One thing that I love when I’m making a road trip is all the stops you made, even knowing what you can find. It is what happened yesterday on our way to the south of Vancouver Island.
We made a stop in Bamberton Provincial Park.
Where is Bamberton Provincial Park located?
The park is located on southern Vancouver Island, approximately 45 km north of Victoria off Highway 1. Turn east off Highway 1 onto Mill Bay Road, near the north end of the scenic Malahat Drive. BC Ferries offers service from Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay, a distance of 8 km by the sea with a crossing time of 25 minutes. Bamberton Park is located a 5-minute drive south of Mill Bay.
Bamberton’s Provincial Park history:
Bamberton Park was given to the province by the British Columbia Cement Company in 1959. The name Bamberton was chosen by the donors and commemorates H.K. Bamber, managing director of the British Portland Cement Manufacturing Company, a predecessor of the BC Cement Company, now known as Ocean Cement.
Traditionally, local First Nations used Johns Creek, which runs through the park, for trout fishing and still utilize the area today for ceremonial purposes in the fall and winter.
Bamberton protects a mixed woodland of second-growth Douglas fir and arbutus, a salmon-bearing creek, and eel-grass beds in the estuary. Over time, natural weathering forces may return the creek outflow area to a floodplain with salt marsh communities. The park also features an interesting intertidal zone, popular with school groups who visit the park to study marine life. Please remember to carefully place overturned rocks in their original position in your observation of the intertidal zone. Do not touch the marine life or remove any shells or marine organisms from the park.
What can you see in this Provincial Park?
For years, the warm waters surrounding Vancouver Island’s Mill Bay have been a popular destination for local salmon fishers. The inviting water and the 225-metre long sandy beach have also made nearby Bamberton Provincial Park ideal for parents to bring their families.
While the kids frolic in the warm waves, parents can lounge in the sand and enjoy the views across the inlet – to the east are the shores of the Saanich Peninsula, with the southern Gulf Islands and Mt. Baker beyond. Rising sharply to the west are the mountains of south Vancouver Island.
Fronting on the west side of Saanich Inlet, of particular interest in this park is the abundance of arbutus trees, identified by its thick, leathery green leaves, reddish trunk, and peeling bark. The arbutus is Canada’s only broadleaf evergreen and is found only on Vancouver Island and the lower coast of mainland British Columbia.
A vehicle-accessible campground is nestled in this forest environment, where eagles and osprey can be seen circling high above. Waterfowl and seals are frequent visitors to the surrounding waters.
Why did I love this stop?
Even if many people were there their feet in the water, it was a great stop to relax and enjoy the view. Of course, we didn’t spend there so much time, as we prefer a longer hike, but for sure, I can’t imagine when the weather is beautiful how locals are coming there to enjoy the beach and the water. So if you are around, consider stopping in this Provincial Park.
