Nanaimo BC Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Strolling along Nanaimo's 4.4km Harbourfront Walkway

Freshwater Fishing: Quennell Lake near South Wellington in Nanaimo is known for its good smallmouth bass and trout fishing, as is Holden Lake near Yellow Point. Long Lake and Brannen Lake are situated 3 miles (5 km) north of the Nanaimo city centre. They're both easy to locate on opposite sides of Hwy 14. Follow Norwell Drive east of the highway to Louden Park on Long Lake, or Dunster Road west of the Nanaimo Parkway to Brannen Lake. There are trout and smallmouth bass at Long Lake, and cutthroat and rainbow trout at Brannen Lake.

Saltwater Fishing: For saltwater sportfishing information on licences, limits, and closures, contact the Fisheries and Oceans field offices in Nanaimo.

A good Windsurfing locale is Pipers Lagoon Regional Park, where you'll often find a stiff a breeze offshore.

Diving: Nanaimo and the Northern Gulf Islands are prime destinations for discerning scuba divers. Explore Nanaimo's first artificial reef, created by the sinking of the HMCS Saskatchewan, a retired Navy destroyer sunk off Snake Island in June 1997. The HMCS Cape Breton and Rivtow Lion are the largest artificial upright reefs in the world. Notable coastal dive spots include Dodd Narrows, the Gabriola Passage, Four Fathom Reef, Carlos Island, Porlier Pass, Clarke Rock and the popular night diving location, Jesse Island, which boasts at least three separate and distinct dive sites in very sheltered conditions.

Bungy Jumping: For those who prefer falling over walking, Nanaimo claims to be the home of North America's first and only bridge built specifically for bungee jumpers. Thrill seekers can experience the ultimate high at the Wild Play Element Park. You can watch or jump from this 140-foot (42-m) bridge above the Nanaimo River, located south of Nanaimo and signposted along the highway.

Hiking: Visitors looking for outdoor walks and hikes don't have to go far. The city and surrounding area offers an amazing range, quality and quantity of trails. Many are wheelchair accessible, while some challenge experienced members of the Sierra Club. The trail around Westwood Lake is the jumping off point for a myriad of trails that wind over the rugged Westwood Ridges and climb to the 3000-foot summit of towering Mount Benson. The trails are a favourite with local mountain bikers and various hiking clubs. Nanaimo boasts 23 mulched trails making up over 58 kilometres of paths. Seven locations of paved trails make up another 28 kilometres. The 19-kilometre Parkway Trailway winds alongside the Nanaimo Parkway, one of the most used trails in the city. The wild and natural trails at Cable Bay and Dodd's Narrows are popular, or you can spend the day hiking the 18 kilometres of designated trails on Newcastle Island.

Mountain bike enthusiasts accept the challenge of the Ultimate Abyss, perhaps the best-known trail on Vancouver Island because of its notorious technical challenge. The semi-loop trail begins next to the SPCA shelter on Harewood Mines Road. At the outset, the trail follows a string of power lines. The entrance to the trail begins beside power tower #24-2. Stay on the main trail and ignore all diversions. Much easier riding is found nearby in the Westwood Lake area, reached by following Jinglepot Road and then Westwood Road west of the city centre. More demanding trails lead off from the north end of the lake along Westwood Ridge.

Nanaimo's scenic harbour and the outer Gulf Islands are fabulous waters to explore by kayak. As much as the ocean dominates the landscape near Nanaimo, there are several freshwater lakes where paddlers will find serenity in a rural setting. You can put in at Hemer Provincial Park on Holden Lake or at nearby Quennell Lake. Holden's shape is rather straightforward, with only one major bay. In comparison, Quennell Lake is nothing but bays. The action at both is a good excuse for some paddling and perhaps cutthroat trout fishing. A short network of forested trails leads through the woods from the parking lot at Hemer Provincial Park to the west side of Holden Lake. Follow the signs a short distance east from Hwy 1 to reach Hemer Park. A backroad leads south of Holden Lake to Quennell Lake near Yellow Point.

A popular recreation and picnic spot in Nanaimo is Westwood Lake, located 5 km west of Nanaimo city centre, accessed via Westwood Road off either East Wellington or Jingle Pot Roads. The lake has a boat launch and is stocked with rainbow and cutthroat trout, with best fishing from April to June and September to October. Great hiking around Westwood Lake and up to Mount Benson.

Petroglyph Provincial Park, Nanaimo

Petroglyph Provincial Park, at the south end of Nanaimo, where the Nanaimo River empties into Northumberland Channel, presents a look back in time to a prehistoric period perhaps a millennium ago. Mythological creatures - sea wolves in particular - and symbolic designs have skillfully been outlined in the sandstone surface of the rock. Examples of this art form exist elsewhere in British Columbia, but rarely in such concentration as here.
A short, wheelchair-accessible walkway leads from the parking lot on the east side of Hwy 1 to an interpretive display of concrete moulds taken from the nearby petroglyphs. Visitors who would like to take away an example of this artwork can make rubbings on paper of the coffee-table-size moulds. The originals are just a short distance farther along the walkway on a hill that overlooks the Nanaimo harbour.

Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park lies just a few hundred metres off Nanaimo Harbour, beckoning to visitors to pop over and explore. The 336-hectare park offers an island shoreline dominated by steep sandstone cliffs and ledges, punctuated by beaches. Caves and caverns exist along the shoreline and provide a marked contrast to the interior of the island, studded with Douglas fir, arbutus, Garry oak and dogwood trees. Visitors can spend the day walking, hiking or cycling along an extensive trail system (18 kilometres of designated trails), or take 2-1/2 hours to walk around the island (8 km). Every inch of the island has a story to tell. Along the hiking trails, interpretive signs and actual remnants of the past will give you a glimpse into the daily lives of Newcastle's early residents. A passenger ferry leaves from Maffeo Sutton Park every 20 minutes and runs May through Thanksgiving weekend (October).

Pipers Lagoon Regional Park in Nanaimo has both a sheltered and an exposed side - take your pick of beaches on either one. The lagoon drains so dry that at low tide you can wander out to nearby Shack Island. The eastern shore of the park faces the Strait of Georgia, where a stiff wind is often blowing. A forest of Garry oak predominate on the narrow headland that shelters the lagoon. Wildflowers are profuse here in springtime and attract Columbia black-tailed deer out onto the beach. There's a public boat ramp at Pipers Lagoon Park, which lies nestled at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain, 3 miles (5 km) north of the BC Ferries Departure Bay terminal.
It's one thing to putt-putt around the sheltered lagoon, but quite another to brave the open water of Horswell Channel on the east side of the narrow headland that shelters the lagoon. Hunker down and watch the heroics as small boats battle their way towards the mouth of Departure Bay. BC Ferries vessels entering and leaving the harbour normally don't feel the wind's sting, but even they can get slapped around during the worst winter blows. That's when the action at Pipers Lagoon is often the most dramatic. If you like storm watching, this is a great vantage point. To reach the park, from Hwy 19 take Departure Bay Road, which follows the natural arch of the coastline around the north arm of Departure Bay. Turn east onto Hammond Bay Road and watch for signs to the park. The boat launch is at the end of Charlaine Road, one of two well-marked entrances to the park.

Roberts Memorial Park is a 14-hectare park 17 km southeast of Nanaimo near the coastal hamlet of Yellow Point. An atmosphere of transcendent serenity permeates the park. This peace is broken only by the barking of sea lions offshore and the mewling of sea gulls, great blue heron, and the occasional Pacific Loon. A peaceful walk through second-growth forest leads to a sandstone beach, a reward in itself. Picnicking, swimming and fishing are pastimes enjoyed in this serene little haven.

Wildlife: Spring and fall present remarkable opportunities to view birds as they travel along the Pacific Flyway. Some of the protected birdwatching havens where they pause and refresh themselves include Buttertubs Marsh, Morell Wildlife Sanctuary and Piper's Lagoon Park. BC Wildlife Watch has a viewing station at the Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary in Nanaimo. The sanctuary is located northwest of the Nanaimo Parkway's intersection with Nanaimo Lakes Road.

If camping is your thing, pitch your tent or park your RV in one of Nanaimo's remarkable campgrounds and RV parks.

Gabriola Island, known as Petroglyph Island because of its wealth of ancient stone carvings, lies 5km east of Nanaimo, reached by a 20-minute ferry ride from downtown Nanaimo to the BC Ferries terminal at Descanso Bay. In a pleasant rural setting of forested parks and quiet beaches, picturesque roads lead to sensational ocean views, and the sandstone shoreline can be walked almost indefinitely. The Isle Of The Arts boasts many artist's studios, galleries and delightful shops.

South of Nanaimo on the Island Highway is the spirited, picturesque community of Ladysmith, with streets lined with charming and restored heritage buildings. Further south, explore the mural-filled town of Chemainus, with its charming stores and restaurants and live performances at its popular theatre building. In Duncan, City of Totems, take a journey back through a century of Vancouver Island's logging industry at the BC Forest Discovery Centre. Take a tour of the totems in downtown Duncan by following the free map and painted footsteps and stop at Quw'utsun Cultural Centre to see an outstanding museum of First Nations exhibits, carving demonstrations, story telling and more. An hour and a half's drive away from Nanaimo is our province's capital city, Victoria, a visitor's mecca. British tradition abounds - take a ride on a double decker bus or horse driven carriage and enjoy high tea at the Empress Hotel.

To the north is the seaside community of Lantzville, once a small coal mining town. When the mines closed, the waterfront miners' shacks were rented out to city residents in search of a quiet cabin on the beach. Modern day holidaymakers enjoy the mild climate, gentle shores and fine beaches. You can go horseback riding in Nanoose, and the kids can enjoy the go-kart park or mini-golf in Parksville. Check out the goats on the roof at the famous Coombs Country Market. Visit Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, one of the most popular beaches in the region, offering gorgeous beaches, interpretive trails, camping, and picnic areas. Go underground with an educational spelunking tour of Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park north of Parksville and marvel at the sheer beauty of Englishman River Falls Provincial Park. Hug a 600-year-old tree in Cathedral Grove near Port Alberni, also known as McMillan Provincial Park, a preserved stand of old-growth forest. Continue on to the West Coast of Vancouver Island for an opportunity to go whale watching, wildlife viewing, or in the winter....storm watching.