Let me start off with one of my all-time favorite day hikes on Vancouver Island! Whether it’s for sunrise or sunset, whether it’s cloudy, rainy or foggy and no matter what season it is – Jocelyn Hill rewards you with one of the greatest ocean and mountain views!

Jocelyn Hill is located in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park on the Eastern shores of the Finlayson Arm fjord (which only replenishes its marine waters once a year). The stunning Gowlland Tod offers you a total of over 35 kilometers of hiking trails on Southern Vancouver Island, stretching from Goldstream to Brentwood Bay and is just a 20-minute drive from Victoria.

As the highest peak of the park, the 417-meter high Jocelyn Hill presents hikers from around the globe with spectacular views of the surrounding area, including the Saanich Inlet and Finlayson Arm to the west and southwest, the so called Malahat Pass across the water and the city of Victoria to the southeast.

There are two starting points to access the hike from: McKenzie Bight to the north or Caleb Pike to the south. Caleb Pike access to Jocelyn hill takes you around 4.1 km one way. If you start your hike from McKenzie Bight, you’ll hike about 5.5km one way.

If you decide to go off the main trails (highly recommended!) you will find a third almost hidden starting point to this beautiful day hike on Vancouver Island. The trailhead is right off Emma Dixon Road where you’ll park your car and search for the secret entrance. For the first few hundred meters, you’ll walk through dense forest before you get rewarded with the beautiful Jocelyn Hill ocean views. No matter which weather you get into, Jocelyn Hill offers stunning & spectacular views in all kinds of weather conditions. Before you go, prepare yourself for one of the most epic short hikes around Victoria.

Pack yourself some healthy snacks, hot tea, a blanket and maybe a pack of cards and have an extraordinary sunset picnic at the summit to be remembered for a long, long time!

Today, the special water pipeline on Vancouver Island is abandoned (unless you cross paths with a bear, of course). Once you set foot on it, however, you are teleported back in time and feel a sense of great history. Let’s dive into the pipeline’s own story, shall we?

Once upon a time, more than 100 years ago, the construction of the 44 km pipeline began with over 400 workers building this large concrete aqueduct to transport water from Sooke to Victoria. During the entire time of the construction, caretakers who ensured the safety of the pipe, lived in small cabins along the route of which you can still see some today. From time to time, you are also likely to stumble upon one of 54 timber trestles that were built along the way.

About 4 years into the construction and the project was finally finished. Although many were hoping for an efficient water transport through the pipe, the actual numbers showed a water loss of 50-75% at times. Around 1970, the city of Sooke outgrew the demand and decided to decommission part of the pipeline. Only a small part (from Sooke to Sooke Lake) remained in service. Later on, in 2009, the pipeline was replaced with a PVC pipe buried under the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.

First, drive all the way to the second parking lot at the Sooke Potholes (3$ parking fee in summer). Look out for a red hut which used to be an old train station for the Galloping Goose Trail. Right behind it you will see a hiking trail that leads up to a waterfall and crosses the pipeline shortly after. You can check out the exact route here. Once on the pipeline, you are surrounded by rocks and trees fully covered with moss. At some points, the pipeline might be overgrown and you feel like you are lost in the Canadian jungle… but you are really just in the middle of Vancouver Island.

If you walk far enough or decide to hike in the early morning or late evening hours, you might be able to spot some wildlife – just as we did. Most of the time, our furry friends care more about eating wild blueberries than they do about chasing humans, BUT: From time to time, they can protect their territory or little bear cubs and you really don’t want to pick a fight with an adult male black bear or momma bear trying to show you who’s the boss (really not!). Remember to always bring bear spray on lightly trafficked hiking routes, you guys. And of course, respect the wildlife!

Are you a real adventurer ready to explore off the main trails? Waiting to discover magical places away from crowded trails? Are you not scared of heights?

If you responded yes to any of those questions, then this day hike on Vancouver Island is definitely for you: Cameron Lake Trestle hike. My friend Viki and I decided to spend a night at a nearby campground (on a pig farm, actually) and pay this beautiful hiking trail a visit during the beginning of summer 2020. Driving toward Port Alberni on Highway 4, you can already see the lake as the road follows alongside the water. Keep an eye out for small waterfalls along the highway, too!

