My parents live 5 mins from here, so it tends to be our go-to for one of our Island Beach Days!…read more They have a really great playground & water squirt park, clean change/rest rooms. The beach itself isn't bad, but it can be quite rocky so I would strongly suggest to wear a cheap pair of rubber flip flops on the beach and wear them in the water! Also, the water is COLD! You can swim in it, but it's a rough go on the way in! Another thing to be aware of is the tide. At times you can walk and walk and walk before you get to swim. However, the tide will come in quickly, so watch your bags, towels etc. When we were there the first week of July, we decided to go onto a rock mass that was above sea level by quite a bit and had a Tee Pee on it! It was quite private as there was only another coupon on it at the time. We swam (froze) but generally had fun. We had waded across below the knee level to get to it. When we decided to leave, it was no longer knee level- it came up past my chest (I'm 5-8) I slightly panicked as I didn't know how we were going to get back to the beach. Luckily my husband is 6-2, but he had to carry the bags above his head in order for him to safely get across without getting our phones etc. wet! Funny after the fact, not so much at the time !!

This is a huge park! There are plenty of parking all over. We parked somewhere in the middle near…read morethe children playground. Lots of families were there on the day we went. There is a green space in the middle where the arboretum is. It feels peaceful to walk in the greenery under the cover of the trees. During low tide, you can see the seabed as far as the eyes can see. Families will take the opportunity to be out there with their beach towels. I did not venture out there but I think you will also see shellfish in the seabed. The advisory was not to harvest them as they are contaminated. My favorite part of this park is at the end where there is a Legacy Labyrinth. It is quieter here. You can meditate while walking the labyrinth. There are also many cairns set on the logs. Pretty neat to see them.

We came here for camping and also to check out the caves here. It cost $30 to $50 a night to camp…read more The campsite was busy on the weekend and not so much on the weekdays. The campground is quite big. The outhouse was not bad. We also explored the caves. The tours take 2 hours approx. You can do a self-guided tour but if you do than you don't get to go inside past the gates in the caves Note that in the areas there are lots of dangerous wild animals. We heard that there was a deer that got taken out by a cayote.

This was my first time cave exploring and I had such a wonderful and memorable experience! This is…read moredefinitely one of the best highlights of the entire trip! We went on the guided 3 hour "Ice Age Adventure" tour. Our tour guide was amazing!! She was very educational with the history, facts, and preservation efforts. She was experienced, attentive and overall fun to be with. We explored a series of marble passages and crystal caverns created by the power of "The Ice Age". The experience was amazing! We were crawling and schootching through tight passage ways. We even climbed an underground waterfall!! Wow, the amazing crystals formations were breathtaking. My pictures do not do them justice; you simply just have to see it for yourself!! Dress warm, as it does get a little chilly inside the cave, wear boots or sturdy shoes and know you are going to get a little wet! Take a waterproof durable camera! Also, if possible some gloves can be very helpful. They provide the helmets with a light. Hydrate and have a balanced meal, you will be hiking to the cave as well as climbing and crawling inside. They offer an education center featuring geology information, a small museum and fossil display. They have a small theater, so visitors can learn more about this unique environment without having to enter the caves. Snacks and souvenirs can also be purchased. Other above-ground opportunities include a self-guided walk through the amazing surface geology on the new "Phil Whitfield Interpretive Trail" that highlights interesting surface features explained in a self-guiding brochure. The drive to Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park takes you on an unpaved road for a few miles; don't be worried, it is part of the adventure!! Great price for the experience, this is a MUST DO when visiting Beautiful Vancouver Island!!

For an easy, scenic walk with ample parking, come to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park! You can walk…read morethe trails, on the beach and sit on one of the many beautiful benches they have provided. Vancouver Island is simply beautiful and scenic and reconnecting with nature is so easy in this lovely land. Highly recommend and will definitely return, eh!

While we were at Parksville on Vancouver Island, we took a morning stroll along a good length of…read morethe Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. This is a beautiful place whether you want to stay for a couple of hours, or camp overnight (we didn't, so I couldn't tell you where the campsites were). Washrooms are conveniently spaced apart, there are lots of trees and shaded areas, and dozens upon dozens of solid picnic tables galore. I could imagine hauling all of our food with lots of friends/family down to this beach and NOT worry about having to find parking or a picnic a spot. There are plenty of trees to provide ample shade, and the sandy beach is never more than a minute away. The beach is the most awe inspiring and beautiful when it is low tide; you will see a stretch of sandy flats as far as the eye can see!

