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Glorious Goldstream Park ideal for tree hugging and hiking
It is perhaps the most-taken photograph in British Columbia: a person trying their darnedest to wrap their arms around an ancient Douglas Fir, the colossal trunk towering beyond the photo’s edge, reaching for uncertain heights.
Suspended boughs covered with sweeping moss swing in and out of the scene; in the foreground, nurse logs nestle on the forest floor, providing a sanctuary for countless unseen beetles, spiders, and worms.
If you’re sticking around the Victoria area, the first place that comes to mind to fulfill this tree-hugging photo fantasy is the 477-hectare Goldstream Provincial Park, just 25 minutes from downtown.
I get chills as soon as I enter the park’s vicinity, and not just from the cool, forest air. It seems out of nowhere, the trees have shot up an extra 20 feet and widened by an extra 10. The light changes. The sun’s rays bounce off thousands of branches and leaves, labouring to get past the foliage to illuminate the ferns growing at knee-level and leave glimmering speckles of yellow on the floor.
Even without travelling too deeply on the park’s trails, it’s obvious nature is different here; it’s bigger, wilder, more dramatic. Maple leaves larger than both my hands float down around me; thick moss like you’ve never seen carpets the trees and branches; wispy old man’s beard dangles gracefully from thick branches. Places like this make photographers of us all.
A perfectly huggable tree.
For a gentle walk, follow the path by the stream, for which the park is named. It is the breeding ground of Chum salmon. In the late autumn, you can catch the end of the salmon run, where the females come to die after laying their eggs.
A bald eagle scoping out the salmony situation.
Next, the eagles arrive to feast on the carcasses. You’ll count five, six, 10, bald eagles soaring around the area this time of year! Both beautiful and slightly macabre, thousands of visitors travel to the park to experience the end of the salmon run, with its rare glimpse into the life and death cycle of one of BC’s most iconic fish.
Goldstream, sacred grounds from Chum salmon.
The walk by the stream eventually comes out to the Goldstream Visitor Centre, a gift shop and museum-type establishment. Learn about the animals and plants in the area, or pick up a postcard or memento to commemorate your visit to the rainforest. Their “salmon-cam” and “eagle-cam” are a great way to check conditions on a video screen before heading out to the park to the perfect location.
Imagine all the neat little critters living in this giant, hollowed-out tree?
For hikers seeking more challenging topography, explore the Gold Mine Trail. The 156-foot Niagara waterfall rewards you for facing a steeper inclination, a railway trestle, and an old gold mine shaft.
Spectacular sights looking south from the top of Mount Finlayson.
Mount Finlayson, whose base is accessible from Goldstream Park, rules the sky at Goldstream Park. At almost 1400 feet, the mountain features steep rock faces and slippery areas and takes approximately two hours to get up and down. If you’re in shape and not afraid of heights, Mount Finlayson boasts spectacular, 360 degree views of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, the Saanich Inlet, the Straight of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Baker. On a clear day, there is no better view of the area.
Badge on honour at the top of Mount Finlayson, elevation 419 m.
Young or old, Goldstream Park has something for everyone. It is the British Columbian paradise people dream of: an old growth, temperate rainforest, just a short drive from urban Victoria.
- Photos & text by Jessica Woollard©
