Hiking on the Nanaimo River Trail

Westwood Lake Trail is not super challenging, but it is a lovely well maintained and well-marked hiking trail around Westwood Lake with beautiful viewpoints and greenery. The forest and lake are full-on herons, eagles and deer with lots of opportunities to have a great time, so bringing your family with you is a decision you will not regret!

Wear your hiking boots! It is going to be a challenging hike that may take about 4 to 5 hours. The lovely amount of elevation with fantastic views is what you can get hiking on the Mount Benson Loop near Nanaimo. As it is located in a reach environment, take lots of breaks to enjoy the area and get enough energy. If you are not ready for wet terrains, try it on a dry and cool day. You would be satisfied as an experienced hiker.

Hiking on Bowen Park Loop is a lovely urban walk along a river with stunningly beautiful nature that promotes a rich forest, a waterfall, and a scenic pond. This easy hiking trail is so well maintained with lots of facilities. Spend hours hiking on this loop as part of the Trans Canada Trail and have a memorable day in the park, great for different kinds of activities.

Don't hike alone! It is an excellent hike for the whole family and pets. Cable Bay Nature Trail is scenic, easy, clean, and wide enough as a family trail. Not only your family but your pet can accompany you. Get the most out of incredible viewpoints. Hike through the forest near the coast and find a nice rock to take a break, grab a snack, and watch the marine wildlife.

About 10 kilometres away from downtown Nanaimo, find yourself on an easy and well-marked hiking trail along the Nanaimo River with a smile on your face! It is a great short walk that impresses you differently at each section. Take your dog with you and get it some exercises too, as it is dog off-leash-friendly. You can find such energy there in the area with the Douglas fir plantation.

Want to know facts about animals and plants in their natural environment? Don't miss the opportunity offers by Vancouver Island University and take a visit to the Museum of Natural History. Learn about animals and plants and discover their impact on ecosystems. Here you can find various landscapes of the island and other places and samples of organisms that live or have lived in BC.

Kanaka Bay is a gem on top of Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park. It has the best of what summer has to offer, a beautiful place to spend hours with your family. The beach is accessible by a short walk from the dock. The extensive picnic area and playground of Kanaka Bay are the sweet spots for children. Don't forget about water sports, and watching wildlife like raccoons.

If you plan to be away from urban life and spend hours in the woods watching wildlife and get relaxed, take a visit to Beach Estates Park, west of Departure Bay. With a beautiful designated hiking trail, Beach Estates Park is interesting for hikers and runners. The park's nature includes a lush forest with magnificent tall trees, a small river, a rocky beach, and Beach Estates Falls.

Parksville is known for its scenic, superb sandy beaches. This city is also famous for hiking trails, waterfalls, wildlife, parks, entertainment centres, and many fantastic restaurants and pubs. The city's most popular annual festival is Sandcastle Competition. Englishman River Falls, Little Qualicum Falls, and Englishman River Falls Provincial Park are among the most visited places.

Founded in 1976, Art 10 Gallery is an old place with good reputes among the region's artists. It features original artifacts and paintings in different styles and mediums, functional and decorative pottery, fused glass, carving, jewelry, and art cards. The gallery hosts many exciting and glamorous events with well-known artists as a guest over the years.

Colliery Dam Park with Chase River, huge trees, Granny Falls, and two small ponds is a tranquil and wooded park. The spectacular views with some nice bridges make the park a good choice for photographers. It is possible to walk your dog off-leash at the upper dam. You can go hiking, seasonal swimming, boating, and fishing for rainbow trout.

Englishman River Regional Park is home to numerous wildlife species, like Roosevelt Elk and a community hatchery with an extensive salmon side channel. Peaceful hiking, nice biking, and water sports like fishing and swimming are among the things you can do. Find your place for picnicking or camping and walk with your dog off-leash. Leave your footprint and take your memories.

If you intend to spend a lovely weekend out of the crowded city and all of its pollutions, Wild-play Elements park is an excellent choice for you. This park is situated near the Nanaimo River and inside the green area of Vancouver Island forest. The park is a great spot for meetings, events and weddings. Wild-play Element Park has eye-catching scenery and wildlife that changes every season and makes a perfect view.

There is a dreamy place at the north of Nanaimo, where a mixture of the ocean weather, beach access, and tall trees accompany the sound of birds and waves to create a peaceful atmosphere. Blueback Beach is where sitting at the beach, getting some sun and relaxing while waiting for the sun's last attempt to spray orange and red on the horizon can be so pleasant.

Pipers Lagoon Park is a waterfront park with Shack Island, the ocean, and Neck Point Park views. Stay there for sunrise and sunset, and don't miss watching the scene. The park is home to bird species and other animals, making it a perfect destination for wildlife photographers. Hiking and jogging, beachcombing, flying a kite, and doing water sports are other options.

The desire for seeking facts, knowledge, and history, with the subject of battles, made Vancouver Island Military Museum one of the most visited attractions in Nanaimo. Have a tour of more than 25 exhibits and get to know Canada's Military History and Traditions until today. It features many models, uniforms, medals, decommissioned firearms, and Dam Busters.

