Quamichan Lake

  While Quamichan Lake is considered an urban lake, lying as it does within Duncan’s city limits, it rarely feels like it, parts of it are indeed quite wild and beautiful. One can easily spend and afternoon, or possibly an entire day, exploring this unique and picturesque lake. The Lake can be accessed through Art […]

Somenos Lake

  Somenos Lake is an amazing little jewel of a lake with an abundance of wildlife. Otters, beavers, bald eagles, osprey, blue herons and a multitude of different waterfowl can be seen regularly. The lake and surrounding marsh are particularly known for trumpeter swans, with up to 1,000 of these majestic birds visiting each winter, […]

Messachie Lake

  Mesachie Lake is a small but beautiful lake located just off South Shore Road, just 4-5km west of the town of Lake Cowichan. It’s probably best known for Camp Imadene which occupies most of the South-Western end of the lake. Along the North shore Mesachie Mountain rises steeply out of the lake allowing one […]

Quennell Lake

  Quennell Lake is a one of my favorite South Island destinations. It’s a large lake (1.4 km² ) that, because of it’s varied shore line, feels like a small lake. It’s a wonderful place to paddle for an hour or a full afternoon. Access to the lake is via the Quennell Lake car-top boat […]

Shawnigan Lake

  Shawnigan Lake has, since the late 1800’s when Victoria-Nanaimo railway line opened, been a favored recreation area for the residents of Victoria. More recently high end waterfront homes have replaced most of the old rustic cottage and cabins which formerly lined the waterfront. Consequently it’s is a busy lake, popular with water skiers, wake […]

San Juan River

  In summer when water levels are low, the San Juan River, located near Port Renfrew BC, is a great place to spend a day or possibly an entire weekend paddling and exploring. We recommend putting in at the San Juan Bridge Recreation Site and getting out at at Fairy Lake. NOTE It’s not currently […]

Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit

  The Sawyard Forest Canoe Circuit is probably the Vancouver Island’s most popular canoe route and with good reason. This is a gorgeous rout with spectacular scenery rivaling BC’s own Bowron Lakes and Ontario’s famed Algonquin Park. There is an abundance of well maintained camp sites, ranging from drive-in sites to “rustic” sites. The portages […]

Nitinat Triangle

The Nitinat Triangle is one of the island’s great wilderness treasures. Unfortunately, in recent years, this spectacularly beautiful, world class, wilderness canoe route has fallen into neglect and is now dangerous in places. With the exception of Nitinat Lake it’s self, the entire rout falls with in the boundaries of the Pacific Rim National Park […]

Cowichan Lake

  Cowichan Lake is a vast and stunningly beautiful lake. It is the second largest freshwater lake on southern Vancouver Island, after Kennedy Lake near Tofino. Along long with Shawnigan Lake, Cowichan Lake has been one of the primary the recreation hubs for Southern Vancouver Island and is consequently a very busy lake, at least […]