This is a nice and beautiful lake to walk around. There are a few trails you can take, either to…read morego around the lake, or go to other areas like the Upper Lake, another loop that is a little steeper, etc. The lake is calm and there are some animals in the lake. I was up high so couldn't see tell if they were beavers or another animal. I assumed they were beavers as they can't be otters. There were 3 swimming by the inner rock in the middle of the lake and it looked like they were playing. I wish I had brought my camera but only had my phone. It was quiet when we went and it looks like you can kayak or canoe on the lake. No gas or electric motors on the lake.

We stayed in Langford when I visited Victoria, and this wonderful lake park was recommended. It's a…read moregorgeous and clean lake! There is a trail that goes around the lake and I've heard the lake is about a couple miles long. The lake itself is pretty big and is not circular like the main trail. I saw there are other trails that leads you to other parts of the lake. You can kayak the lake to see the size and see more views, like upper Thetis Lake. The trail is super easy to walk on and can be finished in like 30 minutes if strolling. The lake itself is very pretty and can get quite deep. It's very clean looking and you and see very clearly. It's definitely big enough to float around on a float and enjoy the hot weather. The lake can get pretty populated during the summer time. I went on a Monday and it can get quite full on the beach portion of the lake. There's also a West beach and I've noticed more dog owners go there. On the Main Beach, there is a bathroom, benches/tables, foot washing station, and water fountains. You can also walk around the lake and find a little cove for more isolated and away from the crowd. In the more isolated areas, there are nice rocks that you can sit up on or dirt covered areas. In the other areas, I've seen people diving off cliffs. There are signs around the lake that warns people of cliff diving. No alcohol is an allowed ($200 fine) and parking is around $2.25 until sunset. There are over flow parking lots as well.

Winding from Ogden Point to Rock Bay, this is about a 5 km/3 mi scenic stroll along the edge of…read morethe water. I started from The walkway is well maintained, with boardwalks and pavement to keep you on your way. There are benches along the way so if you want to stop and admire a particular viewpoint for longer, you can rest and do so. You really get amazing views of the harbour from multiple angles. Bring binoculars so you can look at passing ships, seaplanes, and wildlife in the harbour. You could also try people watching, although this footpath isn't particularly busy. You can easily step off the pathway to explore the surrounding businesses. Grab a coffee or a bite to eat if you want to spend longer outside! I think this is a nice way to enjoy a sunny day and explore Victoria by foot.

the david foster harbour pathway in victoria stretches for roughly 5 km along the edge of the…read moreharbour, running between ogden point and the rock bay area, depending on where you begin and end your walk. it's an easy, mostly level route that threads together waterfront promenades, boardwalks, causeways, park paths, and the occasional short street connection, always staying close to the water. what makes it stand out is less the path itself and more the harbour it traces. the entire walk feels alive with movement. kayakers slip quietly through the calmer water near fisherman's wharf and the inner harbour, while harbour ferries cut steady lines between downtown, songhees, chinatown, and the surrounding waterfront neighbourhoods. floatplanes rise and settle throughout the day, briefly skimming the surface before disappearing into the sky, and passenger ferries come and go in a constant rhythm. it all blends into a kind of layered motion, as if the harbour never really pauses. the pathway is named after david foster, the victoria born, grammy award winner, producer, songwriter, and composer whose work spans decades and includes songs like i will always love you, all by myself, and st. elmo's fire (rick hansen's man in motion). the name itself, though, came later. the route had already existed for years as part of victoria's broader harbour walkway system before being officially renamed in 2010 during the city's 150th anniversary celebrations. the dedication also marked the 25th anniversary of the david foster foundation, recognizing both his musical legacy and his philanthropic work. even so, the name often feels secondary to the experience. many people still refer to it simply as the harbour pathway, and in practice it functions less as a standalone trail and more as a continuous extension of the inner harbour itself. the david foster designation sits gently on top of something that was already fully formed, more a recognition than a reinvention. in the end, it doesn't feel like a conventional walking route. it feels more like a corridor through a living waterfront, where pedestrian paths, marine traffic, tourism, and everyday city life overlap without ever fully separating. ferries, floatplanes, cyclists, locals, and visitors all move through the same frame, and the scene never quite repeats itself, even if you walk it twice in the same day.

