Garry Oak Meadows Park

In View Royal, B.C., there is a three-quarter of a hectare Garry oak meadow with a one hundred and thirty meter long gravel footpath along a ridgeline. Aptly named Garry Oak Meadows Park, the place has the unique plant life that grows under these tall trees. Snowberries, Oregon grape are a few of the shrubs that thrive in this habitat. In the spring camas lilies might be seen although this site was not cultivated extensively. There are also a few tree stumps indicating that the area had been selectively logged many years earlier. Parson’s Bridge Park, Burchill Park, Mellor Park, Nursery Hill Park, Jalan Park, Atkin Road Green Space, the Galloping Goose Trail and Trans Canada Trail as well as Thetis Lake Park are nearby. The park is part of Nursery Hill Trail Loop described by the Town of View Royal.

Geographical location N48° 27’ 35” W123° 27’ 51”

Garry Oak Meadow Park can be accessed from the Trans Canada Highway, Hwy1. Exit onto the Old Island Highway and stay to the left to merge with traffic going under the freeway and railway overpasses. Turn onto Six Mile Road and look for the Atkins Road Green Space to parking as there is limited parking along Nursery Hill Road or Six Mile Road; parking can be found at Atkins Road Green Space. The park is along Nursery Hill Road. City buses travel along the Six Mile Road and Atkins Road.

Chilco Park

Chilco Park is parkland that has a terrific playground and a large grass field to enjoy in your backyard of View Royal, B.C. Set in a wood chip base, the playground has two parts. The small set has stairs, ladders and wobbles steps to reach a low area with a short slide. The larger play set has various climbing apparatus to platform with a slide. This is a great park for parkour too. Benches and picnic tables add to the leisure of the area. The large grassy field makes up most the half of a hectare of the parkland. A trail connects from the homes bordering the west side of the park. Mill Hill Regional Park, Edwards Park, Robin Hill Park, the Galloping Goose Trail, Thetis Lake Park, Nursery Hill Park, Garry Oak Meadow Park and Kelvin Grove Park are nearby. Parson’s Bridge Park, Burchill Park, Mellor Park, Garry Oak Meadows Park, Jalan Park, Atkin Road Green Space, the Galloping Goose Trail and Trans Canada Trail as well as Thetis Lake Park are also nearby. The park is part of Nursery Hill Trail Loop described by the Town of View Royal.

Geographical location N48° 27’ 33” W123° 28’ 4”

Chilco Park can be accessed from the Trans Canada Highway, Hwy1. Exit onto the Island Highway and turn right onto Six Mile Road. Turn left onto Chilco Road, which is just past the overpass for the Galloping Goose Trail. Turn right onto Chilco Road, which also continues straight. The park is on the left near the junction with Cahilty Lane. There is limited roadside parking along Chilco Road and Cahilty Lane. City buses travel along Six Mile Road and Atkins Road.

Thetis Vale Green Space

Thetis Vale Green Space is landscaped grass covered area near Chilco Park in View Royal, B.C. A concrete sidewalk curves through the grass beside Chilco Road which lies on the southside of the green space. The green space is divided by the quiet street named Thetis Vale Crescent; this name also applies to the neighborhood. There is a bench near the mail boxes in this green space. The park has several trees including birch and maple trees. Parson’s Bridge Park, Burchill Park, Mellor Park, Garry Oak Meadows Park, Jalan Park, Atkin Road Green Space, the Galloping Goose Trail and Trans Canada Trail as well as Thetis Lake Park are nearby. Thetis Vale Green Space is part of Nursery Hill Trail Loop described by the Town of View Royal.

Geographical location N48° 27’ 32” W123° 27’ 59”

Thetis Vale Green Space can be accessed from the Trans Canada Highway, Hwy1. Exit onto the Island Highway and turn right onto Six Mile Road. Turn left onto Chilco Road, which is just past the overpass for the Galloping Goose Trail. Turn right onto Thetis Vale Crescent and look for the pedestrian access between homes 109 and 111.There is limited roadside parking along Chilco Road and Thetis Vale Crescent. City buses travel along Six Mile Road and Atkins Road.

Nursery Hill Park

Nursery Hill Park is on fifty-five meter high hill in View Royal, B.C. At about four and half hectares, this park has many Douglas fir trees with a few Garry oak, big leaf maple and arbutus trees on its slopes. The canopy keeps the Oregon grape and snow berry bushes fairly small. In a few areas broom plants grow well. A fine gravel trail meanders through the park around the small rocky outcrops that are covered with lichen, ferns and mosses. Spring time flowers, like the white fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum) are seen along the two hundred meters long trail. The park borders on the Via Rail track to the south and residential homes to the east and west. Despite the noise from the traffic on the Trans Canada Highway that borders the north side of the parkland and the signs that state the access route is a private roadway, this park is a wonderful place to explore in your backyard. Parson’s Bridge Park, Burchill Park, Mellor Park, Garry Oak Meadows Park, Jalan Park, Atkin Road Green Space, the Galloping Goose Trail and Trans Canada Trail as well as Thetis Lake Park are nearby. The park is part of Nursery Hill Trail Loop described by the Town of View Royal.

