One of my favorite things I did while I was living in Tofino, wasn't in Tofino (ironic, I know). By the end of the summer, I was getting tired of doing and seeing the same things in the little town of Tofino (don't get me wrong, Tofino is amazing but it's lacking mountains and hikes), so my friends and I decided to go on an overnight adventure. We packed our things, borrowed our friend's car (because you do need a 4x4 to get there) and left for 5040 Peak.

This hike is about an hour and a half from Tofino (a bit longer if you are stuck on the construction site on the Pacific Rim Highway). You can turn it into a day hike if you’re visiting for just a few days or if you’re not equipped to do an overnight hike. The hike is 7,1km round trip and has an elevation of 935m - so totally doable in a day.

The first day we started the hike around 2pm and arrived at our campsite around 6pm. We took a couple of breaks to enjoy the view and to swim at Cobalt Lake!! The first few kilometers were not so easy with a backpack on, but we took our time and made it to the top just in time for a gorgeous sunset. Along the way we saw a bear, got a bit scared, but we had a bear spray, a bell and a lot songs to sing out loud!

We were suggested to camp close to the lake but since we wanted the best view for sunrise, we kept going up and when we finally arrived to the cabin, the people who rent it for the night told us there was a nice spot 15 minutes away from there. So we kept going and found a flat spot at the top. We put the tent, ate dinner (cold veggie hot dog because we forgot gaz for our stove), admire sunset and then watch the stars.

We summited the next day and it took about 10 minutes from our campsite to the official summit. In total - including our breaks - it took us 4 hours up and 3 hours down.

During our ascension, we kept guessing what 5040 meant and came up with a bunch of random theories meanwhile its actually called 5040 because of its summit altitude.

I highly recommend to do this hike as an overnight to enjoy the sunset and sunrise. We did it at the beginning of September and the weather was perfect, a bit windy during the night but not cold at all (the lake though was quite cold, but refreshing). Some people camp at the lake and then get up super early to summit, other rent the cabins. No matter where you sleep, this hike is an amazing experience.