Nanaimo, British Columbia

There are many places to see the Salmon making their yearly return to spawning sites. This year while living on Vancouver Island I could not pass on the chance to marvel at this amazing sight. I decided to head to Stamp River to catch the run and was not disappointed, in fact it was so amazing I ...

The northwestern-most point of the San Juan Islands, Stuart Island, is arguably the most gorgeous island to circumnavigate. Unfortunately, as Stuart Island is 16 miles away from the closest ferry port, there is no simple way to get there in one day. A couple of options to get there include:1) Onc...

This hike is only doable if you are already on Stuart Island! There is no public transportation to Stuart Island, so you must already be there or have a plan to be there in order to complete this hike.I frequent this island during the summer months and it is one of my favorites. I always stay in ...

From the Britannia Beach parking lot walk north. There is a well established trail along the West side of the highway. Walk roughly 400 metres North and you will find a steep trail leading towards the ocean. You'll quickly come to a small boulder field, cross cautiously and follow the cairns. Fr...

The trail begins in the furthest northwest corner of the parking lot, by a big trail map. The start of the trail is gradual and meanders through the forest. The trail then begins to become more technical and requires scrambling over rocks and up areas with roots. Although this hike has minimal ga...

From the Mt. Seymour ski area parking lot, head towards the Mystery Peak Express. Once you have passed the base of the Mystery Peak Express, you will continue up the trail to your left (right goes to dog mountain, straight to the 3 peaks of Seymour). Follow the trail all the way up to the lake. T...

The elevation gain to first peak is approximately 451m and is about 9km.There are several ways to get to the top, each trail is marked well. One way is to follow the ski run up to brockton point and then take the turn off to Mount Seymour. Do not follow the Elsay Lake trail as it's signifciantly ...

From the end of the parking lot next to the BC Parks sign board, walk towards the ski run and follow it uphill to a green sign on the left. The first trail goes to Dog Mountain, another scenic and shorter hike then Mount Seymour. Instead, follow the trail that heads uphill and parallel to the ski...

This trip is best done in a 3-5 hour window. The trail meanders up past several peaks until you reach the summit and a panoramic view of Vancouver and the mountains.Start at the Mount Seymour Parking Lot, walk uphill and follow the trail to the left of the ski hill until you get to the the trail ...

A perfect way to get outside before or after work. Dog mountain is an easily accessible snowshoe trail that takes you up to the short peak from the Mt. Seymour parking lot. This is a perfect spot for sunrise or sunset photography, and you can catch great 360 views from the top. Start at the BC Pa...

From the parking lot at Belcarra Regional Park, follow the Jug Island Trail. It is well marked and well walked so it's near impossible to wander off in the wrong direction! The beach near Jug Island is at the very tip of the peninsula and offers beautiful views of the Indian Arm and surrounding m...

Park your car at the Belcarra Regional Parking Lot and head into the forest. There will be a trail marker beside the playground. Walk about 5 mins along this trail and cross the road. There will be two trails - take the one on the left and follow this trail uphill. The trail is very well marked a...

Heading west from Victoria, take the TransCanada Highway to Hwy 14. Continue past Sooke towards Port Renfrew. Look for the sign that reads Sombrio Beach Trailhead (approximately 45 minutes past Sooke) and take the left. Note that this dirt road can be incredibly rugged (aka full of potholes) and ...

You'll see traction of all sorts in the Mt. Seymour area during Winter months, including: yak tracks, microspikes, crampons, snowshoes, skis (with and without skins), and my personal favourite, the magic carpet.The Mt. Seymour trail parallels the Seymour downhill ski area. It follows up and over...

From the parking lot at Woodhaven Swamp, head down the wooden steps to the lower path and then follow the path clockwise, passing over a small boardwalk bridge at the east end of the wetland. At the west side of the swamp, look out for a smaller trail that veers off on the left and follow that as...

Crescent beach is a great place to end your day, by taking some sunset pictures. It often lights up the sky and really pops with colour. It is best to park at the main parking lot near the pier and start from there. The beach walk from the pier to the end is just over a kilometre, so is very shor...