Level, groomed trails past Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park facilities, beaches and through some old forests, with the option of shorter loops and a 10-km loop of the two linked lakes. As for the puzzling double name, the southern bulge happens to be called Beaver Lake and the northern, larger bulge Elk Lake.
LOCATION
Drive north on the Patricia Bay Highway (17) towards Sidney. Both the entrance to Elk Lake and Elk Lake itself are prominently visible. Traffic lights and a dedicated left-turn lane make turning off the busy highway easy. Once in the park, drive through the first parking lot to enter the forest. Drive along the narrow park road to Beaver Beach. Park where you see an obvious beachy area with lawns and, on the right, a Nature House.
DISTANCE
4 km
ELEVATION GAIN
Insignificant
DIFFICULTY
Probably the easiest walk in the Victoria area, not only because of the level, groomed trails but also because of the many facilities and the options for taking shortcuts.
SEASON
All season, though, of course, to take advantage of the water, summer is best.
OF SPECIAL INTEREST FOR CHILDREN
With one of the warmest beaches in the Victoria area as the culmination of a loop walk, this trip’s appeal is obvious. (Blue-green algal blooms have occasionally precipitated swimming advisories.) When it is open, the Nature House is good fun. It is open June to September, weekends and holiday Mondays, from noon to four. When all else fails, the playground is a sure bet for children.
There are dozens of shortcuts – and extensions – possible. The loop described here begins and ends by a beach and provides some of the prettiest views and greatest variety. Directions here are simplified because the trails are so well-signposted.
1.Walk first towards the beach to eye it speculatively for future dabbling. Turn towards the Nature House and, if it is open, consider making a little visit. Pick up the broad trail by the lakeside. A partial screen of willows on the left and a forest of large, old fir on the right quickly embrace you with a restorative sense of nature at its most reassuring.
2.When you come to a small cross trail and a picnic bench at North Beach, have a look at the map and take the smaller, shoreside trail with the signpost directing you towards Eagle Beach. At the next signpost, the trail converges for a few metres with the official “10 K” loop trail, which runs around the entire lake system. Turn left to take the shoreside alternative. Some of the prettiest views, past the small island in Beaver Lake, are along this section.
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Much of the trail along Beaver Lake is behind a lattice of trees and bushes; the lakeside trail is almost entirely level and wide; near the beginning of the trail along Beaver Lake; the broad “10 K” trail often leaves the lakeside to run through large trees.
3.The trail cuts across a peninsula before curving around the base of another bay, with a potentially welcome park bench. At the next junction, assess the energy of your intrepid group, since this is a good place to turn away from the lake and make a shortcut back to the starting point. Otherwise, complete the north end of your loop by continuing along the shoreside walk until, nearing Eagle Beach, you swing inland to a T junction.
4.If you are curious about the home of Canada’s rowing team, turn left and walk a few minutes towards Eagle Beach and the Victory Rowing Society’s boathouse before turning back to this point. The fairly direct route back to your starting point is along the well-signposted 10 K trail, also signed for Beaver Beach. If you are set for the 10-km circuit, this is a good place not to turn right but left, away from your starting point. The loop will be a little more than the official 10 km because of the shoreside route you followed until this point, but it’s well worth the additional steps.
5.On your way back to your vehicle, pass several side trails, all of them well-signposted. Simply keep ahead on 10 K trail. Although this route is away from the water, it does lead through some soaring and soulful large forest. At several points, too, if you yearn to get back to the shore trail (and avoid the slight hill on the 10 K route) you have plenty of opportunity to follow side trails a short distance to the shore.
