
With beautiful weather approaching and BC’s direction to open provincial parks for day-use, we can’t help but to be excited to explore Qualicum Beach and Parksville. There are 8 provincial parks between Qualicum and Parksville, each with their own trail networks and beautiful natural attractions. The trails offer variety of difficulties from strolling along the side of a beautiful beach or hiking up rugged mountains to scenic views. Exploring Qualicum Beach and Parksville can mean anything between sea level and alpine. With the opening of BC provincial parks we still advise all users to practice social distancing.
Rathtrevor Provincial Park
Just across the road from the Tanglewood Beach Homes is the beautiful 347-hectare provincial park. Rathtrevor features a two-kilometer long beach, an old-growth Douglas fir tree forest, 174 vehicle-accessible and 25 walk-in camping spaces and beautiful trails to walk along. At low tide, the water retracts back almost a kilometer into the Strait of Georgia. Walking along the warm sand in your bare feet is a must!
Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park
Little Qualicum Falls is a beautiful forested area with an easy-moderate trail system around the river and waterfalls. The park has 150 campsites (however closed all last year due to a winter storm). There is a beautiful little riverside trail that starts at the Big Qualicum River Salmon Hatchery.
Mount Arrowsmith
For those hiking enthusiasts! Mount Arrowsmith is a beautiful eight-hour roundtrip climb that delivers views of the Beaufort Mountain Range. The trailhead starts across Highway 4 from the Cameron Lake day-use area. If you are looking to summit, the Judge’s Route is the trail to take. If you want views of the Gulf Islands, the Saddle Route cuts through thick forest and wildflowers to 1476ft elevation.
Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park
Horne Lake Caves is 26km west of Qualicum Beach and is best known for its caverns and more than 1000 caves. You can arrange group tours ranging from easy to extreme to explore the deep underground. The tours are taking reservations starting after May 31st. To find more information on the caves and area click here.
We are excited to get back into nature to explore and experience the things we love again. Qualicum Beach and Parksville are great places to get away and explore with your family. After a great hike or beach day it is always great to fire up the BBQ at your Tanglewood Beach Home or Qualicum Landing Cottage and enjoy the evening sun with family. If you are looking for other areas for your family, check out our list of properties around Vancouver Island and the rest of BC!