For an easy, scenic walk with ample parking, come to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park! You can walk…read morethe trails, on the beach and sit on one of the many beautiful benches they have provided. Vancouver Island is simply beautiful and scenic and reconnecting with nature is so easy in this lovely land. Highly recommend and will definitely return, eh!

While we were at Parksville on Vancouver Island, we took a morning stroll along a good length of…read morethe Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. This is a beautiful place whether you want to stay for a couple of hours, or camp overnight (we didn't, so I couldn't tell you where the campsites were). Washrooms are conveniently spaced apart, there are lots of trees and shaded areas, and dozens upon dozens of solid picnic tables galore. I could imagine hauling all of our food with lots of friends/family down to this beach and NOT worry about having to find parking or a picnic a spot. There are plenty of trees to provide ample shade, and the sandy beach is never more than a minute away. The beach is the most awe inspiring and beautiful when it is low tide; you will see a stretch of sandy flats as far as the eye can see!

About 15 min drive from Qualicum. We spent an hour walking…read morein a loop on the trail around the falls Watch your step Wear good shoes Did not see a bathroom ! Don't leave valuable in your car Very beautiful place Kids liked it too Nice place for a picnic

Nice, easy outdoor activity with beautiful scenery. The lower falls are only a few flights of…read morestairs down from the parking lot. There's a nice bridge to cross and you can go further down stream for a better look at the area. The higher falls are a further walk but are worth it! The walk isn't tough and the trail well kept. There's a series of falls and different look out points along the way. Very beautiful!

This park is fairly close to downtown Nanaimo with its charming restaurants and bookstores and home…read moreto a beautiful waterfall. They gave a map of the area in the visitor center as the other reviewer kindly noted it had a duck pond, fountains, and a waterfall. On the snowy day that we were there we also noticed many sledding and a few intrepid photographers hoping to capture the perfect shot. The waterfall isn't tall but perfect in its nature setting and made our youngest quite happy to see its beauty.

Bowen park is a long park with the entrances mainly on Bowen. The park has a creek running through…read moreit as well as several ponds. The park is great for trail running or just walking around or taking photos. Through out the park has many informational landmarks about nanaimo.

it was not on our primary itinerary. But on plan B. Having more time on hand we decided to take our…read morekid there so he could see farm animals and peacocks. It truly is amazing park. Very similar to Golden Gate but still very different. The ey don't charge fees but there is suggested fee ($7 for adults $6 for kids. Or you can donate Howe much ever you like. The farm animals and specially petting goats was the best experience. We saw many peacocks and peahens roaming freely. The ducks and geese in all the ponds were keeping children's entertained. They have multiple pathways and trails to walk or bike. We visited two of the children's playgrounds on two different days. Definitely plenty of parking all over. If you have little ones definitely recommend to visit to have their play time. It also is mini Butchart gardens if you missed the real one.

A huge public resource to the area; lots of manicured lawns and plants and wildlife surprisingly…read more We saw deer, heron, ducks, geese, and for some reason, peacocks. Fairly large sized area for walking as well.

A very very nice scenic are along the Puntledge river and a nice place to sunbath and relax but I…read morerecommend being very careful swimming in that area because of strong currents and undertows.

Easily the unexpected highlight of our trip to BC and, especially the Comox Valley. This is a…read moreregional park near Courtenay that's easy to find and worth a side trip for the falls. Its a nice, short hike to the falls, which are just beautiful and super fun for the whole family. Its hard to describe but picture a clear stream with rocks and deeper pools that you can walk or swim across. When we were there, we ran into quite a few families, as well as travelers, many of whom appeared to be ready to spend much of the day there. Super chill and just gorgeous. Don't miss.

My parents live 5 mins from here, so it tends to be our go-to for one of our Island Beach Days!…read more They have a really great playground & water squirt park, clean change/rest rooms. The beach itself isn't bad, but it can be quite rocky so I would strongly suggest to wear a cheap pair of rubber flip flops on the beach and wear them in the water! Also, the water is COLD! You can swim in it, but it's a rough go on the way in! Another thing to be aware of is the tide. At times you can walk and walk and walk before you get to swim. However, the tide will come in quickly, so watch your bags, towels etc. When we were there the first week of July, we decided to go onto a rock mass that was above sea level by quite a bit and had a Tee Pee on it! It was quite private as there was only another coupon on it at the time. We swam (froze) but generally had fun. We had waded across below the knee level to get to it. When we decided to leave, it was no longer knee level- it came up past my chest (I'm 5-8) I slightly panicked as I didn't know how we were going to get back to the beach. Luckily my husband is 6-2, but he had to carry the bags above his head in order for him to safely get across without getting our phones etc. wet! Funny after the fact, not so much at the time !!

