Kelvin Grove Park, View Royal, B.C.

Kelvin Grove Park is a one hectare forested area along Mill Stream in View Royal, B.C. A sixty meter long trail from Atkins Road leads to a wooden platform that provides view of the ravine for Mill Stream. Mill Stream, or Millstream Creek as it is often called, is the main waterway in a watershed that starts in the Gowlland Tod range of the Highlands and includes seven lakes and numerous ponds. A visit to Kelvin Grove Park provides views of cedar trees and sword ferns along the slopes of the ravine. The wetlands near the stream have skunk cabbage and other riparian plants. There are no formal trails in this nature park and the viewing platform is along the steepest part of the parkland. Wilfert Park is on the south side of Mill Stream. Duffus Trail Park, the Galloping Goose Trail, Parson’s Access Park, Mill Cove Park, Burchill Park, Mill Hill Regional Park, Thetis Lake Regional Park are nearby.

Geographical location N48° 27’ 10” W123° 28’ 5”

Kelvin Grove Park can be accessed from the Trans Canada Highway, Hwy1. Exit onto the Island Highway and stay to the left to merge with traffic going under the freeway and railway overpasses. Turn right onto Six Mile Road and then left onto Atkins Road. The park is on left near Creekside Glen townhomes at 199 Atkins Road. There is limited roadside parking along Atkin Road although city buses travel along this roadway.

Stillwater Road Green Space

Stillwater Road Green Space is natural area with water access and a viewing point along the estuary of Hospital Creek. This green space is along the shore of Portage Inlet in a quiet residential area in View Royal, B.C. Himalayan blackberries, Garry oak trees and other shrubs and trees are found in this green space. Helmcken Park is nearby.

 

Geographical location N48° 27’ 48” W123° 25’ 43”

 

Stillwater Road Green Space can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway Hwy1. Exit off Hwy1 onto the Helmcken Road and turn south. At the traffic circle, exit east toward Helmcken Park onto St Giles Street South but continue staight onto Kingham Place. Stay on Kingham Place to reach Lowland Road. Turn left onto Lowland Road and continue to the end of the road to reach Stillwater Road. Turn right onto Stillwater Road and look for the rough trail into green space and St. Giles Park. There is limited roadside parking along Stillwater Road. It is a short walk along Lowland Road from the Helmcken Park parking lot. Alternatively stroll along Stillwater Road from the Helmcken Park and Ride parking lot, that is serviced by several city buses, to reach this green space.

St. Giles Park

St. Giles Park is natural neighborhood park near Portage Inlet in View Royal, B.C. It is a narrow parkland of about 0.065 hectares along the bank of Hospital Creek. Saint Giles was one of fourteen holy helpers of the pilgrims in the Middle Ages. This park helps to protect the riparian area of the creek. There are Himalayan blackberries along the banks as well as trees and shrubs. Stillwater Road Green Space provides access to St. Giles Park from its end of road. St Giles Easement is further along the roadway. Helmcken Park is nearby.

 

Geographical location N48° 27’ 48” W123° 25’ 43”

 

St. Giles Park can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway Hwy1. Exit off Hwy1 onto the Helmcken Road and turn south. At the traffic circle exit east toward Helmcken Park and Kingham Place. Turn left onto St. Giles Street South and look for the nature park along the roadway between homes 153 and 148. There is limited roadside parking along St. Giles Street South. It is a short walk along the road to the park so perhaps park in the Helmcken Park and Ride parking lot that is serviced by several city buses.

Burnside Watkiss Park

The Garry oak and Douglas fir forest on the corner of Burnside Road West and Watkiss Way forms an area of one point three hectares that is called Burnside Watkiss Park in View Royal, B.C. This park has a fairly flat gravel pathway that is about one hundred and eighty meters long. Oceanspray, mosses, ferns and many other plants can be seen in the second growth forest. A bench with views of the forest is near the end of the trail. The path connects to the chain-link fence that forms western perimeter of Eagle View Elementary School Green Space and to the pathways of the townhouse complex that is northwest of the park. Stoneridge Wetlands Park, Aldersmith Park, Burnside Road Green Space, Galloping Goose Trail-View Royal, Game Nature Park, the Trans Canada Trail-View Royal and Francis View Park are nearby.