Together with two of our friends who are locals to the island, we followed the abandoned train tracks for a few kilometers until we reached a point at which the trail was completely overgrown by plants and bushes. And it had rained the night before, so our clothes were soaking wet as soon as we walked right through the bushes. By that time, we had already passed one out of 5 trestles but of course wanted to reach the biggest one.

As you keep following the wooden train tracks for a few hundred meters more, you finally arrive at the stunning trestle. The views across the trestle are mind-blowing and for sure worth the climb (and worth getting wet). For some of us it’s definitely a challenge to walk onto the trestle as it has rotten in several places (I feel you, I am scared of heights and didn’t trust the rotten wood enough) but if you are careful and brave enough (like my friends), you might enjoy the lake views right from the middle of the trestle.

Cameron Lake, located in between Mount Arrowsmith and Mount Wesley, extends over 477 hectares and is a lovely swimming spot in the summer months. There are also great hikes and climbs surrounding the lake (such as Mount Wesley via Wesley Ridge).

Make sure to dip your feet in the water once you get back. It’s so refreshing! And make sure to recommend this day hike on Vancouver Island to your friends. :-)

Just a short and sweet ferry ride from the mainland away, Salt Spring Island is the place to be for alternative music concerts, slow living, yoga retreats, spiritual experiences and unforgettable outdoor adventures. Located between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, Salt Spring is one of the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea. You can drive around the entire island in less than 45 minutes but could easily spend more than a week there without having seen even half of what Salt Spring has to offer.

We decided to do a little island hopping for a day and see what the fuss is all about. 2020 wasn’t so much about summer concerts and all that, but we were hoping for some quality nature time over on Salt Spring and perhaps even some day hikes.

Next to walking around Ruckle Provincial Park in the south, driving by the Treehouse Café on the East side of the island and enjoying the best vegan cheese platter with a small selection of local ciders at Salt Spring Wild Cider House, we spent most of our time out in the woods and hiked up to Mt. Erskine on the West Coast. For the first part of the hike, you’ll find yourself on a rather steep ascent through dense forest, until you get to see a glimpse of the ocean view that you can enjoy towards the end of your ascent. We didn’t know about Mt. Erskine before we talked to the owner of a cute little organic shop who recommended us to hike up there (thank you!). I always love to ask locals for their recommendations and personal favorites since they know their home so much better than any travel guide does.

The last few meters until we reached the summit, we joked around and felt so grateful to be alive. That’s another thing, the vibes you feel once you’re on Salt Spring Island. Life seems to happen in slow motion and even nature feels much more peaceful than on Vancouver Island.

Oh Salt Spring Island, you stole my heart!

Go with the flow and don’t plan too much upon your arrival on Salt Spring. Check out Mt. Erskine and maybe one thing you definitely want to see/experience, but let the rest of your trip unfold naturally. That’s how we found the Cider place. And the hike. That’s where the magic happens.

Ok, guys. This incredible day hike on Vancouver Island is top secret. Only known to a selected group of Chameleon Adventurers who want that extra layer of discovery and love to head out into the Wild. Perhaps that’s you?

Let’s start from the beginning. When we started our drive in the early morning hours, I was not sure what to expect. A day full of hiking, exploring secret waterfalls and wandering around in ancient forests. How would that look like? With homemade chia pudding and coffee for breakfast, followed by this stunning hike. Viki, her friend Ryan and I parked the car close to the starting point of this trail just outside of the community of Youbou.

On our way up, we saw many beautiful wild flowers on the side of the trail and found ourselves heading into dense forest with a steady and steep climb up for the second part. All in all, it took us about 2 hours to reach the summit and we decided to take a short break up there and simply enjoy the views.

As per usual, I had to enjoy those views a bit differently than the other two and practiced my handstand skills. I have to admit, that it might look a little scary (maybe it was a bit scary, haha). Unless you know how to hold a handstand, please be careful with your sports practice on top of a mountain close to the edge.

This particular hike is probably my favorite of all. Could be that the entire day was just incredible and will forever be remembered as one of my 2020 Jackpot Moments. After the morning hike, we explored an ancient forest and climbed down to a secret waterfall somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Went into the freezing cold water and jumped from rock to rock. Had a picnic right by the water. For almost 16 hours, we were out of cell phone service and had the most fun disconnecting from regular life for an entire day (I mean, when was the last time you didn’t check your phone for a whole day?).

Disconnect to connect. Immerse yourself in nature and share those moments with wonderful people around you. Take a leap of faith and explore the unknown. You’ll find the most beautiful places there.