This is a huge park! There are plenty of parking all over. We parked somewhere in the middle near…read morethe children playground. Lots of families were there on the day we went. There is a green space in the middle where the arboretum is. It feels peaceful to walk in the greenery under the cover of the trees. During low tide, you can see the seabed as far as the eyes can see. Families will take the opportunity to be out there with their beach towels. I did not venture out there but I think you will also see shellfish in the seabed. The advisory was not to harvest them as they are contaminated. My favorite part of this park is at the end where there is a Legacy Labyrinth. It is quieter here. You can meditate while walking the labyrinth. There are also many cairns set on the logs. Pretty neat to see them.

Nice easy hike that is safe for dogs. However, this hike does have some rocky sections. There's…read morelots of wide open spaces, bodies of water, and some wild life.

Beautiful waters here! Short hike, easy access, be prepared to swim…read more PARKING It's a small parking lot, maybe 10 spots, with overflow on the road around it. I've been here in the afternoon on a weekday in July and midday in a weekday in August. Both times we were lucky and one spot was open. Generally there's turnover since it's a short hike and you can get a spot. AMENITIES There is a bathroom at the trailhead, no water. There are tons of educational signage about the wildlife and plants in the area. DIFFICULTY & TIME Short hike, very little elevation change. You can get to the actual Smuggler Cove in about 30-40 minutes with a 4 and a 6 year old in tow (this is right before the loop starts). I've done the entire full lollipop loop in exactly one hour with only adults. SHADE The hike is 95% shaded. RECEPTION I had 5G reception for most of the hike (T-mobile). CROWDS It was busy but not too crowded both times I went. It was more empty when I went in the afternoon (July 2023). There were many more swimmers during my midday visit in August 2024, but still easy to get your own little private small cove to swim in. SWIMMING In August, we went swimming in the cove. It's not tropical, but it's not nearly as cold as other parts of the ocean. Lots of people were swimming, and a lot of people brought inflatable stand up paddleboards or kayaks.

This park is like a scene out of a movie. It's breathtaking during winter and summer, only with…read morethe water changing to a pretty cool looking aquamarine green during the summer time. Fitzsimmons Fan Park is tucked away on the right side of Green Lake in front of Nicklaus North Golf Course. Its an easy stroll from Table 19 restaurant on the course and if you are not visiting the course, you'll need to park in the parking lot designated for Dream River Park. The main area of this park is a sandy Delta that sticks out quite far into the lake. Its a great area for those that love fishing and this park is very dog friendly. Its almost like a sandy beach in the middle of a lake and my three fur babies love getting their feet wet in the water and digging holes. I have seen many owners allows their dogs to roam around off leash so I think its ok to do that, just make sure to watch your surroundings for bears. There have been many bear sightings by others in this area and I've seen the trail leading up to the sandy delta covered in bear poop. The views behind the lake of mount currie are spectacular and even during the summer time, the peaks up there are still snow capped. It makes for amazing photos and a different contrast between beautiful blue water and sky and the snow of the mountains. It's also nice to set up a few beach chairs, have lunch and watch the seaplanes fly in from Victoria and Vancouver. Overall this is a spectacular spot to take in the lake and mountain beauty of Whistler!

This trail is a fairly easy one from town and really pays off with this ridiculously beautiful…read morelake. The lake seems to also be a sanctuary for Western toads and there is a lovely underpass built for them to travel safely. It has really worked because there are little toads everywhere on this underpass. The trail around the lake is easy to take on by bike, walking, or even a stroller. The lake has great bathing platforms in various spots and must be fun for swimming for those who have not been weakened by sunny California. We did see two bears on the hill maybe 100 yards above the path and very close to Whistler Village and a lone mountain biker who wisely paused and gave it space to cross the biking path in the woods.

A short hike from Whistler Village. Try the many trails. Lovely. Perfect summer day. Bring your…read moresunscreen