Benson Creek Falls Park

In four years of living in Nanaimo, I thought I'd visited most of the local parks. However, looking over the City of Nanaimo's parks and recreation website, I noticed reference to Benson Creek Falls Regional Park. I hadn't been there. What was I waiting for? Although it was cold in March, I headed out. So cold, I might add, that the puddles I encountered on the trails through the park had thin ice layers on them. This is a excellent park to stroll through with one proviso. If walkers stay on the wider paths they'll generally be fine. The problem with this park is that it is criss-crossed by dozens of mountain biking/BMX trails with an odd collection of names. The only trail lacking adequate signage was the one you'd want to stay on to take advantage of the wilderness in the park.

Notice only one railing on this bridge. I suspect due to use by bikers. (2012-03-30) 

Pristine nature marred by seemingly inexplicable junk (2012-03-30) 

Benson Creek (2012-03-30) 

Small stream flowing through the rainforest (2012-03-30) 

August at Neck Point Park

Earlier this year, in mid-August, we had visitors from Europe. By the time visitors get out of YVR, negotiate the Canada Line and West Vancouver Blue Bus connections to Horseshoe Bay, never mind the ferry across to Nanaimo, they're generally beat. We've found that a good sleep and a leisurely breakfast usually gets visitors into vacation mode. So, the question is, "How do we ease them into their Vancouver Island stay?" For us, the answer is: a stroll through Neck Point Park (avoiding the 100+ stairs to Keel Cove, of course).

Enjoy my pictorial record of our walk on this occasion.

 Looking along Indian Beach towards
Neck Point (2013-08-17)

The "neck" that is  
Neck Point (2013-08-17)

What the low tide reveals at  
Neck Point Park (2013-08-17)

A look back at the park from Neck Point (2013-08-17)

Human ingenuity (fun) at Neck Point Park (2013-08-17)

Arbutus tree at Neck Point Park (2013-08-17)