Firstly, several of these reviews are for the wrong hot springs. If a review mentions a restaurant,…read moreor a resort, or a time slot, they are referring to the SOL DUC hot springs, not these ones. Also, the reviews that mention that the hike is easy are all outdated! It's a slog to get there! The Olympic hot springs are a 12 mile hike mostly uphill. It used to be a much shorter hike but about five years ago the road washed out and you now have to hike an extra 8 miles... 12 miles total... one way. It's a slog! The springs themselves, while pretty, are shallow, muddy, slimy, and overall pretty gross. The signs warn of fecal bacteria. If you're hoping to hike 12 miles to soak in pristine pools, think again. Nudity is common. If anyone is actually using the hot springs, they will likely be nude. Get over it!! Let the nudists have their place... and 12 miles deep in the woods is a nice place to be nude. You might also see nudists hiking or biking on the trail to the hot springs. It's not common but does happen occasionally. Just smile and say hi! The hike starts off easy on a paved road for about 3/4 of a mile. Then you have to use a single-track dirt bypass trail that is steep and rooty. If you're using a bike you'll be pushing and carrying it over things. Then you're put back on an old paved road again. It's another 2 miles to the Glines Canyon overlook which is fun to see. Then it's another 5 miles on the same road, but now 100% uphill and sometimes steep, just to reach the trailhead. Once at the trailhead, you're already over 8 miles into it and you have another 2.5 or so to hike... bikes not allowed. You have to park at the Madison Falls parking lot. You're supposed to have a National Park pass.

Enchanted springs in enchanted forest, I have camped here quiet a bit when in college…read more Most special hot springs on earth to me. Hike is fun not too strenuous

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.

A beautiful park in Victoria that reminded me a lot of of a small version of Central Park in New…read moreYork City. Tons of towering trees, lots of untouched, wild Lasic, beautiful, well tended to gardens, areas for kids to play as well as Pickleball and other courts for people to use to play. There's a dog park in There so you can take the dogs out for a walk as well. So many beautiful places and sites in this park. Which I'm sure would make for a great afternoon for any family that wanted to get away from home. A lot of it is taken care of by just a few People, and a number of volunteers to take care of gardens.

Super busy park - when I went last month, it was difficult to find parking on the south end of the…read morepark. There are two entrances so maybe the north end was better? Anyway, I went to Goldstream Falls and saw a huge group of salmon trying to jump up the falls. I'm not sure if any of them made it as it's very tall... The hike took a leisurely one hour, with the steepest part being right before the falls as there is a staircase leading down to the falls. There are huge trees and cool-looking fungi that dot alongside the trail. The trail follows the stream for a good bit so you hear the bubbling stream. The toilets are the composting/septic tank toilets without water, so be prepared. I wanted to go to Niagara Falls, but ran out of time. Maybe next time! At the time of this review, it looks like the trail to Niagara Falls is washed out and so inaccessible.

Their website states: This winter, from early December until late January, Goldstream Provincial…read morePark's Visitor Centre will be celebrating the return of the Bald Eagles with special programs and exhibits focusing on birds of prey. Not true. We came on January 22nd and the place was deserted. The Visitor Centre was closed and there was no eagle in sight.

Uplands Park is a series of trails overlooking the water right next to Willows Beach. The area…read morefeatures scenic views that cannot be beat. There are also deer,and rabbits in the area. The trails are not wheelchair accesible since there are stairs and plenty of steep rocks. Great place to paint, draw, hike, or picnic as you sit on the rocks over looking the water. Just make sure the sea gulls don't steal your food!

I've been lucky enough to come her twice in four months and even luckier that the second was during…read morelow tide. My daughter and I laughed that we were having enrichment time because there was so much to look at! We spent an hour alone looking at all the cool rocks and sea glass. The area is absolutely stunning!

We've been to this spot twice over the past five years. Once during the pandemic, and more recently…read morewith some friends while we were over on the peninsula. It was a nice play area for the kids, there appears to be a large amount of RV parking, there are a couple very acceptable port-o-potties, and most importantly there for some great rocky areas down by the water where the kids plus or minus you can go and explore! I've only been here when the tide has been in, but I can imagine what it is out, there are probably some pretty great tight pools. When we've been there, the small tide pools the form are great for looking for small fish, crabs, and see in enemies. It's basically going to the aquarium in real life! It takes a little bit to get here as it's about 10 miles off the main road, but the roads are nice and it goes quick. There's a more standard sandy beach just around the bend, but it's a private area and runs something like eight dollars a person to go enjoy it. We were more keen to hang out on the rocks after finding out!

