Vancouver Island Things To Do

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

51,077-ha (126,214-ac) Pacific Rim National Park Reserve contains all of the most striking features of Vancouver Island geography: enchanting beaches, majestic forests and picturesque island chains. Tide pools teem with sea life while marine birds nest and feed in great numbers. More than 20,000 Grey Whales migrate through the park's waters from mid-March through mid-April, while certain offshore islands are home to noisy hordes of sea lions. There are hiking trails, including the rugged, 75-km (47-mi) West Coast Trail, as well as a campground and an interpretive centre where visitors can learn about the park's natural and cultural heritage (there are a number of Aboriginal reserves within the park). The Broken Group Islands archipelago is accessible only by boat but is well worth the effort - it is home to some of the park's most stunning scenery.

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a 108-km (65-mi) drive west from Port Alberni via Highway 4.

> Pacific Rim Park website.

Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park

Although it's officially a marine park, 97-ha (240-ac) Montague Harbour is just as popular with drive-in and cycle-in visitors as it is with boaters. The park starts five m (16 ft) below sea level, climbing 180 m (591 ft) to a steep, rocky precipice. A spectacular rock ledge covered with rippling patterns created by glaciers is a stand-out feature of Gray Peninsula.

The park's white-shell beaches were created by Aboriginal "middens" (heaps of cast-away shells). Montague Harbour Park is home to many rare and protected plants and a vast array of bird species. There are two campgrounds, one for boaters and cyclists and one for motorists, as well as an amphitheatre and a floating nature house.

Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park is located on Galiano Island. Galiano is serviced by BC Ferries from both Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island and Tsawwassen on the mainland.

A word or two on your excursion:

• Admission fee in effect

> Montague Harbour Marine Park website.

Strathcona Provincial Park

250,000-ha (617,763-ac) Strathcona Provincial Park is Vancouver Island's oldest and largest park. Visitor-oriented developments exist only in the Buttle Lake and Forbidden Plateau vicinities. The rest of the park is a rugged mountain wilderness filled with alpine lakes as well as meadows, rivers and streams. There are many hiking trails in the park, some very challenging, as well as a number of campgrounds suitable for boating, RVing or backpacking/tenting. Visit the Outdoor Education Centre near the park entrance to sign up for wilderness skills training, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing or guided expeditions. Weather conditions for these activities are best from June through September.

The southern access point to the park is a one-hour drive from Courtenay via Highway 19 and Mount Washington Road. The northern access point to the park is a 45-minute drive from Campbell River via Highway 28.

> Strathcona Park website.

Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park

347-ha (610-ac) Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park is particularly suited to family outings. The park is famous for its beach, which at low tide becomes a stretch of sand almost one km (0.6 mi) wide. When the tide comes in, you can swim in water warmed by the sun-baked sand. At lunchtime, make your way to the nearby picnic area, which is well equipped with tables, a shelter and adventure playground. Afterward, stroll along one of the park's easy walking trails, which wind through old-growth forest, along beaches and past a heritage farm.

The best swimming weather occurs from June through September. If you're a bird lover, consider visiting in March or April, when Brandt Geese use the park's beaches as a staging area for their migration to northern Canada and Alaska.

Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park is a five-minute drive south from Parksville via Highway 19A.

> Rathtrevor Beach Park website.

Cape Scott Provincial Park

There's a lot to see in 22,566-ha (55,762-ac) Cape Scott Provincial Park, a popular day-hike and backpacking destination. Scenery along the park's more than 115 km (72 mi) of ocean frontage includes rocky promontories, salt marshes, sea stacks, jagged headlands and white- sand beaches. Nels Bight, the most striking beach, is a popular camping spot. Cape Scott offers a spectacular shoreline and pockets of old-growth forest with trees as large as three m (9.8 ft) in diameter. Many species of wildlife live in and around the park, including deer, Elk, bears, Cougars, seals, sea lions, whales and myriad bird species. The eastern portion of the park contains a number of estuaries that are accessible only by boat.

Cape Scott Provincial Park is located on the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, 64 km (40 mi) west of Port Hardy via a combination of public highways and private logging roads.

A word or two on your excursion:

• Be prepared for adverse weather conditions year-round
• Please visit the BC Parks website for details on current trail conditions

> Cape Scott Park website.

Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park

336-ha (830-ac) Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park offers visitors many services and facilities, including a large, day-use picnic area, an open grassy area, walk-in campsites with pit and flush toilets as well as a visitor centre that provides daily food service and interpretive programs from May to October. A 22-km (14-mi) trail system traverses the island. Along the shoreline, you'll find steep sandstone cliffs, sunny beaches as well as tucked-away caves and caverns. Inland, you'll find a mature forest of Douglas-fir, Garry oak, arbutus and dogwood. The island has a long and colourful history: Aboriginal villages, coal mining, quarrying, fishing industries, a pleasure resort plus a shipyard all thrived here at one time or another.

Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park is accessible only by boat and is a 10-minute, passenger-only ferry ride from Nanaimo.

> Newcastle Island Marine Park website.

Beacon Hill Park

Beacon Hill Park is Victoria's oldest municipal park. It features paved and cedar-chip walking trails that wind past manicured lawns, picturesque bridges, quiet lakes and ponds as well as themed gardens, which are in full bloom from mid-May through October. Trees in the park include Garry oak, arbutus, Douglas-fir, western red cedar, birch, willow and maple, as well as a number of exotics. At 75 ha (200 ac), this urban park is large enough to support many bird species and other wildlife, so buff up those binocular lenses!

The recreational venues at Beacon Hill Park are many: soccer fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a putting green, a 100-year-old cricket pitch, a petting zoo, spray pools and playgrounds.

Beacon Hill Park is within easy walking distance of downtown Victoria.

> Beacon Hill Park website.

Mount Douglas Park

A lovely year-round destination, 182-ha (449-ac) Mount Douglas Park is at its best during springtime when native wildflowers blanket its hills, meadows and forest floor. A steep, winding road leads 213 m (758 ft) to the summit, where you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula and the Malahat. On a clear day, you can enjoy magnificent vistas of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains as well as the Gulf and San Juan Islands. If you prefer not to climb, take a leisurely walk along the sandy beaches of Cordova Bay or lunch at one of the many picnic tables near the playground.

Mount Douglas Park is a 20-minute drive from downtown Victoria.

> Mount Douglas Park website.

Goldstream Provincial Park

Goldstream Provincial Park protects a number of endangered species of flora and fauna. It also plays a major role in conserving the Goldstream River salmon run. A network of nature walks and trails lead past the many delights of this 477-ha (1,179-ac) park, such as 600-year-old western redcedars, gold-mine shafts from the 1800s and salmon spawning streams. The Mount Finlayson Trail, a steep two- to three-hour hike, winds through Douglas-fir forest and arbutus and oak groves before emerging onto views of Finlayson Arm and Victoria.

If you're interested in salmon spawning, visit the park from late October through November. You can view Bald Eagles from mid-November through January (December is the peak month for this). A video camera and telescopes at the Visitor Centre allow for a good view of the action.

Goldstream Provincial Park is a 25-minute drive northwest from downtown Victoria via Highway 1.

> Goldstream Park website.