Located just outside the city of Victoria beside the Pat Bay Highway you’ll find the popular Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. Consisting of two conjoined lakes surrounded by parklands offering extensive trail systems and diverse recreational opportunities this park is visited daily year round by hundreds, if not thousands of Victorians.
Beaver Lake is the smaller of the two and a popular swimming spot because it warms up nicely in the summer. There is a sandy beach and ample picnic spots as well as a Nature Centre staffed on weekends and holidays to answer your questions and give directions. The equestrian centre offers a venue to exercise and train your horse and there are ponds for retriever training.
Elk Lake is much larger and serves as a training ground for rowers and is also used cooperatively by water skiers, fishers (the lake is stocked with catchable trout), windsurfers and sailing enthusiasts.
The entire park is crisscrossed with easy to navigate trails, some of which are designated multi-use, where bicyclists, hikers, joggers and horses share space, and others are limited to hikers.
How to Get to Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park
Elk Lake – Take the Pat Bay Highway from Victoria and turn left on Sayward Road, left on Hamsterly Road and then right on Brookleigh Road. You’ll see the park entrance immediately on the left side of the road.
Beaver Lake – Take the Pat Bay Highway from Victoria, exit at Royal Oak Drive. Turn left on Royal Oak Drive to cross over the highway, right on Elk Lake Drive and just past the commercial area you’ll see the park entrance on your left.
The park is open from sunrise to sunset. Visit one of our beautiful regional parks, it’s one of the best ways to enjoy living in Victoria BC!