When on island time I love to seek out a high viewpoint. Our hike on Turtleback Mountain had some…read moreof the most breathtaking views we had. There are two parking lots, one at the South trailhead and the other at the North. We took the South Trail to the West Overlook to the Ridge trail and stayed on it to the Ravens Ridge trail and the outside of Center Loop trail to return. The South Trail starts in the woods as it goes up and up to the ridge and mountaintop. The first mile and the early part of the hike were tough, it felt like walking on my elliptical with the ramp all the way up. You'll be quickly rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding islands. Did you pack a lunch or a beer? This was a perfect break spot. Carry on through the woods, fields and cliffs and complete your loop. Wildflowers were blooming anywhere the sunlight found it's way through the canopy. Simply stunning. Take a photo of the map at the trailhead Pack a lunch and beer You're going through the woods and exposed at the top, you need bug spray and sunblock Pack it in, pack it

Second Stop: "A Perfect Day on Orcas island" Collection…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/collection/Bgd9G40BjYMmHuJoM5MpHw Well this is an awesome hiking trail system with spectacular views. We did the short 1.5 mile to Ship Peak. 931" straight up and 931' straight down. That ham and egg omelet was sitting pretty heavy on the way up. LOL We have done other trails and they are all awesome. Check it out.

We did some hiking around here, checked out Cattle Point Lighthouse, and generally creeped on…read morefoxes. Definitely a success on all points. The hiking was great, the water views and beaches were lovely and not packed, the foxes adorable. We look forward to returning adhesion next spring.

Wow! Only one review, and it's two stars? This wrong must be righted…read more Californians unimpressed? Ho hum. Don't come back, and don't send any of your friends up here to mess the place up. Just repeat '2 star' like you're ordering mediocre Thai food: Not so hot. They'll get the picture. Olympic National park just average? Compared to which temperate rainforest? Rainer? Just a big hunk of rock and ice, and it's always behind the clouds. How about North Cascades? Just wannabe alps. It's like the Yelpers who gave a 1 star rating to Death Valley complaining that it was too hot, or that the Grand Canyon is just a big hole in the ground. Not helpful. San Juan islands have a lot to offer, and San Juan in particular has a lot of interest, but you need to get out of your car to enjoy it. Hike, bike, kayak, go whale watching, drop some crab pots, maybe tour the historic parks too. Sail, fish, go to the beach. You could also spend a lazy afternoon shucking and eating fresh oysters on the bluff at Westcott bay. You're here for island life mon. Watching whales off Lime Kiln point? Seen them on PBS. Orcas breaching In the Sound? We have some of those at Sea world. Argh. Spending a couple of hours shuttling between the mainland and the island, then driving around the island in your car? Yeah, that sounds boring. You missed it all. Now get off my lawn. Phew! I feel better.

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.

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!

Located in downtown Victoria, this park is a small piece of greenery at a semi-busy intersection…read morewith the ferry ramp. There's a bust/statue of the explorer Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra for which this park is named after. You may also recognize the name from Quadra Street and Quadra Island. Captain Quadra explored the west Coast of North America for the Spanish Royal Navy, so he is of importance. The park has large trees and benches, so it's a perfect spot to catch your breath, or spend some time waiting for the ferry as it's not too far away. Also tucked away is a friendship bell monument celebrating the twin city of Morioka Japan with Victoria BC. Placed in 2015, it was placed to commemorate the donations from Victoria after the 2011 earthquake in Morioka as well as to celebrate the twinning of the two cities. A nice respite from a busy downtown.

Small but pretty city park near Victoria Harbor. Attractive shade trees and walking paths, several…read morebenches for sitting, and a nice circular focus point adorn this park. Admired this park from a distance, our Best Western room looking right down on it. Most people use it for purely practical reasons, cutting through it as a shortcut while hustling to downtown Victoria. But those that can spare a few moments seem to enjoy the green break this park offers. The park was named for Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, a Spanish captain and former governor of the Spanish settlement of Vancouver Island. A commemorative bust can be found in the park.

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.