Geographic location N48° 27’ 56” W123° 26’ 42”

 

Burnside Watkiss Park can be reached from Hwy1, the Trans Canada Highway. Take the Burnside Road West exit to the intersection with Watkiss Way and continue along Burnside Road West. The park is on the right and the trail is about a hundred meters past the intersection. There is limited roadside parking. City buses travel along Watkiss Way.

Aldersmith Park

Aldersmith Park is a neighborhood park that covers about three quarter of hectare in the Town of View Royal, B.C. Many tall Douglas fir and Garry oak trees provide shade for the park that has just over two hundred meters of gravel trails. These trails connect the grounds of Eagle View Elementary School with Stoneridge Drive and Meadow Park Lane. There is a well shaded grass covered area surrounded by residential property that is close to the school grounds. This park has a great space for a game of bocce or tossing a ball around and there is a picnic table on the corner of the field. A chain-link fence for the school forms the western border of Aldersmith Park. The school grounds can be accessed through a chain-link gate. The southeastern side of the park has a steep moss and fern covered rocky hill. There are several trees with thick shrubs in this natural area. A small bridge connects the grass covered area to the forested section of the park with leads to Meadow Park Lane. The pathway is bordered by a couple of benches and the trail that loops around a rocky knoll. The gravel trails in this forested area are a pleasant place to enjoy the oceanspray, ferns, salal and blackberries. Victoria General Hospital Green Space, Game Road Park, Eagle Pacific Park, Chancellor Park, the Galloping Goose Trail, Trans Canada Trail, Stoneridge Wetland Park and the Eagle View Elementary School Green Space are nearby.

 

Geographic location N48° 28’ 3” W123° 26’ 30”

 

Aldersmith Park can be reached from Hwy1, the Trans Canada Highway. Take the Helmcken Road exit (Exit 8) to the intersection of Burnside Road West and turn left. Continue along Burnside Road West past the Prospect Lake Road. Turn left onto Meadow Park Lane and continue to the end of the road. There is limited roadside parking. City buses travel along Watkiss Way.

Tawny Park

Cedar and spruce trees provide ample shade over the grass areas and small clusters of snowberry bushes in Tawny Park. This small neighborhood nature park is along Stancil Lane in View Royal, B.C. The semi circular shaped park is bordered by Stancil Lane and Tawny Lane. There is a wood fence along its south side. Welland Legacy Park is at the eastern end of Stancil Lane and is worth a visit. The Galloping Goose Trail, Knockan Hill Park and Chancellor Park are nearby.

 

Geographic location N48° 27’ 55.9” W123° 25’ 20.6”

 

Tawny Park can be reached from Hwy1. Turn off on Exit 8, Helmcken Road, and head northward toward the Victoria General Hospital. Continue on Helmcken Road to Burnside Road West. Turn right onto Burnside Road. Take the second right onto Eaton Avenue and left onto Stancil Lane. The park is at 1257 Stancil Lane at the junction with Tawny Place. There is limited roadside parking. City buses travel along Burnside Road.

Welland Legacy Park

Two hundred and thirty-five fruit trees with over one hundred and forty varieties of heritage apples are found at the orchard that forms the Welland Legacy Park. There are kiwi, quince, cherry, paw paw, hazel nut, medlar, grape, pear, plum, and fig trees growing on the two thirds of a hectare parkland. The land was donated to the Town of View Royal by the late Rex Welland, an apple and bee elder as well as a former member of the fruit growers on Vancouver Island. There are Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) plants as well. About half of the property is protected under a covenant with The Land Conservancy of British Columbia. The park borders the Galloping Goose Trail and has a great view of Portage Inlet. There are Douglas fir, Chilean pine (monkey puzzle) and eucalyptus trees as well as other unique species of plants on the property. Lifecycle Project Society hosts workshops for plant maintenance and education. There is a sixty-five meter long paved path, bordered by black chain link fence, along the homestead from Burnside Road W to the park. A composting toilet is in the lower section of the park near the gate from the Galloping Goose Trail. There are also several bee hives on the property and a couple of sheds. Several trees including many apple trees and the Chilean pine tree are separated from the parkland by a black chain-link fence. Tawny Park, Knockan Hill Park, the Galloping Goose Trail and Chancellor Park are nearby.

