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Mount Douglas sits north of Victoria, just off the route to/from the BC Ferry terminal in Swartz Bay. You can either hike up or drive up. The few from there is nothing short of absolutely spectacular. Temperatures vary but it often tends to be very windy so be sure to dress accordingly. Leave a Comment
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This is one of my favorite lakes in the Victoria. I go there about twice a week to run. It's about 5K around the lake and it's beautiful. East to get to from the highway and off the Galloping Goose trail. Swimming there is very popular in hte summer and the beach is always packed. The water is a little cold for all those non-Canadians out there!
Dogs are allowed off-leash so it's a great place to take your dog. Leave a Comment
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At only 2 hours from Victoria you can find Juan de Fuca. Juan de Fuca is a beautifull place where you can see sea lions and other animal, but only in some times of the year, not at winnter.
You mus be careful there beause some times the waves come thre very big. Watch the see all the time you walk near it.
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At the corner of Douglas Street and Dallas Road, you will find the "Mile Zero" marker of the Transcanadian Highway. The Transcanadian Highway is the longest national highway in the world and it begins (or ends) in Victoria and travels for 7,821 km across the country before reaching St. John's, Newfoundland.
Near the marker, there is a statue of Terry Fox that was unveiled in 2005 to mark the 25th anniversary of Fox's "Marathon of Hope". On April 12, 1980, the 22-year-old who had lost a leg to cancer dipped his foot in the Atlantic Ocean at St. John's, Nfld, and started running across the country to raise money for cancer research. He had planned on dipping his foot in the Pacific Ocean at a beach in Victoria located near the Mile Zero marker. Unfortunately, cancer spread to his lung and he was unable to make it to Victoria. He died on June 28, 1981, and every year thousands of Canadians take part in the Terry Fox Run to continue what he had begun. Leave a Comment
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It's beautiful park with beautiful scenery!
You will be surrounded by nature all around! Leave a Comment
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Cathedral Grove (in MacMillan Provincial Park) is a stand of some of the largest and oldest Douglas fir trees in the world. Some trees are 800 years old and 9 meters in circumference! While not located immediately nearby Victoria, if you are willing to go out of your way several hours in one direction by highway, you can easily make Cathedral Grove a part of a long day trip from Victoria.
The park is relatively small - you pull off the highway, park your car, and go for a walk. The paths are pretty even, as I seem to recall, and are not strenuous at all. It's definitely a "walk" as opposed to a true "hike". I don't remember how long we stayed there, but we were driving from Nanaimo to Tofino when we went, and we probably spent 20 minutes there. There's information about the trees and the forest as you walk through, so it's an education experience as well.
Unfortunately over the past decade (perhaps due to global warming?) Vancouver Island has been experiencing fierce winter storms with stronger-than-normal hurricane-like winds - winds which have knocked down some of these trees. The last time I visited was in 1994, so it's well over 10 years. However, I have been told that it's still very much worth a visit as many of the trees still survive.
The only way to get here is by car - no public transit stops here. It's located between Nanaimo and Port Alberni. The park is also free, although there may be a donation box - some parks on Vancouver Island have them as a way to help maintain the park.
This is probably the most accessible old growth temperate rainforest near Victoria. The reason why you can't find these types of forests closer to Victoria is because its climate is actually much drier than that of Vancouver Island's west coast. Also, most of the forests immediately surrounding Victoria have been logged, so they're younger, smaller trees. The west coast of Vancouver Island is where you really need to be if you're interested in the old growth temperate rainforests, but it's a 5 hour drive from Victoria. Leave a Comment
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The Giant Owl has markings on its wings that look as if you are seeing an Owl.
Plates of bananas are set out with a gauze over the fruit, so that the butterflies can sip the sweetness from the fruit. Leave a Comment
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Come at the right time of year (late April to late May) and see spectacular, huge rhododendrons in bloom in this known-mostly-to-locals park. To get here take the number 6 bus (catch it across from the Dutch Bakery on Fort Street) and ask the bus driver to let you off near the intersection of Rock and Quadra.
To get back to town walk back down to Quadra Street, cross to the other side that you got off from and catch a bus back into town. Or continue on to the intersection of Quadra and McKenzie (away from town) where you'll find a shopping centre (Saanich Centre) where you can have a coffee (Starbucks), fast food (Quiznos, Dairy Queen), 'Canadian' food (White Spot) or buy fruit and baked goods (Thrifty Foods). There's also a Keg Steakhouse before you reach Saanich Centre and as the restaurant is housed in an old winery you may find this an interesting place to have your dinner. Leave a Comment
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Swan Lake is a little gem of a nature sanctuary in the middle of suburbia. Probably the easiest way to get to it from downtown Victoria is to take the number 6 bus from Fort Street (across from the Dutch Bakery) and ask the driver to let you off at the WhiteSpot Restaurant at Saanich Centre.
Cross Quadra (the street the bus was travelling on) at the demand lights (you push a button to get them to change to green) that are near the bottle return depot. Walk down the Galloping Goose trail that begins on the other side of Quadra. Continue across the trestle and cross Saanich Road. You are now at Swan Lake.
You can enter the trail that goes round the lake by a small path just near the bus stop where you crossed Saanich Road. The trail circles the lake and takes you across the floating boardwalk that crosses the lake.
There's also a Nature House that is open daytime hours. The Nature House has natural history displays suited to children as well as seed for sale (to feed the ducks, real birds don't eat bread). There is a native plant garden, bird feeders and guided walks on Wednesdays and Sundays at 9:00 am. For more info see http://swanlake.bc.ca/ Leave a Comment
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Victoria (and the whole of the province of British Columbia) is one of the most 'wired' areas in the world and it shows in how the Internet has been embraced by municipal government in the city.
Victoria the city is actually split up into a number of municipalities and several of them have EXCELLENT websites that allow you to find parks that have facilities that might appeal to you. Whether you're looking for a park that has boat access or interpretive signs or facilities for specific sports you can probably find it using a website.
In Saanich check out http://www.gov.saanich.bc.ca/webapp/parks/parksearch.jsp, in Victoria proper check out http://www.city.victoria.bc.ca/residents/prksrc_prks_guide.shtml (unfortunately this is just an alphabetical list), in Oak Bay http://www.oakbaybc.org/parks/parks.htm (a list but with some division into categories) and Esquimalt (http://www.esquimalt.ca/recreation/esq-p&r/parksf.htm) and Capital Regional District Parks (http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/) Leave a Comment
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