Victoria is home to a large number of beautiful parks and places in nature that are free to visit. Below are some of the city’s best and most popular.
Victoria’s Parks
- Beacon Hill Park – Victoria’s large world-famous park that’s located just a short distance from downtown. Beacon Hill Park has duck ponds, children’s play areas, a petting zoo in the summer, flower gardens, walking trails and a beach. Except for the petting zoo, most things at the park are free and the entire place is highly recommended.
- Mount Doug Park – a mountain in the northeast corner of the city with walking trails, a rocky beach and the best views of the ocean and surrounding area.
- Mount Tolmie – a popular mountain with walking trails and stunning views of the city.
- Willows Beach – a long sandy beach in the Oak Bay neighbourhood of Victoria.
- Thetis Lake – a small lake with a beach surrounded by forest and walking trails.
- Elk Lake and Beaver Lake – a large lake and a smaller one with beaches and forested trails.

Other Parks in the Region
Provincial and regional parks further from town include the following:
- Goldstream Provincial Park – a beautiful forested park with a river that’s famous for its salmon runs in autumn.
- French Beach Provincial Park – a rugged park on the ocean with a beach and hiking trails.
- Juan de Fuca Provincial Park – a park that includes China Beach and the Juan de Fuca Trail which is a hiking trail all the way to Port Renfrew.
- Sooke Potholes Provincial Park – a park with a river with natural pools that are popular in the summer.
- East Sooke Regional Park – a forested park near Sooke.
- Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park – a park with a natural lagoon and walking trails in Metchosin.
Other Information
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
For the next time you are in the Vancouver area and wanting to explore similar places, check out Lower Mainland Parks & Nature on the website VancouversBestPlaces.com.