This place is nothing short of breath-taking. Why? So scenic, and you don't have to break the…read morebody to get to it. What I mean by that is this. I fully expected to hike a fair distance to see the best of the best. But a good Samaritan took pity on me whilst looking at the map in the parking lot and gave me some valuable advice. He was there with his wife about to embark on some serious hiking from what I could see. Why was it valuable advice? Because the map was like trying to decipher a rubics cube. This man took all the guesswork away and cut to the chase to what I'm calling the Sweet Spot for viewing. Start at P lot 3, go to the end of the p lot to find the entrance of a trail. Go to the right to get on the trail, and veer for routes to the left, which are closest to the water. You will come to spectacular views of the potholes; high above, so be careful. There are no fences or ropes, so I can not stress more. Be uber careful. But so beautiful. And so much joy for so little work. Meaning I didn't have to walk far to be so richly rewarded. These pics are what I took, but do not do the experience justice. They don't show depth. You just gotta go and experience it for yourself. If I ever see that man again, I'd buy him a bottle of wine. He was a Godsend. I guess the best I can do now not knowing who he was, is a big fat thank you here. And hope he's a Yelper.

This place is super confusing!! I wish this park was labeled a bit more cause it was hard to find…read morepotholes that you can actually swim in! First off, please park on lot #2 for best route to the potholes. When you're there, head to Peddle Beach for a small peddle beach. You see a pothole that folks can lay around and swim in. You will see another trail that leads to the potholes. It's about a two minute walk to the what you'll see in my pictures. To the potholes, there are one or two other potholes too you can swim in. In my pictures, that's the place you want to go to. In there, there are rocks for to camp up at and you can swim In the shallow ends or in the deep ends. There are multiple holes that are available for you to pick from. The hard part is walking on the rock formulation cause it can hurt a bit and can be slippery cause of the water. And the water is COLD! But of course, when you're in, you'll be fine. You can walk around the trail, I don't remember the name, I think it was Water Trail? But it's just a trail for hikers. There is a PotHoles View Point and it is just to view these rapid potholes. There were some teenagers that said that you can hope the fence to go down. It look super sketchy, so we didn't go down with them. You can't really float down there given how rapid the water was going. When you first get into the park, there is an initial parking lot that doesn't require you to pay. You can swim and lay around there too. We noticed that it's mainly for kids so it can get crowded. Parking was pretty crowded when we leave, so get there early to avoid walking too far. Parking lot is $2.25 until sunset. It was a great park but so confusing!! Most of the people that we talked about the way were just as confused.

Mount Douglas Park and renamed the indigenous peoples name, Pkols is a beautiful park that a…read morerelative of mine recommended to our group of four. We drove to the top and took in the beautiful view near the parking lot which you can get a view of Victoria and the Straight of Juan De Fuca. We then proceeded up a trail that took us even higher and got a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding area of Vancouver Island. Entrance is free so it's definitely worth pursuing as far as sightseeing goes. Where we went to the top it's a manageable trail that you can do in casual shoes but if you want to climb up rocky trails it's probably best to have more rugged hiking shoes. At any rate this is a "must stop" while exploring the Victoria area.

Get your nature fix here in the Victoria area. There's easy hiking trails through the forest and a…read morenice little beach as well. The park is well maintained, with free parking, bathrooms, and even some EV charging stations. In no time you'll be refreshed and ready to face the city again.

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!

This is a lovely hike, about a mile each way to the falls. I personally found it pretty easy, but…read moreif you have less stamina or arthritis (ie my mother), it's a little challenging. Nevertheless - she was able to do it ok! She just had to stop for a couple breaks along the way. The entire trail is very scenic, there are many cool trees and vegetation plus streams and little bridges along the way, so great for pics! The falls are ofc magical as well. PLEASE heed the park sign's warnings and don't climb the railings, it's so dangerous :( people have gotten killed doing that. But if you keep to where you're supposed to, this trail is absolutely very safe :) The car park is a good size. I came on a Tuesday around 8am, and we had no trouble getting a spot, but this is a famous trail: we noticed on the way out that there were no spots left. Someone immediately took ours when we drove off, so plan accordingly! And ofc they have some NPS bathrooms available here, glorified portapotties in the little cubicle rooms, and hand sanitizer available but no running water.

The hike to Sol Duc Falls was another enjoyable hike that I did while visiting Olympic National…read morePark. Sol Duc Valley in Olympic National Park is a pretty area that has towering evergreens. The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is also in this valley. The Sol Duc Trail to the falls is a two-mile drive from the resort and is a easy hike to do. The trail itself is less than a mile long and is shaded with a dense forest canopy. After you cross over a small stream on a bridge, you will see the waterfall tumbling over moss-covered rocks. There are many ways to view Sol Duc Falls. It splits into four channels that cascades 48-feet into a narrow canyon. At certain times of the day, you can see rainbows in the mist surrounding the falls. I was able to take photos of many angles of these falls with my camera. I just wished I had my tripod with me. After spending time here at Sol Duc Falls, you have the option to continue your hike to Deer Lake or turn around and go back to the parking lot.

A great ridge hike with amazing views! Remember the parking opens after 9am though! There's only…read moreone outhouse at beginning of trail but the signage on the trails are awesome and you will not be lost! Value 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Service 3/5 Quality 5/5 18/20