Cox Bay Beach just got more inviting for local surfers and visitors alike.
The District of Tofino recently expanded parking capacity at the end of Maltby Road, creating approximately 28 new public parking spaces.
Maltby Road is located about a 20-minute drive north of the Tofino-Ucluelet Junction, on the left side of the Pacific Rim Highway.
According to April Froment, manager of public spaces, cultural and visitor initiatives, the new $50,000 gravel lot was fully funded through Tofino’s participation in the BC Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) Program.
“The goal of the project is to increase the amount of public parking at Cox Bay and help address the challenge of parked vehicles spilling out onto the highway on those busy days,” said Froment via email.
Additional wayfinding signaged will also be installed later on in the month to help direct visitors to the expanded free parking space.
From the lot, a short trail leads beachgoers to the south end of Cox Bay. There are currently no washroom facilities at Maltby Road, but there is one outhouse located at the beach end of this trail.
Froment said there are no immediate plans to construct washroom and changeroom facilities as funding from the RMI program has not been confirmed past March 2018.
“If the program does continue, further investment in washroom/changeroom facilities is very likely,” she notes.