An excellent picnicking area and sunny weather attract many families in summer to relax on Qualicum Beach. This sandy beach is placed in an area with many facilities and attractions to enjoy your day. Let life lead you to the beach with the incredible landscape of Lasqueti Island Ecological Reserve hills, blue sky and the ocean. Choose kinds of water activities which you delight in doing.

Wall Beach is a rocky beach north of Nanoose Bay. The peaceful atmosphere gives you an excellent chance to live in the sunshine, feel alive by the ocean air, and relax. It is the best escape anyone can have to get rid of work pressure. Do what makes you happy and improve your health. The beach has a dive site to dive, swim, and explore the rich marine life.

The ammonite fossils' existence down the falls on the bedrock cause the waterfall at Benson Creek Falls Regional Park to be named Ammonite Falls. The moss-covered trees and rocks make the scenery beautiful in every season. You may forget about the things you do at work, but happy times and the memories you make in nature will stay forever. Make it family fun and get the best out of it.

Gallery Merrick is home to many native artists. The purpose of the gallery is to appreciate beauty everywhere we look. The priority of the gallery is to help working artists who make their livings out of their art. Many artists from Vancouver Island, surrounding islands, and across the country exhibit their talents here.

Don't hike alone! It is an excellent hike for the whole family and pets. Cable Bay Nature Trail is scenic, easy, clean, and wide enough as a family trail. Not only your family but your pet can accompany you. Get the most out of incredible viewpoints. Hike through the forest near the coast and find a nice rock to take a break, grab a snack, and watch the marine wildlife.

Looking for a way to add a challenge to your adventure? Visit the Keel Cove Diving site. It is a shore diving destination with high chances of observing marine mammals. But, there, you would find a steep trail leading to the beach, which has made visiting there a little challenging.

Fulfill your camping desires by camping in a proper place. In the Green Point Campground - Long Beach Unit, you can enjoy one of the best recreational camping within the spacious, clean, and gorgeous campsites with excellent facilities. The atmosphere makes the area fantastic for camping, and tent sites and RV sites are available with a superb rainforest environment.

Make your time on Vancouver Island count and go diving in Elliot's Beach Park. It is a pristine diving location for professional diving, but it has opportunities to discover underwater for ordinary folks.

Assign one page of your adventure book to the experience you would gain in the Cottam Point diving zone. Going north of Nanaimo, this fantastic diving location is famous for its mighty tides and incredible marine life. Therefore, you can enjoy both diving and exploring underwater life.

If you are making a checklist of diving places on Vancouver Island, make sure it includes the Rivtow Lion Diving zone. Rivtow Lion was a ship that was sunk on purpose, and through the years, it has changed into an artificial cliff and a favourable destination for diving. Photography enthusiasts can find the inner sceneries of the ship charming to be a subject for their cameras.

Nestled in a beautiful forest among the ocean, Living Forest Oceanside Campground & RV Park will make pleasure flow in your blood, like you are walking on air. Whether tent or RV, your camping would be private and quiet in this scenic oceanside campground. The park is on a hill and is terraced with lots of amazing views of the water. Plus, it has a view of three rivers and some great forests.

Don't just listen to people talking about Wall Beach. Come and see how beautiful this sea lion habitat is. Incredible diving opportunities are provided for both armature and professional divers. The chance to see several diverse marine life there is Wall Beach adds up to the reasons why one should come to this spectacular beach.

As another diving destination around Nanaimo, the Orlebar Point Diving zone is a bit significant, for its accessible by ferries from Nanaimo. These crystal-clear waters may contain enormous waves, which require safety measures for the visitors. However, the environmental features of this diving site bring the chance to explore nature and various living creators.

Exceptional opportunities to explore the water while enjoying the scenic view of a city with a hundred years of history and culture preserved within the realms of Ladysmith. as an ideal kayaking destination, Ladysmith has several offerings to make your stay even more joyful. So, pack your bags and hit the road to this beautiful old city.

Hope to have a great adventure and do not fear new experiences. One of the best diving spots near Nanaimo downtown, accessible by both beach and ferries, offers a fantastic diving opportunity not to be forgotten easily. The mighty currents with great drifting experience increase the amazement of diving.

Get out of your comfort zone and go diving in one extraordinary place with quite a history behind it. The wreck of the Robert Kerr is the graveyard of a ship that sank about 200 years ago. Still, now it is a habitat for several marine creatures and offers excellent opportunities to dive deep and explore the underwater world.

Hiking on Bowen Park Loop is a lovely urban walk along a river with stunningly beautiful nature that promotes a rich forest, a waterfall, and a scenic pond. This easy hiking trail is so well maintained with lots of facilities. Spend hours hiking on this loop as part of the Trans Canada Trail and have a memorable day in the park, great for different kinds of activities.

Just a short distance from downtown Nanaimo, you will find fantastic diving opportunities available all year round in Tyee Cove. You can choose the depth you are willing to dive in based on your proficiency level; plus, you are given a chance to explore the marine life inhabiting this diving zone.

Protection Island Ferry provides its participants with high chances of watching whales and other marine creatures, along with the scenic view of three spectacular islands. You may also rent a boat to surf the water, and if you are in luck, encounter these gigantic marine beasts.