Geographical location N48° 27’ 35” W123° 27’ 36”

Nursery Hill Park can be accessed from the Trans Canada Highway, Hwy1. Exit onto the Old Island Highway and stay to the left to merge with traffic going under the freeway and railway overpasses. Turn onto Six Mile Road and look for the Atkins Road Green Space to park as there is limited parking along Nursery Hill Road or Six Mile Road. Nursery Hill Park is access along a rough trial from the corner where Nursery Hill Road curves to the left and from the cul-de-sac between homes 445 and 444. City buses travel along the Six Mile Road and Atkins Road.

Thetis Lake Regional Park – Creed Road Trail

A wide gravel footpath from Creed Road leads to Craigflower Creek Trail which is one of many trails in Thetis Lake Regional Park. The Creed Road trailhead is just south a large redwood tree. The trail is lined by a chain-linked fence on the south and a post and wire fence to the north. Cedar and fir trees shade the pathway which leads to several sets of staircases: some steel staircases other parts are older wood-barrier steps. The trail crosses over Craigflower Creek on an aluminum bridge and branches up and downstream along the creek. This creek is habitat for sea-run steel head salmon and feels pristine. This is great walk in your back yard and can be extended as the trail connects southward to Marler Park. Chalmers Court Park, Thetis Lake Park, Craigflower Creek Park, Francis View Park, Evelyn Heights Park, Evelyn Heights Francis View Green Space, Galloping Goose Trail-View Royal, Trans Canada Trail-View Royal and Nursery Hill Park.

 

Geographic location N48° 27’56” W123° 27’8”

 

Thetis Lake Regional Park- Creed Road Trail can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway also called Hwy1. Take Exit 11 onto Six Mile Road to reach the Old Island Highway. Turn left onto the Old Island Highway and pass under the Trans Canada Freeway bridges and continue to the junction of Burnside Road and Watkiss Way. Turn left onto Watkiss Way then turn right onto Creed Road. Continue on along Creed Road to house number 450 and look for a small gravel parking area on the left. The trail is along the fence line for the home numbered 451. City buses travel along Watkiss Road to the junction with Highland Road.

 

 

Marler Park

Marler Park has a small toddler friendly playground, a gravel walking trail and a small pond. The park is on an one third of a hectare area in View Royal, B.C. and is part of the Thetis neighborhood.  The playground is set in a pebble and sand base. There is a wooded platform with a roof that can be accessed by stairs, a steep ramp or the double slide. There is also a teeter totter and wobbly toy. A bench is also at this play space. Take a stroll along the trail past the small pond, which is enclosed by a chain-link fence. The foot path branches across Craigflower Creek and continues along the banks of the creek. The aluminum bridge spans across Craigflower Creek  and the trail continues to a series of staircases up to Creed Road. Craigflower Creek provides a home to several insect and fish species such as dragonflies and sea-run steel head salmon. The trail follows along the west bank of the creek and eventually connects with Thetis Lake Regional Park. This park is close to Chalmers Court Park, Thetis Lake Park, Craigflower Creek Park, Francis View Park, Evelyn Heights Park, Evelyn Heights Francis View Green Space, Galloping Goose Trail-View Royal, Trans Canada Trail-View Royal and Nursery Hill Park.

 

Geographic location N48° 27’51” W123° 27’16”

 

Marler Park can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway also called Hwy1. Take Exit 11 onto Six Mile Road to reach the Old Island Highway. Turn left onto the Old Island Highway and pass under the Trans Canada Freeway bridges and continue to the junction of Burnside Road and Watkiss Way. Turn left onto Watkiss Way then turn right onto Marler Drive. Continue on along Marler Drive past Dorthy Drive. The park is at the end of Marler Drive. There is a small paved parking area. City buses travel along Watkiss Road to the junction with Highland Road.

Craigflower Creek Park

Craigflower Creek Park is an one fifth of hectare nature park in View Royal, B.C., along the banks of Craigflower Creek. This is the namesake stream in the two thousand four hundred and twenty four hectare area that forms its watershed. Craigflower Creek, also known as Deadman’s Creek, flows from Fork, Thetis and Prior Lakes to Portage Inlet. The upper sections of the creek are within Mount Work and Thetis Lake Regional Parks while the lower sections pass beside and under the bridges for several roads including Watkiss Way, the Trans Canada Trail-View Royal, the Galloping Goose Trail- View Royal, the Trans Canada Highway and Burnside Road West to reach Fort Victoria, View Royal Park and Portage Inlet. Portage Inlet is a shallow saltwater lagoon that connects to the harbour of the City of Victoria along a long narrow inlet called the Gorge. Craigflower Creek Park protects a short five hundred meter section about two and half kilometers upstream. The riparian area around the stream has alder, maple and cedar trees. Himalayan blackberry, oceanspray and smaller shrubs and ferns are also see in this section of the creek. Sea-run cutthroat trout travel upstream to Prior Lake so this small parkland contributes the federally protected fish habitat in Craigflower Creek. Marler Park, Thetis Lake Park, Francis View Park, Evelyn Heights Park, Evelyn Heights Francis View Green Space, Galloping Goose Trail-View Royal, Trans Canada Trail-View Royal and Nursery Hill Park are nearby.

 

Geographical location N48° 27’ 45” W123° 27’ 10”

 

Craigflower Creek Park can be accessed from the Trans Canada Highway also called Hwy 1. Exit onto Burnside Road West which is exit #10 and follow the road as it curves up to the right. At the intersection with Watkiss Way, turn left onto Watkiss Way. The park is seen to the right just after Creed Road. There is limited street parking. A city bus route is along Watkiss Way.