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The Nearby Nature page is all about cool natural stuff you can reach just using your legs and maybe a city bus. If you're up for a bit more of a trip, check out the Natural Daytrips or Out-of-town pages for more adventures!
Beacon Hill Park
This local park’s beautiful 1890s gardens, meadows, totem poles, petting zoo, cricket pitch, tennis courts and lawn bowling make this a perpetual destination for the locals, and tourists as well. Stroll through the 89 hectare park and check out the wildlife (including swans, tons of ducks, turtles, herons), the water, the fields, the second tallest totem pole in the world, and the beautiful flowers, very characteristic of Victoria. Don’t miss the Beacon Hill Petting Farm, in the middle of the park: get up-close and personal with African pygmy goats, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, donkeys, horses, peacocks, and more… The scenic Dallas Road runs right around the park too, so it’s an easy and convenient walk to the beach.
   
To get there from the hostel: walk down Blanshard into town, you'll go through town, turn left on southgate, then right on Arbutus Way, and you'll be walking into the park.
Willows Beach
Willows Beach in Oak Bay is a popular destination in the summertime. Behind the beach (which has great views of Mount Baker) there’s a large field, perfect for playing Frisbee, tossing a football, playing volleyball, or whatever. A popular lounging spot to catch a few rays, this sheltered and sandy beach draws many on most weekends. If you walk north on Willows Beach, you can climb up the stairs of Cattle Point and take in the view. Just inland from Cattle Point is Uplands Park with trails you can follow through one of the last remaining Garry Oak forests.
If driving, take Johnson St. out of downtown, stay on it as it turns into Oak Bay Ave and once you reach Beach Dr, you’re there.
By Bus: If bussing during the day Monday-Saturday, take the #2a Willows (catch it at Johnson & Douglas); if bussing after 6pm Monday-Saturday or on Sunday, take the #11 Uplands (get on at the Fort St. stop near Douglas St.)
For bus times check out Victoria Transit ↑ or ask someone at the front desk for a peek at the Rider’s Guide or call BusLine at 382-6161 6
Moss Rock
It's really close to Victoria, it's kind of magical, sometimes it's really foggy which is cool, and it offers a cool view of the surrounding neighbourhoods (fairfield, mostly).
The only page we could find about Moss Rock
Google Map & directions
Getting there on foot:
- Go through town on Blanshard 8 blocks
- Turn left on Fairfield, walk 9 blocks
- turn Right onto Brian Pl, walk up the street, and you should be there.
Mount Tolmie
In the mood for some light hiking or some great views of Victoria? Mount Tolmie is your place. It's out by the university, it's got a commanding view and some picnic facilities etc... this is also a great place to come with your UVic Sweetheart, find some bushes and get your romance on!
By bus: Take the #14↑ city bus to Richmond & Mayfair and hike up to the viewpoint.
Mount Douglas Park
It's big, it's green, it's got a big mountain (Mt. Doug) in the middle of it, and... well the cool thing about Mt. Doug Park is that there are a million different trails, so you never have the same time there twice. It's also got a nice typical west-coast (rocky) beach, a big fireplace to build safe fires, picnic tables etc. At the top of the mountain (a nice climb), you'll find some more picnic tables, a cool sort of... thing to sit in with a compas in the middle with arrows to other places like Seattle and stuff. And there's a radio tower.
 We put together a handy-dandy printable guide to Mt Doug Park in PDF format - check it out!
By bus: Take the #28↑ to Shelbourne & Kenmore and hike up to the viewpoint. Or walk west along Ash Road to the beach entrance.
By bike: ride up Johnson, it'll turn into Shelbourne, keep on it, it's about a half hour of fast riding, maybe an hour if you're slower. And you'll end up in the middle of the park.
Beaver Lake & Elk Lake
Photo by Jen H at Flickr
These two connected lakes are just full of stuff to do: You can walk, run or bike around them in cool trails, they're surrounded by cool forest, you can row or canoe on them, there's a couple beaches to chill out with your kids or friends or whatever, play some tag in the forest, go swimming, have a picnic....
by bus: To Beaver Lake, take the #70↑ to the Park Driveway Entrance and walk to the lake.
by bus: For Elk Lake, take the #70↑ and get off at Pat Bay Hwy at Sayward.
Thetis Lake
Feel like going for a swim, a nice hike, and meeting lots of people? Well, then Thetis Lake is the place for you! It’s actually 2 large, connected lakes with a couple little islands hanging out, offering lots of trails to hike, tons of places to sunbathe, warm water, and young, fun people everywhere. Plus it’s only 10km out of town.
Bus Directions
- Take either the #50 Goldstream or the #52 Wishart (catch it on Douglas St. near Pandora St. in front of Gala Fabrics) and ride it out of town
- Get off at 6 Mile Fish & Chips walk up towards 6 Mile Pub
- Turn right on 6 Mile Road and keep walking- it will take you right into the Thetis Lake parking lot.
For bus times check out Victoria Transit ↑ or ask someone at the front desk for a peek at the Rider’s Guide or call BusLine at 382-6161
Driving Directions
- Take Douglas St. north out of town.
- Take the Colwood exit (Exit 1A).
- Turn right onto 6 Mile Rd. (at the 6 Mile Pub) - this will take you right into the Thetis Lake parking lot.
