Hiking

For a pleasant hour-long ramble park at Methuen Road and 6th Avenue, then strike off on the “upper loop” trail that takes in a waterfall, a pair of colliery dams (built in the first decade of the 1900s for the coal mining industry), and the Rotary Look-Out Trail (which leads to a scenic view picnic area). The parking lot on Mackie Road off Malone Road is a good bet for those who merely want to catch the view from the nearby waterfall. Bed and breakfast guests at the south end of town can work off their breakfasts by stepping onto the trail at the estuary and tackling the entire route.

Heart Lake and Stocking Lake

The Holland Creek Trail is the starting point for longer, tougher climbs higher up the hillside. A steep climb (initially via a stone staircase) takes hikers to Heart Lake; the viewpoint, which takes in the Gulf Islands and the mainland, is one of the best in the region. There are two choices at the lake itself: Turn east and march on toward Stocking Lake and the newly created Stocking Creek Park in Saltair, or take the western Heart Lake Loop and circle around and back to Holland Creek via Sand Hill and the Chicken Ladder Dam.

Marine Trail and Downtown

Spend a pleasant hour or two wandering through Ladysmith's historic downtown, by heading down to the waterfront and finally looping back to main street. From the Visitor Centre at 1st Avenue and Roberts Street, stroll east to Methuen Street, and head toward the water via a pedestrian tunnel below the busy Trans Canada Highway. Enjoy some rest and relaxation at Transfer Beach Park, or keep walking onward past Slag Point (site of coal mining operations in the early decades of the last century) and loop back to town via the staircase near the community marina.

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