The Sooke Potholes Salmon Place Campground is a great spot to spend a few nights while exploring the southwest coast of Vancouver Island. It is located in a secluded area at the end of Sooke River Road just a few minutes past the uppermost Sooke Potholes Regional Park parking area. The campground features 67 tent/car campsites with picnic tables and fire pits plus one larger group site and four small bicycle/tent sites. There are pit toilets, drinking water, firewood for sale, a covered communal gazebo area, and private access to some of the best swimming holes on the river. For those who like to travel by bike, this is a great option for bike-camping as the Galloping Goose trail passes by the campground approximately 51 kilometers from Victoria and just a few kilometers south of its terminus at Leechtown.
Just down the road, Sooke Potholes Regional Park is a popular spot for day users from near and far, thanks to the unique rock formations in the canyon where bedrock was polished by glacial ice during the last ice age 15,000 years ago. The river has fantastic swimming, and it is home to a variety of wildlife including otters, bears, elk, and various bird species, as well as being an important spawning stream for Chinook and coho salmon. While the majority of the potholes are downstream in the public day use area, there are also some interesting rock formations immediately beside the campground, and a few campsites have direct river access right from the site.
The campground is about a half-hour’s drive outside of Sooke, just outside the range of cellular reception. All sites are payable by cash only and available on a first-come, first served basis; reservations are currently not possible. During the summer months the campground sometimes fills up, so it’s best to arrive early and/or have a backup plan.
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