Geographic location N48° 27’ 55” W123° 25’ 16”

Welland Legacy Park can be reached from Hwy1. Turn off on Exit 8, Helmcken Road, and head northward toward the Victoria General Hospital. Continue on Helmcken Road to Burnside Road West. Turn right onto Burnside Road. Take the second right onto Eaton Avenue and left onto Stancil Lane. The park is at 1215 Stancil Lane or the end of the road. There is limited roadside parking on either Stancil Lane or Burnside Road W. City buses travel along Burnside Road and the park can be accessed from the gated chain-linked fenced paved pathway between 1247 and 1245.

Kingston Street Walkway

Kingston Street Walkway is a twenty five meter paved walkway that leads to the David Foster Way, a footpath along the south shore of  the harbour of Victoria, B.C., from Barclay Point to Ogden Point. This pathway leads down the road access, off Kingston Street, to the shops near the marina of the Coast Harbourside Hotel and beside the Wyndham Vacation towers. There are many other places to enjoy the outdoors and explore nature that are near Kingston Street Walkway like the Heron Cove Park. This also includes Kingston Superior Green Space, Fisherman’s Wharf Park, Heron Street Green Space, the Canadian Coast Guard Rooftop Garden and Green Space, Ogden Point Park and Walkway, Holland Point Park, MacDonald Park, Earnest Todd Park, James Bay Community School Green Space, Todd Park, and James Bay Allotment Garden.

Geographic coordinates N48° 25′ 19” W123° 22′ 49″

Kingston Street Walkway can be reached Blanchard Street. Continue along as Blanchard Street curves to become Belleville Street. Turn left on Douglas Street and then right onto Superior Street. Continue along Superior Street until the junction with St. Lawrence Street. Turn right onto St Lawrence which immediately doubles back to become Kingston Street. The walkway is between buildings 120 and 146. City buses provide service to Fisherman’s Wharf and James Bay area from downtown Victoria.

Moss Rock Park

Also called Fairfield Hill Park, Moss Rock Park has a great view over Clover Point Park and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward the Olympic Mountains of Washington State, USA. Take a turn at one of the two benches with views of the City of Victoria and the Salish Sea in this two hectare parkland. This is a splendid natural rocky area to have a picnic and to scrabble over rocks to the summit at about 41 meters. In the spring, the wildflowers like camas, nootka rose and honeysuckle are spectacular. Garry oak and arbutus trees manage to grow in a few of the few level areas in the park. There is a steep rock route from May Street to the lower bench near the hill top. The park borders along private property, Masters Road and May Street. From May Street, via a rough trail near 204 Memorial Crescent, the eastern side of the park can be accessed where the summit is about 39 meters. The view from this part of the parkland is over Ross Bay Cemetery. Bushby Park, Sir James Douglas Elementary School Green Space, Porter Park and Clover Point Park are nearby.

Geographic coordinates N48° 24′ 45” W123° 20′ 465″

Moss Rock Park can be reached from Blanchard Street. Turn east onto Fairfield Road and follow along to Masters Street. Turn right onto Masters Street and drive up the street to near the end where there is a trail to the park. There is very limited roadside parking on Masters Street but parking might be available along May Street. City buses travel along Fairfield Road from downtown Victoria.

 

Gorge Road Hospital Green Space

Lovely horse chestnut trees line the sidewalk and roadway into Gorge Road Hospital Green Space from Balfour Avenue. This road is shared with the neighboring condominiums. Built in nineteen seventy three, the Vancouver Island Health Authority operates this residential care facility which covers over three hectares along the Victoria Arm section of the Gorge Waterway. Chapman Point, upon which this green space rests, projects slightly in to the waters. For use of guests, staff and visitors, a spacious grassy knoll as well as about many pathways allow exploration of the hospital’s outdoor spaces. It is worthwhile to enjoy the rhododendrons, azaleas and other flowering shrubs that area bordered by lush green cedar hedges. A couple of Douglas fir, willow and maple trees provide shade throughout the area. Across the waters of Victoria Arm are Banfield Park and Burleith Park which can be access using the walking and bicycling trail of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. Arbutus Park and Cecelia Ravine Park are a block to the east. Harriet Road Green Space is to the west along Lotus Street.

 

Geographic Coordinates N48° 26’ 36” W123° 23’ 12”

 

Gorge Road Hospital Green Space can be reached from Blanchard Street. Turn west onto Finlayson Street and continue past Burnside Road West to reach Gorge Road East. Follow Gorge Road East to Balfour Avenue and exit into the parking area for the hospital. A city bus travels along Gorge Road East from downtown.