Vancouver Island Region
   Greater Victoria Viewing Sites

Within the Greater Victoria portion of the Vancouver Island Region, the following 21 viewing sites are identified. More site information will be added at a later date. Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park - Metchosin Botanical Beach (Juan de Fuca Provincial Park) - Port Renfrew Cattle Point - Oak Bay Clover Point - Victoria Devonian Regional Park - Metchosin Discovery Island Provincial Marine Park - offshore southeast of Victoria East Sooke Regional Park - East Sooke Esquimalt Lagoon - Colwood French Creek Provincial Park - west of Sooke Goldstream Provincial Park - Langford Gorge Waterway - View Royal Gowlland Tod Provincial Park - Highlands Island View Beach Regional Park - Central Saanich Juan de Fuca Marine Trail - southeast of Port Renfrew Mandarte Island - offshore east of Sidney Island, near Sidney Pacific Rim National Park (West Coast Trail) - northwest of Port Renfrew Race Rocks - offshore south of Metchosin Sidney Spit Provincial Marine Park - offshore on Sidney Island, near Sidney Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary - Saanich Whiffen Spit Regional Park - Sooke Witty's Lagoon Regional Park - Metchosin

   Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park

park information from CRD Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 1 take Highway 14 towards Sooke. Turn left onto Metchosin Road. At Farhill Road turn left, then left onto Park Road and finally onto Park Drive. For more information contact - Capital Regional District, CRD Parks 490 Atkins Road, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9B 2Z8 phone: (250) 478-3344 fax: (250) 478-5416 e-mail

   Botanical Beach (Juan de Fuca Provincial Park)

park information from BC Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located near Port Renfrew on the west coast of Vancouver Island, at least a 1 1/2 hour drive from downtown Victoria. For more information contact - BC Parks, South Vancouver Island District 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9E 1K3 phone: (250) 391-2300 fax: (250) 478-9211 e-mail

   Cattle Point

Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located east of Victoria on the waterfront off Beach Drive between Oak Bay and Cadboro Bay. For more information contact - BC Environment, Vancouver Island Region 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9T 6J9 phone: (250) 751-3100 fax: (250) 751-3103

   Clover Point

Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located on the Victoria waterfront along Dallas Road just east of Beacon Hill Park. For more information contact - BC Environment, Vancouver Island Region 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9T 6J9 phone: (250) 751-3100 fax: (250) 751-3103

   Devonian Regional Park

park information from CRD Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 1 take Highway 14 towards Sooke. Turn left onto Metchosin Road. Continue straight onto Willaim Head Road and the park is located on the left just past Taylor Road. For more information contact - Capital Regional District, CRD Parks 490 Atkins Road, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9B 2Z8 phone: (250) 478-3344 fax: (250) 478-5416 e-mail

   Discovery Island Provincial Marine Park

park information from BC Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located on Discovery Island offshore from southeast Victoria. Access is by boat only. For more information contact - BC Parks, South Vancouver Island District 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9E 1K3 phone: (250) 391-2300 fax: (250) 478-9211 e-mail

   East Sooke Regional Park

park information from CRD Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 1 take Highway 14 towards Sooke. Turn left onto Gillespie Road and then right onto East Sooke Road. For more information contact - Capital Regional District, CRD Parks 490 Atkins Road, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9B 2Z8 phone: (250) 478-3344 fax: (250) 478-5416 e-mail

   Esquimalt Lagoon

Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 1 take Highway 14 towards Sooke. Follow the signs onto Ocean Boulevard and to Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Park. Continue past the park onto the causeway that separates the lagoon from Esquimalt Harbour. For more information contact - BC Environment, Vancouver Island Region 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9T 6J9 phone: (250) 751-3100 fax: (250) 751-3103

   French Creek Provincial Park

park information from BC Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located west of Sooke off Highway 15 (West Coast Highway). For more information contact - BC Parks, South Vancouver Island District 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9E 1K3 phone: (250) 391-2300 fax: (250) 478-9211 e-mail

   Goldstream Provincial Park

park information from BC Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located west of Victoria along Highway 1. For more information contact - BC Parks, South Vancouver Island District 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9E 1K3 phone: (250) 391-2300 fax: (250) 478-9211 e-mail

