Smaller than it appears in photos but lots to do for little toddler kids and bigger kids. About /…read morepark benches for parents to sit on. There is also a multi purpose court for sports use. It can be busy because it's hyped up so best to go on a weekday. The metal slide is pretty fast and not suitable for little ones in the rain.

Very well maintained and beautiful playground for children! My child occasionally asks for a visit…read moreand enjoys the park!

It's the peacock park! Plenty of peacocks flexing their tails. Well maintained. There's also the…read moreanimals area for kids. Well maintained.

Beacon Hill Park is such a beautiful and vast park! Our party of four had to break our exploring of…read moreit into two different rounds and each time it was great! There are beautiful ponds and fountains here in amongst lush trees. There are paths that lead you into all sorts of park adventures! On the first excursion we saw a juvenile owl in a tree and got some pictures of it as well as well as the Moss Lady statue as extra bonuses. On the second excursion we went to a wonderful rose garden, the Children's Farm which consists of various animals which are primarily barnyard types. We then went to the south end of the park and went to Mile Zero for the Trans Canadian Highway and a gorgeous view of the water from the Straight of Juan De Fuca. And we saw more juvenile owls out and about in the trees. Definitely a park to go to and it's the kind of place that will bring in tourist sightseers but will have locals or residents as well because it's clear it's a park that is loved by all.

Beacon Park lies at the foot of Sidney's Beacon Avenue, near the city's waterfront. For us, it,…read moreand immediate surrounding area, offered a lovely, scenic spot for some short walkabouts to catch some waterfront sights & sounds, on our way to catch the ferry back home at Swartz Bay. Wow, what a lovely spot, and our stop here provided a nice, but too brief time to really absorb and experience the offerings, but we did what we could, and sure enjoyed the views. And a fun plus for us, was chatting with some of the local residents out for their morning walks with their dogs!! Within the Park, there is art (some 'fun and clever' sculptures associated with the 'Sidney Seaside Sculpture Walk' begin here), a small pavillion, picnic tables, and walkways along the waterfront (to really enjoy the seaside views). And nearby, the boardwalk out onto the Sidney Wharf (with fish market, restaurant, access to boats/ferries, and such), and the back-side of the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre (with it's own great nature-related sculptures, set on the living tide-pool setup). We now know what's there, and next trip will plan better, to enjoy a little more of what Sidney's Beacon Park, and area has to offer. edit to add: stopped by again, April 27, on the way to catch the ferry. Shot a few pictures of the sculptures.

Awesome ferry ride over to the islands. With Beautiful views. Entering was easy and quick.read more

I only got to visit the American Camp side of this park, but it was wonderful!…read more Driving along Cattle Point Road you'll see signs to enter multiple different sites at the park. I mainly stopped at three locations: Cattle Point Interpretive Area: You can either take the steps down to the pebbly beach to feel more connected to the water, or go up the mossy mound to get a high ground view of... well, everything. I saw water, cliffs, islands, ducks, eagles, seals... unfortunately, no whales, though, prob because this is not the time of year they are around much. Cattle Point Lighthouse: Walked on a cute trail to the lighthouse, where I saw a humongous red fox on a hill, looking like it was digging or pouncing on something! On the other side of the lighthouse are views of miles of open sky and water. South Beach: On the road leading to the beach, we actually saw a black fox just chilling, lying on the road. It moved to the fenced area as we approached, and my gosh it was beautiful. I didn't even know black foxes existed! The beach itself is wide and has views of endless water, with some driftwood hanging out near you. I know there's so much more to the park that we didn't see, but I was quite happy with the wildlife and incredible scenery. Especially the foxes... I've only seen like one other (that I can remember), so seeing the ones here were such a bonus. The trails and sites that we missed are even more reason to return to San Juan Island National Historical Park. I just hope I'm able to come out to this island again someday.

I hadn't planned to visit Lime Kiln Point State Park while staying on San Juan Island, but our BnB…read morehost INSISTED we include a visit to the park in our itinerary. Lesson learned; always trust the guidance of locals when visiting a new place. This park is a gem! Visitors will find this gorgeous park located on the west side of the Island, perfectly situated to offer stunning views of the Salish Sea. The park is named for its historic lime kiln used by settlers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. An interpretive center has displays and activities about orcas and the area's lime kiln industry once important to the region. The coastline is incomparable! A five to ten minute downhill walk from the parking lot reveals remarkable views of the Olympic Mountains and an expansive view of sparkling water stretching far into the distance. It's said this site is one of the best whale watching locations in the islands, where visitors will most likely be able to see orcas! We weren't fortunate enough to find any during our visit, but the scenery was rewarding enough. The trail continues along the rocky shoreline, passing several pristine coves and thickets of madrones with twisted, curling red bark. The trail soon reveals a beautiful lighthouse on a rocky bluff, and the lime kilns in the distance. There is a well-curated gift shop back at the parking lot, as well as picnic tables, information kiosks, and public restrooms. There's a whole lot of beauty packed into this 42 acre park... something you won't want to miss!

