Welcome to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – a picturesque coastal city on the southern tip of Vancouver Island with tons to do. Victoria is known for its stunning natural scenery, from waterfalls to beaches to scenic viewpoints, and hiking is one of the best ways to get a glimpse of it. With numerous trails and parks to choose from, there’s no shortage of options for hikers of all levels. In this blog post, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the best hiking trails near Victoria, BC. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just looking to enjoy a leisurely stroll in nature, Victoria has something for everyone. So put on your hiking boots and let’s go explore!
Unlike Vancouver’s lofty mountain peaks a short distance from the city, the rolling hills near Victoria BC are a bit more humble in stature. (Vancouver Island’s more impressive mountain peaks are a bit further north). Still, the views make hiking near Victoria one of the top things to do when spending time in the city,
Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience these 8 awesome Victoria hikes for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience.
Tips for Hiking Near Victoria
When in the outdoors it’s important to avoid harmful practices such as disturbing plants or rock-stacking, or removing any natural object from flowers to rocks, as it’s important to leave the environment as natural as possible for the animals and for fellow hikers to enjoy in perpetuity. As many flowers as there are, there are few enough that if we all took one, then there wouldn’t be any left. Take only photos, leave only footprints.
I also highly recommend reading up on Leave No Trace principles before heading anywhere into the outdoors in general. Following these important principles basically means doing your best to leave beautiful places like these Victoria hikes as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.
Nearly all of the summits close to Victoria BC are home to some of the last surviving patches of Garry Oak meadows, a delicate and sensitive ecosystem home to endangered animals found nowhere else. This is why it’s essential to stick to existing trails and to avoid trampling fragile vegetation, including the delicate mosses and grasses found on many of the local summits as they take years and years to regrow. For the same reason avoid letting unleashed dogs run around on the summits tearing up plants.
12 Best Hikes Near Victoria, BC
Mt Brulé
Mt Brulé is a fairly easy-to-reach hike located on the southern edge of the Sooke Hills southwest of Victoria. Despite being one of the best hikes near Victoria, this hike receives less traffic than many of the other amazing Victoria hikes on this list. The view from the top overlooks the Sooke Inlet which often fills up with low-lying cloud in the mornings, making spectacular views over a sea of clouds like the ones I photographed pretty common.
Mary Vine Creek Falls
Access is from Sooke Potholes Provincial Park at the end of a drive through some gorgeous old forest. A short pleasant walk up alongside Mary Vine Creek leads through the woods to this beautiful waterfall popular among local photographers. If you’re looking for an extra reason to do this short hike, check out the bonus Tod Creek Falls near the parking lot.
Sitting Lady Falls via Witty’s Lagoon
Sitting Lady Falls is located at Witty’s Lagoon, a bird-watcher’s paradise near Metchosin southwest of Victoria. Here it’s possible to take a two-minute stroll to this stunning Victoria waterfall, or to park a little further away and enjoy an even more pleasant walk along the lagoon, keeping an eye out for any of the 160 species of birds that can be found in the park. Whichever route you choose, the waterfall at the end is one of the best waterfalls Victoria has to offer.
Mt Wells
Mt Wells is close to Langford on the very eastern edge of the Sooke Hills. This great hike close to Victoria has a well-maintained trail that includes helpful chains up some sections of steep rock. Being so close to the city means that the views are being increasingly ruined by encroaching suburbia, but the trail remains relatively unknown among hikers.
Seymour Hill
Seymour Hill is a short and sweet hike to a high point over Thetis Lake between Victoria and Langford. The official summit of Seymour Hill has no views but the fantastic wide viewpoint just before has some fantastic views of the lake to the west, making it a fantastic sunset spot.
Scafe Hill
Scafe Hill is another hike in Thetis Lake Regional Park that has two viewpoints – one at the summit to the west, and one just a little bit beyond that offers fantastic views to the south and east, including of Victoria in the distance. It’s a great hike through gorgeous forest to amazing views that are worth the effort.
Stewart Mountain
Stewart Mountain is a short and enjoyable hike up to a hill located in the very northern part of Thetis Lake Regional Park. The views from the top aren’t as good as good as neighbouring Scafe Hill, but you’re unlikely to be sharing the trail with anyone else.
Goldstream Falls
Goldstream Falls is one of the most deceptively impressive waterfalls near Victoria, with photos completely failing to capture its size and strength. Goldstream Falls crashes into a large deep pool that in the summer is a popular swimming spot. This pool also prevents anyone with a camera from getting too close to the falls, making it look much smaller in photos than it is in reality. The walk to this spectacular waterfall in Goldstream Provincial Park starts from the Goldstream Campground and heads up alongside Goldstream River. The walk does involve a surprising amount of elevation gain as it leads to the waterfall, but the lush moss-covered ancient trees along the way more than make up for the work that’s required to visit this waterfall.
Lone Tree Hill
Lone Tree Hill is probably the best bang-for-your-buck as far as hikes close to Victoria. As the name implies, the summit of this hill is mostly devoid of trees, treating hikers to stunning panoramic views in every direction. The hike up is short and only a little steep, and one of my favourite hikes to do close to Victoria.