   Gorge Waterway

This stretch of water is situated between Portage Inlet and Victoria Harbour. Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Douglas Street in Victoria take Gorge Road East. Gorge Park is located on the left just before the Tillicum Road bridge. Kinsmen Park is located across, and west of, the Tillicum Road bridge with access off Craigflower Road. For more information contact - BC Environment, Vancouver Island Region 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9T 6J9 phone: (250) 751-3100 fax: (250) 751-3103

   Gowlland Tod Provincial Park

park information from BC Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - There are two main access points to the park. For the Wallace Drive access: From Highway 17 (Pat Bay Highway) take Keating Cross Road west and follow the signs to Butchard Gardens. Cross West Saanich Road and where Keating Cross Road becomes Benvenuto Avenue. Continue to Wallace Drive, turn left and continue to the Tod Creek Trail access on the right. For The Caleb Pike Road access: From Highway 1 in Langford, west of Victoria, take Millstream Road heading north. At the fork between Millstream Road and Millstream Lake Road, take the left fork continuing on Millstream Road. Turn left onto Caleb Pike Road and continue to the parking lot. For more information contact - BC Parks, South Vancouver Island District 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9E 1K3 phone: (250) 391-2300 fax: (250) 478-9211 e-mail

   Island View Beach Regional Park

park information from CRD Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 17 (Pat Bay Highway) turn eastward onto Island View Road. Travel almost 3 km then turn left onto Homathko drive. A parking area is located at the end of the road. For more information contact - Capital Regional District, CRD Parks 490 Atkins Road, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9B 2Z8 phone: (250) 478-3344 fax: (250) 478-5416 e-mail

   Juan de Fuca Marine Trail

park information from BC Parks This 47 km long trail opened in 1996. It is located in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park and it runs from Botanical Beach to China Beach, with additional access at Parkinson Creek and Sombrio Beach. Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located east of Sooke off Highway 15 (West Coast Highway). For more information contact - BC Parks, South Vancouver Island District 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9E 1K3 phone: (250) 391-2300 fax: (250) 478-9211 e-mail

   Mandarte Island

Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located offshore from Sidney off the east side of Sidney Island. Access is by boat only. For more information contact - BC Environment, Vancouver Island Region 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9T 6J9 phone: (250) 751-3100 fax: (250) 751-3103

   Pacific Rim National Park (West Coast Trail)

West Coast Trail information from Parks Canada (trail and reservation information) One of Canada's most challenging marine hiking trails. This 75 km trail runs between Port Renfrew and Pachena Bay, 3 km from Bamfield. Viewing Highlights - Directions - Access to the trail is from Port Renfrew and from Bamfield. Contact Parks Canada for reservations and a permit to travel the trail. For more information contact - Parks Canada, Pacific Rim National Park Box 280, Ucluelet, B.C. Canada V0R 3A0 phone: (250) 726-7721 fax: (250) 726-4720 e-mail

   Race Rocks

Viewing Highlights - Directions - Located offshore from south of Metchosin. Access is by boat only. For more information contact - BC Environment, Vancouver Island Region 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9T 6J9 phone: (250) 751-3100 fax: (250) 751-3103

   Sidney Spit Provincial Marine Park

park information from BC Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - The park is located on Sidney Island, a short boat ride from Sidney. A passenger ferry runs during the summer months and can be contacted at (250) 727-7000. For more information contact - BC Parks, South Vancouver Island District 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9E 1K3 phone: (250) 391-2300 fax: (250) 478-9211 e-mail

   Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary

bird checklist Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 17 (Pat Bay Highway) take the McKenzie Avenue exit heading towards the University of Victoria. Just past the highway exchangce turn right onto Rainbow Street, and then left onto Ralph Street. The parking area is at the end of the road. For more information contact - home page Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary 3873 Swan lake Road, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8X 3W1 phone: (250) 479-0211 fax: (250) 479-0132 e-mail

   Whiffen Spit Regional Park

Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 1 take Highway 14 to Sooke. About 1 km past downtown Sooke turn left onto Whiffen Spit Road and continue to the parking lot at the end of the road. For more information contact - phone: fax:

   Witty's Lagoon Regional Park

park information from CRD Parks Viewing Highlights - Directions - From Highway 14 in Sooke turn onto Whiffen Spit Road. There is a parking area at the end of the road. For more information contact - Capital Regional District, CRD Parks 490 Atkins Road, Victoria, B.C. Canada V9B 2Z8 phone: (250) 478-3344 fax: (250) 478-5416 e-mail