A hearty breakfast and then you're off on a day trip before returning to the comfort of your private suite.  Where do you start?

• Ghost and History Walking Tours
   

• August is wild blackberry picking season here in Victoria
   

• Summer time swimming in fresh water and salt water swimming holes
   

• East Sooke Park | French Beach Park | Goldstream Park | West Coast Trail
  Juan de Fuca Marine Trail | Galloping Goose Trail | Witty's Lagoon | Port Renfrew

There are countless hiking trails nearby including over 500 acres of old growth forest and miles of natural beaches at our doorstep.

black bear along side of Hwy. #14 en-route to Port Renfrew

right click video and click "Play"
video credit courtesy of Dan Hollow

©Copyright digimarked all rights reserved VictoriaLodging.com and sookeHarbour.com
The video above is in "wmv" windows movie format and will play in Windows Media Player; alternative formats below:

CLICK HERE for QuickTime "mov" | CLICK HERE for Real Player "rm" | CLICK HERE for "mpg"

For Private marine ecotour charters and sightseeing tours through the Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands please Click Here

Area Parks and Hiking Trails

East Sooke Park ... more
West Coast wilderness awaits you at East Sooke Regional Park. Experience it as you hike along the windswept rocky coast, over dry hilltops, through dark rain forest to sheltered coves. East Sooke is the largest CRD Park, encompassing 1422 hectares (3512 acres) of natural and protected coastal landscape. In this Wilderness Recreation Park, you’ll experience solitude and harmony with nature in a par untouched by urban progress.

French Beach Park ... more
This 59 hectare park along the spectacular Strait of Juan de Fuca offers beautiful trails, whale watching, secluded campsites and waterfront picnic areas. Situated on the straits of Juan de Fuca. This 59 hectare park is situated on the Strait of Juan de Fuca 5 km east of Jordan River. Beautiful hiking trails lead you through second growth forest of Douglas fir, Ditka spruce, western hemlock and western red cedar to the beach. You will also find salal, Oregon grape, and evergreen huckleberries, and a large variety of ferns along the trails.
 

Goldstream Park ... more
Goldstream Provincial Park lies amid the splendour of an old-growth temperate rain forest. There you can see a world class salmon-spawning stream with thousands of Chum Salmon returning between October and December. It doesn't stop there. During this amazing time of year you can visit the park and it's always-changing Visitor Centre. The centre is named after Freeman King, an early naturalist who probably reached more children than any other naturalist on Vancouver Island. The centre is at the mouth of the river, overlooking the Goldstream estuary, nestled among giant black cottonwoods and red alder trees.

West Coast Trail ... more
The exposed open coast of the Pacific Coast Mountains make up the spectacular surroundings of Pacific Rim. This unique park is composed of three parts - Long Beach, the Broken Group of Islands and, the West Coast Trail. Features include sand beaches, an island archipelago, old-growth coastal temperate rainforest, and significant archaeological sites. Extensive interpretive programs are available throughout the summer for exploration of this amazing marine and forest environment.

Juan de Fuca Marine Trail ... more
The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is a 47 kilometer hiking trail stretching along the western shoreline of southern Vancouver Island, Canada, from China Beach, just west of the community of Jordan River and extending to Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew. The trail offers scenic beauty, spectacular hiking, wildlife viewing, and roaring surf in its course along the Pacific coastline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the trail is designed for strenuous day or multi-day hiking in this rugged and isolated area. Some easy to moderate day hiking opportunities to the beach or along the trail are available starting from the trail heads at China Beach, Sombrio Beach, Parkinson Creek, and Botanical Beach.
Vancouver Island Tide Tables

Galloping Goose Trail ... more
Part of the Trans Canada Trail which traverses Canada, the Galloping Goose and Peninsula Trails form one of the most picturesque trail systems in Canada. Built upon the abandoned rail beds and trestles of that railway legacy, the Galloping Goose and Peninsula Trails connect our transportation past with our transportation future. You can travel for nearly 60 kilometers on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. You can cycle, walk, or ride a horse along this former rail line past some of B.C.’s finest scenery

Witty's Lagoon ... more
Water is the essence of Witty's Lagoon. Creek, waterfall, lagoon, beach and rocky shore draw you into an ecosystem rich with coastal plants and animals. Begin your exploration of Witty's Lagoon at the Nature Information Centre. Check out the interpretive displays on the lagoon's natural and cultural history, and find out what's in season. CRD Parks Naturalists will give you a sense of direction before you hit the trails. Adjacent to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Bilston Creek Watershed, lies Witty's Lagoon Regional Park, a harmonious blend of protected natural environments.
 

Mountain Bikes

Birds of a Feather B&B has courtesy loaner bicycles

Port Renfrew - a Day's Outing

Port Renfrew is situated on the West Coast of Southern Vancouver Island, a 107 km. drive west of Victoria Travel two hours along the scenic West Coast Road; Highway 14, west of Sooke.

Historically a fishing and logging community, Port Renfrew has an authentic West Coast flavour. Quaint homes and cottages dot the shoreline adjacent to the mouth of the San Juan River and face out on a large bay, Port San Juan, the major coastal feature guarding the west entrance to the Juan de Fuca Straight at the very foot of the Pacific Rim.

Port Renfrew harbors one of the most exclusive fishing grounds in British Columbia. With limited accommodations, one small marina, and no major resorts or lodges, Port Renfrew is quiet, comfortable and friendly, the ideal place for companionship around an open fire, exchanging tall tales and living them.

The fishing here compares with the most remote and legendary fishing locations in British Columbia. If you have ever experienced overcrowded conditions at highly publicized fishing destinations, Port Renfrew is a welcome change. To our benefit, Port Renfrew has managed to elude the wheels of progress.

The Red Creek Fir, Canada's largest known fir tree is situated 14 km east from Port Renfrew along a gravel road following the San Juan River. For more about the red fir please click here ...