This first regional Park of Nanaimo area offers magnificent views but limited parking. The initial…read moredescent is steep but worth it. A bench is at the tip. Numerous short trails crisscross the area. No mooring or campfires allowed. Portapotty on site.

Looks like they've completed the renovations around the lake area. There is a new bridge in the…read moremiddle of the lake, as well as new pedestrian walkways over the water. They've also added several park benches and lounge chairs. It's a vast improvement. Definitely recommend checking it out. The trees are almost high enough to cover most of the surrounding condo towers. One can almost forget they're in the middle of a bustling city.

This is such a nice little oasis right in the middle of Richmond. I came over because I was nearby…read morefor lunch and saw green space on the map, but did not expect the park here to be so scenic and peaceful! I found it to be a great place for a long meditative walk as there as lots of paths you can take around the lake and through wooded areas. There are lots of benches by the lake for relaxing or more secluded picnic tables throughout the park. It's sprawling enough that you could probably spend an hour just exploring the different pathways. Well worth going out of your way to check it out.

Trees, very old trees, Very Very old Trees…read more If you love nature, this is the place for you. If you dislike nature, you will love it, after you visit. If you like driving at over 110+ km/h, and you pass it, then you need to SLOW THE FLOCK down, park your car, evaluate your life, then get out, and do the side with the oldest cedar in BC, then get back in your call, the FOLLOW THE SPEED LIMIT. So there you have it, there are two loops, and depending on which side you end up on, you either get lake views, or very old trees, either way, WORTH IT.

Cathedral Grove; if short hikes or anything to do with nature basically is your thing, than this…read moreshould be on your "must see" list. Huge trees both alive and dead (some around 800 years old) await for you in a dense forest on both sides of a highway. Great picture (selfie?) opportunities abound. We went on a misty day; cool but be sure you have proper footwear, as it gets muddy in some parts of the trail. And the bathrooms are clean for that outhouse-kind-of-thing. Worth the stop. Cathedral Grove; with the historic signs around the trails you might learn a thing or two if you're not careful (hey hey heeyy!)!

An amazingly peaceful and serene spot to anchor or stern tie. To get in or out of the chain of…read moreislands you must time the currents perfectly for the time of day or it will be too strong to get in or out. Once in its spectacular. You can hike up to Newton Lake, an elevated lake on one of the mountains with fresh crystal clear blue water to cool off! Warmer than the ocean. We took some time to drop the crab traps and enjoyed watching an abundance of wildlife.

The boardwalk boasts an impressive backdrop of the Howe Sound, snow-capped mountains, and clear…read moreblue sky. This is the most southerly fjord in North America. With the parking lot being near the highway and free, many visitors (both people and dogs) stroll the area.  Watch out for the webby tents of caterpillars in the trees. They're a bit unsightly. Other things to do at Porteau Cove: - Scuba dive among shipwrecks, artificial reefs, sunken sculptures, and diverse marine life - Explore tide pools - Camp along the waterfront Porteau Cove was a picturesque stop along our Sea to Sky Highway road trip. I wish I could come back here to watch sunset or the stars at night. (Part 2)

This place has been my escape and sanctuary for a few years now. Whenever I need to escape the city…read moreI usually drive up here. I have also used this place many times to capture pictures. I find this location great for night photography. Stars, Moon, Milky way and have even been able to capture Northern Lights. Not the best Northern Lights but considering it is close to home a score. Worth checking out.

This park consists of two locations close together along the Upper Sunshine Coast highway. The…read morefirst location is the campground actually at Mermaid Coved named after the mermaid statue sunk in the cove for diving. This campground is beautiful with a wonderful rainforest landscape. There is lots of privacy between sites so that you can enjoy your time camping. This site seems to be pretty empty even when it is beautiful outside as well as we had few neighbors over a 4 day span. The caretakers are super friendly and make sure that you are well looked after. As long as you are respectful of your neighbors they are not super pushy with the rules with quite time like some of the Fraser Valley camps that basically have a lights out policy. There is a pretty but rocky beach area here but nothing really all that good for swimming. This park has no power and only pit toilets. The second location in this park is down the road a little ways and is the day use area. This portion of the park is in Saltery Bay proper and has a nice beach for swimming and just enjoying your day at the beach. Like everything on the Sunshine Coast it is really laid back here and everyone is really friendly!