Beacon Hill Park, Victoria

Even those of us that live here love Beacon Hill Park. For many of us it holds fond memories of teenage (or older) trysts, family outings and solitary wanderings. What makes it so perpetually interesting is its variety of offerings and settings.

There's cricket on the pitch near Cook Street, a children's playground, the ever-popular petting zoo, the lookout with its fabulous views of the water, what was once the tallest totem pole in the world and acres of native and exotic trees and plants. There's a putting green, wandering peacocks and nesting herons and bald eagles.

The Cameron Bandshell often plays host to concerts during the summer and this year the park will again host the magical Luminara.

Coolest thing that has happened in the park in years is the installation of the Heron Cam that allows you to look at what a pair of nesting herons in the park are up to.

Don't forget to drop by the Beacon Drive In for soft ice cream after you've been to the park. And please don't give the ducks bread - remember real birds don't eat bread.

Beacon Hill Park is a Massive Park Located Near the City Centre. Its about a 20 minute walk towards the ocean from the Harbour. Its a great place to walk through and spend some time relaxing. While you are here you can see the worlds tallest totem pole (see picture). There are also great views towards Seattle over the Strait.

Beacon Hill Park is an easy walk from downtown Victoria. It's not as big as Stanley Park in Vancouver, but big enough to make you forget you are in the middle of a city. Inside the park there are small rock hills, well-maintained gardens, and a petting zoo to make your walk interesting. The south end of Beacon Hill Park is a good spot to view the mountain range of Olympic National Park on a good day. The southwestern corner of the park, where Dallas and Douglas intersect, is "Mile 0", the starting point of Trans-Canada Highway.

Exploring the beach at the end of Cook Street (by Beacon Hill Park)
Nothing can beat the experience of a morning spent along the beach, skipping rocks, listening to the waves crash against the shore... watching the birds soar above, with the view of the boats on the water and the snow capped peaks of the Olympic Peninsula in the background.

This park brings relaxation to Victoria’s downtown area. It is named for the beacons that were lit as a navigation aid. This 75 hectare park has streams, several duck ponds, a cricket field, playgrounds, wading pools, a children’s zoo, and a bandshell. In spring, this park is blanketed by hundreds of thousands of daffodils and blue camas, and over 30,000 plants replanted semi-annually. The Lookout, also known as Victoria’s "Lovers’ Lane" has a great view of the Juan de Fuca Strait. At the southwest end of the park where Douglas Street meets Dallas Road is official Mile Zero of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Wander along the pathways and stop in at the childrens’ petting zoo (Open 11am).

Beacon Hill Park
The park is right next to downtown, and extends to the waterfront. The park contains a cricket field, large playground for kids, lots of ponds with ducks and swans, an aviary, a children's zoo with farm animals and peacocks, beautiful trees, free concerts in the summer. I think the park is the most spectacular in Spring when all the cherry and plum trees are in blossom, and in Autumm when the maple and other deciduous trees are in full color, interspersed with the huge evergreen trees. I also like Spring because there are many broods of baby ducklings, which are so adorable. When I was a child almost every Sunday we would go to the park and feed the ducks bread crusts that we had collected in a brown bag all week long. I really liked looking at all the birds in the aviary too. Above the zoo is a hill that you can drive up to overlook the waterfront and across the straight, Port Angeles and the Olympic Mountains. Port Angeles is only 18 miles away and at night you can see cars driving up and down the streets.