Jocelyn Hill
Jocelyn Hill easily has some of the best views anywhere in the Victoria region, with the iconic Finlayson Arm stretching away into the distance. This trail is probably the most popular on this list, and understandably so. However, while most hikers make it up to the iconic viewpoint of the fjord, far fewer hikers continue up all the way to the summit which also offers views to the southeast towards Victoria. This hike is a must while in Victoria.
Squally Reach Viewpoint
The trail to the Squally Reach Viewpoint is a part of the same network of trails that leads to Cascade Falls and Mackenzie Bight, as well as potentially allowing one to continue on to Jocelyn Hill. The hike is highly customizable, and the views from the viewpoint over the Saanich Inlet are spectacular.
Mckenzie Bight
While it is possible to do some great hikes up along the side of the fjord viewing the water from above (Jocelyn Hill, Squally Reach Viewpoint), it’s also possible to get spectacular views by hiking down to the water itself. The hike down to the gorgeous beach area is fairly straightforward down a wide slightly steep trail. The trail is at a fairly consistent grade as it heads down through some lovely forest before revealing the sweeping views of the Finlayson Arm at the end of this Victoria hike.
There are two trails leading down towards McKenzie Bight from the same area, meaning it’s possible to turn the hike into a loop. That said, while the other trail does lead past a pleasant waterfall, it does get much steeper.
Recommended Hiking Gear
Water is a must whenever I’m hiking, especially if the sun is going to be out. My favourite water filter I’ve used is the Katadyn BeFree 0.6L, which unlike other water filters I’ve used packs up really small and lightweight. For hikes where I know there won’t be any readily available water sources along the way, I make sure to bring my own. The Hydrapak Stow 1L bottle is my go-to, for the same reason that it’s made of a soft plastic that folds up and doesn’t take up any more extra space than necessary in my pack. Finally, Aquatabs are another great option for purifying water, with one tablet being suitable for one litre of water. I previously used the Grayl water filter while travelling internationally, and though I found its hard body more convenient for day to day use and easier to drink from, it has a little too much bulk for my fast-and-light style of hiking.
The secret to all my photos of gorgeous sunset and sunrise mountaintop views? A lot of hiking in the dark. And let me speak from personal experience when I say that the last thing that you want to happen when hiking is to be caught in the dark without a headlamp. I used the Black Diamond Spot 400 for years and it worked great – until I lost it on top of a mountain somewhere. The only downside to it was having to worry about the batteries dying, though there’s also a slightly more expensive version that has a rechargeable battery. Nowadays I’m using the Petzl Actik Core, which is a bit pricier than the more budget-friendly Black Diamond, but is also brighter, more comfortable (in my opinion), and has a hybrid power system that is rechargeable but can also take AAA batteries if needed.
You won’t see me using trekking poles on shorter hikes often – but on long hikes and backpacking trips, as well as certain scrambles, they are an absolute lifesaver. I’ve invested in a high quality ultra-lightweight pair of MSR DynaLock Ascent carbon poles which, while pricey, I don’t regret one bit. If you’re not entirely sure how much use you’re going to get out of a pair of trekking poles, the best budget-friendly option would be the Trekology Trek Z 2.0. Amazon does sell a lot of cheaper Made in China-style trekking poles for cheaper, but these usually are much much heavier and not worth buying.
All the best and most long-lasting cables and power banks I’ve ever owned have been Anker. I once had a phone cable from them that lasted me over three years of daily use! That’s why I keep an Anker PowerCore Essential 20K power bank on me. Like many people I use my phone for a lot of stuff when hiking (checking in with family, using online maps, taking photos, flying my drone) so I like to be prepared for that low battery warning by having a backup power source on me just in case.
The only socks I ever buy for myself are from Darn Tough, and I almost always make sure to wear them when hiking. After years of having no problems only wearing these comfortable and rugged socks for hikes, I accidentally wore a pair of no-name socks on a hike last year and ended up with blisters on both feet. Safe to say I’m back to sticking with the Darn Tough. And the best part? They have a lifetime guarantee, meaning that if they ever wear out you can send them back for a brand new pair. For hiking footwear I go between a pair of lightweight approach shoes for quick and dirty mountain ascents or anything involving scrambling and more heavy-duty boots for longer treks. I’ve worn a couple different versions of the lightweight but super durable Arc’teryx Konseal FL 2 approach shoes for a few years now and am very impressed with the durability. I also really like the thick toecap that keeps me protected every time I stumble into a root or large rock. For longer, tougher, or muddier treks I rely on my LOWA Camino EVO GTX, which I find insanely comfortable and made of very high quality.
I wear my Ar’teryx Gamma Lightweight Pants on every single hike I go on, and on many days when I’m not hiking. After several years of abuse they are still holding together extraordinarily well, with only a few small holes from where I’ve fallen down and some slight stains from being repeatedly coated with mud. They’re lightweight, breathable, and super comfortable. For lightweight and breathable hiking tops I’m a big fan of both the Patagonia Capilene Shirt and the MEC Core Shirt. My Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody shows up in a lot of my photos. It’s super lightweight and packable, and does a great job of cutting the wind while also being pretty breathable. I also have an Arc’teryx Atom Hoody and Arc’teryx Beta LT that I pull out for cooler or wetter conditions.
Very great guide! Thanks for sharing the experience!