Vancouver Island’s Lantzville Lookout overlooks stunning Nanoose Bay with Notch Hill on the other side, and is one of many small rolling (mostly unnamed) peaks that makes up the Lantzville Foothills north of Nanaimo. The Lantzville Foothills, despite being absolutely full of hiking potential given its many potential summits and close proximity to a city center, remains mostly unhiked. (It stands in stark contrast to the Sooke Hills, a comparable region near Victoria that has a complex web of hiking trails leading up every hill and knoll. The only two hikes in the Lantzville Foothills are this one and Lonetree Hill.)
The Lantzville Lookout has to be the most scenic lookout in the Foothills, and the wide open viewpoint offers the ocean + mountain views that all of the best Vancouver Island hikes do. It’s a relatively short hike up here, and obviously the views are nowhere near as dramatic as the mountains further inland, but it is nonetheless beautiful enough to rank highly as one of my favourite Vancouver Island hikes.
Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience the Lantzville Lookout hike on Vancouver Island for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience.
When hiking 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.
If you haven’t heard of Leave No Trace principles, they’re also really essential to read up on before heading anywhere into the outdoors in general. Following these important principles basically means doing your best to leave beautiful places like the Lantzville Lookout as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.
Lantzville Lookout Round Trip Details
Distance: 4.8 KM / 3 MI
Elevation Gain: 271 M / 889 FT
Hiking Time: 1.5 Hrs
Hiking & Safety Tips
- Prepare for the possibility of wildlife encounters. There are almost no grizzly bears on Vancouver Island, but black bears are still common. Bear bells are proven to be an ineffective bear deterrent, and are even actively discouraged by Parks Canada. The best way to let bears know you’re around is simply to use your voice. Make sure to keep a respectful distance from wildlife and never feed the animals. It may seem kind but it doesn’t just kill wildlife and put people in danger, it’s also in many cases illegal.
- Research current trail conditions and make sure you are well-informed about the route before you leave, and assess if it is within your capability. Be aware of what time it gets dark and check the weather forecast. Make sure to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. Every year as more and more people try hiking for the first time, the number of rescues goes up. Being prepared is the best defense.
- Pack everything you need for a successful hike, including enough water and energy-rich snacks. Remember to pack out everything you pack in though – don’t expect to find a convenient garbage can halfway up the trail. Bring appropriate layers (remember you’ll warm up once you start hiking) and sun protection. Hiking poles may be helpful but are not required. In addition to not leaving any garbage on the trail yourself, I highly recommend bringing a garbage bag and collecting any trash that you do see on the trail. You’re guaranteed to make the Lantzville Lookout hike a more enjoyable experience for the next person.
How to Get to Lantzville Lookout Trailhead
The Lantzville Lookout trailhead is about twenty minutes north of Nanaimo, or twenty minutes south from Parksville. In 2023 the hike was closed for much of the summer due to fire risk, so if you’re planning on hiking it during the summer I suggest checking first to make sure it’s open.
From Parksville, drive south along the Island Highway for about fifteen minutes, until you find yourself passing Nanoose Bay on your left. Keep an eye out for the Snaw-Naw-as Market-Shell and the Tim Hortons because you’ll be taking your next right immediately after onto Superior Road. Follow Superior Road as it briefly continues straight before turning to the right, and then again to the left not long after. Turn right onto Lorenzen Road and follow it to its end, where you will see the large parking area on the right hand side.
From Nanaimo, drive north along the Island Highway for about fifteen minutes, until you see signs pointing to the right for Lantzville. This is right around the time the median disappears. Turn left at the following intersection onto Superior Road. Follow Superior Road as it briefly continues straight before turning to the right, and then again to the left not long after. Turn right onto Lorenzen Road and follow it to its end, where you will see the large parking area on the right hand side.
Click here to open the exact trailhead location in Google Maps.
Hiking to the Lantzville Lookout
The large Lantzville Lookout parking area below some power lines.
The hike begins by continuing straight past this yellow gate. There’s an interpretive sign about the area in the distance here.
Continue past the sign and follow the wide flat path straight through the woods, ignoring this smaller trail that intersects it.
Note the ‘Lookout’ sign on the tree at right. Head right here onto the smaller trail.
The small trail begins heading uphill. Not super steep though. It splits in two just before reuniting with a larger trail. Both options work, but the trail on the right seemed a little easier to follow to me. Either way once you reach the larger trail follow it to the right.
Continuing along the wider trail.
The trail continues heading uphill at this point, but at a fairly minor incline, There’s an important intersection here. The trail to the left heads up to the Lantzville Lookout via a much steeper and more direct route than the one on the right. Many people complete the hike as a loop, so pick whichever route sounds best for you.
The trail to the right levels off a little bit as it heads through this monoculture before starting to head uphill again. It’s following underneath the hill which can somewhat be seen through the trees at left.
The trail begins to turn to the left to head up the hill.
The trail gets steeper and rootier, though not as much so as the steeper route up. What feels like nearly all (in reality probably about half) of the elevation gain is accomplished in this brief spurt here.
On top of the ridge now, the trail has some minor ups and downs but is largely level as it continues over to the viewpoint.
The wide open Lantzville Lookout.
Views down over Nanoose Bay and Notch Hill. Little Mountain was also visible to the right, though it can’t be seen in this photo. Some idiot is standing in the way.
Looking south. It was a bit smoky, otherwise views of the coast mountains would have been better. It was possible to see Nanaimo in the distance and Mount Benson above it. To continue on the loop down the steeper trail, follow the path across the lookout area and down the other side.
Heading down via the steeper trail. if you’re not sure if it’s too steep for you, think to the steepest part of the trail on the way up. It’s mostly like that all the way downbefore reuniting with the otehr trail at the junction.
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.
I hope you enjoyed this guide to hiking to the Lantzville Lookout on Vancouver Island! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below or to contact me directly via social media.