach. There are sometimes volunteers keeping an eye on the parking lots during high traffic times, but don’t count on this being the case on a regular basis.