Truly a picturesque park with beautiful coastal hikes. We certainly enjoyed walking along the…read morecoastline while taking in the scenery. Walking to the lighthouse was a perfect adventure and not strenuous if you are looking for a pretty easy hike. Stop and look out for whales (we didn't see any) and also check out the tide pools!

It's not a fun park unless you're a kid. Then it's a blast with a playground that has those weird…read morecircular htings that swing you around with your weight and other fancy playground items. But this park is more about the sunset. I was in town as a day trip and the weather was so nice that I wanted to check out the sunset. We sat there people watching on the bench as the sun started sinking over the water. People walked out down the pier and it made for really nice pictures. Once the sun went down, people left because there was a chill in the air, but until that moment, the sunset was magical. Definitely glad we hung around for twilight.

Washington Park is beautiful. The scenic loop is a great drive (go slow 10 mph there are…read morepedestrians on the paved road too). There are spots for cars to park on the loop to enjoy the view (and a disability parking spot). Take advantage of the easy and beautiful access to epic views of Burrows Island and the pass at this park before getting on the ferry to the San Juan islands or staying in Anacortes.

Beautiful park for a stroll, picnic, or just sitting on a boulder or bench to enjoy the wildlife…read moreand landscape. We may have been lucky on a Monday afternoon in April to find parking. The trails offered easy, short walks in lots of shade. Pretty place to visit!

Such a great park with many lovely beaches and trails. There is camping too, from where whales are…read moreoften seen. Good place to take kids.

Friends told me I had to visit this place and boy am I glad I did. Our downside was that it was…read morerainy. :( However, you can still walk around. They do offer umbrellas for you to use which is nice. Beautiful garden with different areas. Spend however much time you want. It's just beautiful. You really can't go wrong.

Happy June 1st, Oh my goodness, My heart is filled with…read morehappy tears & Joy, I finally get to cross The Butchart Gardens off my bucket list, also it will be one of those places that I have to add back on the bucket list. I always wated to visit the Butchart Garden, a dream of mines since 2019, when we first visited Canada but there wasn't time. I keep requested to the hubby to take me back to Canada every time we visit PNW but he kept saying the weather has to be good. ( We normally visit PNW during Spring and Winter) Welp, if finally happened after 7 years, I planned our trip in May and the weather was so perfect, it was meant to be! Thank you to my wonderful love, he drove 6 hours, 3 hours round trip ferry ride, not including the drive from Richmond- Ferry, & Ferry to Butchart Gardens. hehe. Who does this? but this is all to make me happy which I so grateful. I have to say, this visit was an expensive one, round trip Ferry ride on the BC Ferries, plus admission to gardens, came out to $300. but it was all so worth it as I cared more for collecting memories vs. things. I loaded 100+ plus photos on Yelp, went crazy! About Butchart Gardens, some quick notes/facts from researching before my trip: *located in Brentwood Bay, near Victoria BC on Vancouver Island *55 arces of display gardens *started in 1904 by Jennie Butchart *National Historic Site, family owned for 4 generations with 1 million visitors/year. 5 main gardens you will see: Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, Mediterranean Garden. My thoughts: Where do I begin, when I saw my other half taking photos too of the plants/florals, ( & this is not something he would do) this filled my heart with joy even more, hehe. The Butchart Gardens was sooooo Amazing, I had such a great time strolling the gardens with the love of my life, enjoying and taking it all in, seeing all the florals, plants, trees, every thing, just too much leave in my review. Things that make me so happy! I just love the happy place vibe so much! Our visit was during late May and it is Rhododendrons and Azaleas are in season, the trees are so beautiful and such nice colors! So happy to see the Peonies blooming, thinking of my sister. Thinking of my momma and I wished she was here to see this. I've asked the staff about Cherry Blossoms trees and he mentioned there are a total of 2 in the gardens. I didn't see any Hoya plants growing here. As usual, I wish we got more time here, like I would spend the entire day here not, just 4 hours. Check out the map, explore the garden, take your time, wear comfortable shoes, ask all the questions you have at the information center, check out the Butchart Garden book, if you like to know more about the owner and history of the Gardens, its at the information center. There is also a boat ride but that is additional fee. Overall, I LOVED my visit and hope to be back again not soon but I will plan to be back, if the hubby will take me again. hehe. Happiness blooms from within, enjoy life and these precious moments!

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.