More Info:
Goldstream Park
Goldstream Park offers beautiful scenery, great hiking, a train trestle, waterfall, tons of salmon especially during spawning season (October - December), and the list goes on.
With its extensive hiking trails winding through old growth rainforests and waterfalls, Goldstream is another great adventure to consider. In the fall Goldstream is famous for its spawning salmon and the wildlife it draws.
For those more adventurous types who are looking for a mountain challenge to conquer, Goldstream's Mt.Finlayson offers just that. From the park entrance, cross over the little bridge and the main trailhead is off to your right. This uphill trek takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour and although the newly constructed Bear Mountain Golf Course is a bit of a eyesore from the mountaintop viewpoint, just hop on over to the other side and enjoy the beautiful lush forested views of the Malahat and the Peninsula.
Check out the printable Goldstream Park FAQ we put together - it gives you everything you need to enjoy the hell out of Goldstream!
More Info:
Tel: 250-478-9414
Biking directions ():
- Head out of town on Douglas, which turns into
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Bus Directions*
- Catch the #50 Goldstream (the stop’s at Douglas St at Pandora St in front of Gala Fabrics)
- Get off at Canwest Mall and transfer to the #58 Langford Meadows (please note that this bus has limited service and so you are best to plan ahead to be sure that your buses connect.)
Be warned that the bus does not take you right into the park; rather, it drops you off at the Goldstream campground and you have to walk back to the park (about a 20 minute walk)
For bus times check out Victoria Transit ↑ or ask someone at the front desk for a peek at the Rider’s Guide or call BusLine at 382-6161
Cycling and driving Directions
Cycling there is easier than you think. It takes about an hour to get there from downtown Victoria, including taking a couple pictures and stopping off for some snacks at Fairway. Driving takes maybe a half hour.
1. Take Douglas St. north out of town
2. Douglas St. will turn into Hwy. #1 - just stay on this road and it will take you right to Goldstream. It is clearly signposted on the right hand side of the road.
Witty’s Lagoon
A beautiful beach and lagoon await you at Witty’s: When the tide goes out there is so much beach to play on (perfect for soccer, Frisbee, football, etc.), walk on, tan on, look for sea creatures on...
Witty’s also offers some great light hiking trails!
Witty’s Lagoon is an ideal start to getting familiar with Victoria and its surrounding area. A half hour drive from the city, there are some great beaches, trails and a sandy lagoon to entice you to enjoy your leisure time away from the city. During the off-season, you can view "Sitting Lady’s Fall" in all her glory. It is a creek over volcanic rock.
Bus Directions
- Go to the bus stop at Douglas and Pandora and catch the #50 Goldstream
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Take this bus to the Canwest Mall and transfer onto either the #54 Metchosin or the #55 Happy Valley
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Ask the bus driver to let you off at Whitty’s Lagoon
For bus times check out Victoria Transit ↑ or ask someone at the front desk for a peek at the Rider’s Guide or call BusLine at 382-6161
Driving Directions:
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Take Hwy 1 to Hwy 1a, to Hwy 14( Sooke Rd)
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Turn left on Metchosin Rd.
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Witty's is off Metchosin Rd.
 Sidney Spit
Located just off the coast at Sidney, this is a great place to spend a day of hiking, walking, picnicking, playing Frisbee, etc.
Sidney is about 31 km from Victoria. It’s an hour to drive, two hours to bus average.
More Info:
Bus Directions*
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Take the #70 Pat Bay Hwy.
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Get off in Sidney at the Beacon Ave and 5th St. stop
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Walk 2-3 blocks to the water where you’ll find the passenger ferry to the island
For bus times check out Victoria Transit ↑ or ask someone at the front desk for a peek at the Rider’s Guide or call BusLine at 382-6161
Driving Directions*
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Take Blanshard St. out of town
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Turn right at the exit for the town of Sidney
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Drive straight to the foot of Beacon Ave where you’ll find the passenger ferry to the island
The Ferry
The passenger ferry which runs to the spit costs $9 return-trip and takes about 20 minutes each way
The ferry runs 7 days a week and leaves Sidney every hour on the hour from 9am-5pm (9am-6pm on Saturdays & Sundays) and leaves the spit every hour on the half-hour from 9:30am-5:30pm (9:30am-6:30pm on Saturdays & Sundays)
The Galloping Goose Regional Trail
This used to be the line for a small Rail service, and is now a paved and gravelled trail for biking, rollerblading, walking, and jogging; many locals use it for commuting to work. It goes through several interesting and scenic areas. If you get onto the Lochside Trail, you will pass through some beautiful farmland!
Coming out of town (follow the directions below), you'll get to a fork in the trail. It's very well-marked and the best bike shop ever is next to the intersection. One way will take you west, out to Colwood, Sooke, Metchosin etc. The other will take you North, through some nice parkland (and some industrial areas) out in Saanich, then through some beautiful farmland, and if you follow it far enough, you'll get to Sidney.
It starts on Douglas St near where the highway begins and ends in Leechtown (an abandoned mining camp). How far you go is up to you.
More Info:
Detail: the easiest way to get on the goose is just to go down Pandora St, cross the Johnson St. bridge, and follow the bike lane off to the right. Get onto Harbour Rd, and off the road you'll see a little dirt path. That's the goose!
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