3 Best Hiking Trails in Saanich

“John Dean Provincial Park is a densely vegetated provincial park in North Saanich. The park covers 174 hectares of southern Vancouver Island in BC. This park features 6 kilometres of well-marked hiking trails. The trail is a 1.2-mile loop trail that takes an average of 33 minutes to complete. Users can enjoy several lookout areas with views of the Saanich Peninsula and the Saanich Inlet. The main trails are wide enough for two people to walk beside each other. As you walk up the hill, you will encounter two staircases, one going up and one down. You can also observe various flora and fauna. John Dean Provincial Park is easy to navigate, quiet, and family-friendly.”

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“Francis/King Regional Park is a well-maintained hiking trail in Saanich, BC. The park spans 265 acres with 6.2 miles (10 kilometres) of trails, including gentle woodland trails, an accessible boardwalk, and a nature center. The Elsie King Trail is a cedar boardwalk accessible to people with disabilities. They are excellent at engaging children to make the learning experience fun through various activities. Francis/King Regional Park's trail connects to Thetis Lake Regional Park, allowing visitors to explore multiple plants and birds. The park is also a perfect place for family outings with young children. Francis/King Regional Park has interpretive panels, water fountains, and toilet facilities.”

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“Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Society is one of the top-rated hiking destinations in Saanich, BC. A non-profit society manages this refuge, this urban sanctuary provides an exceptional opportunity to connect people with nature. Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary aims to protect native plants and wildlife. This 1.6-mile loop trail is generally considered easy and takes 31 minutes to complete. The sanctuary attracts 10,000 visitors to their educational Nature House and 70,000 site visitors yearly, thanks to its accessible location just 6 km from downtown Victoria, BC. In an average year, the nature center hosts 17,000 youth and other learners in their educational programming and engages 250 volunteers who help with restoration, education, and other program delivery.”

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