Westwood Lake

Westwood Lake

 

Westwood Lake is centrally located in Nanaimo, just West of the Island Highway bypass, at the foot of Mt Benson, and probably Nanaimo’s most popular lake for swimming, running and walking. Even though Westwood Lake lies well within the city limits, only 4 km west of downtown Nanaimo, it feels more like a wilderness area then an urban park. The lake is man made, created in 1908 when Darough Creek was damned to create a hydroelectric plant. The power plant was eventually shut down and abandoned and the city turned it into a park in 1957. Westwood Lake is named for the Westwood family and what remains of their farm now lies beneath the lake’s surface. Westwood Lake is a shallow calm lake that can easily be paddled in a couple of hours and is a great place for beginner and experienced paddlers to enjoy a leisurely afternoon paddle. Canoe and Kayak rentals are available through Westwood Lake Campgrounds.

Latitude: 49.161535

Longitude: -124.001563

Size: 64.4 ha | 159 ac | 643817 m²

Direction: From Jinglepot Road off Highway 19A look for signs for Westwood Lake Park and follow Westwood Lake Rd. to the beach parking area. The boat launch (sand) is located immediately on the left as you enter the parking lot.

Blog Posts: Westwood Lake

External Links

 

Westwood Lake Map