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Sandy
beaches, walk the logs, swim, water ski, sun tan, beachcomb
and camping is all part of the experience of Gordon Bay. Trails
lead to privacy and picnic area available. |
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Boating, Kayaking, Fishing, Hiking, Swimming, Camping
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Cowichan BC: The Village
of Lake Cowichan, next door to the rainforests of the rugged
Carmanah
Valley, is a small forestry community located within
the north-west corner of the Cowichan Valley situated on the the
shores of Vancouver Island's second largest fresh water lake - Cowichan
Lake.
The lake is over 31 km (19
mi.) long and enjoys 150 km of shoreline. Both the lake and the
forests play a large part in the regions identity providing many
opportunities for adventure and relaxation for visitors exploring
the Lake Cowichan area including the, other, surrounding
lake villages of Youbou, Honeymoon Bay,
Mesachie Lake, and Caycuse.
The entire region around the lake
is an eco tourism destination with most amenities found
in the villages of Lake Cowichan and Youbou. Traveling
down main street Lake Cowichan, is where the bulk
of the service companies are located including restaurants, banks,
retail shops, a grocery store, a laundromat, gas stations and some
outdoor specialty shops.
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The villages on
the lake are surrounded by mountains including Mount Sutton, Mount
Vernon, Heather Mountain, Mount Buttle, Mount Holmes, and Baldy
Mountain. All of these Lake Cowichan mountains
have marked and unmarked hiking trails with great
viewpoints.
Cowichan Lake attracts campers,
outdoor enthusiasts and wilderness buffs from around the world every
year in droves. Many arrive in the area so to enjoy some quality
time hiking, golfing, canoeing, fishing, river tubing, mountain
biking, camping, bird watching, off roading, backpacking, swimming
and/or water skiing.
The water activity on the lake picks up during
the late spring, summer and early fall seasons as people flock to
the sandy beaches on the lake. One of the more popular park destinations
is Gordon
Bay - here you can camp, launch a boat, have a picnic,
walk the logs and have a swim.
Traveling by vehicle?, Then a scenic drive
following the "Cowichan Lake Circle Route" road is a must.
It is a great opportunity to visit every lake village and enjoy
some scenic sights at the same time. One word of caution, the road
is paved in and around the villages but becomes active logging gravel
roads in the backcountry. |
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When traveling the backcountry roads be aware and prepared
to pull over at anytime to give room to oncoming logging trucks.
The roads are constantly traveled by large logging trucks with full
loads. Always have your headlights on, be buckled in, have a full
tank of gas and pay attention at all times. Like any adventure into
the backcountry wilderness... be alert for off road traffic and,
always, avoid wildlife crossing the road. Play it smart and the
Lake Cowichan gravel roads will lead you to remote lakes, marshes,
rivers and to the Pacific
Rim where the southern trailhead of the West
Coast Trail in Bamfield
awaits.
How
to Get to Lake Cowichan:
Lake Cowichan and Youbou
are located 90 km (54 mi) north of Victoria
BC . They are best accessed from Hwy #18 north of Duncan
(referred to as the Lake Cowichan Hwy). Lake Cowichan from the BC
Ferry Terminal arriving from the Vancouver mainland in Sidney BC
is only a 131 km ( 78 mi.) drive (one of the entry points to Vancouver
Island - the BC Ferries Swartz Bay Terminal in Sidney BC).
The Malahat Mountain drive From Victoria
to Duncan
is a beautiful one with views of Saanich Inlet.
From Duncan it is only a short 30 km
(18 mi.) drive to Lake Cowichan. Chemainus,
home to the Murals, is 43 km (28 mi.) northwest of Youbou
and Lake Cowichan. From Nanaimo,
just north, it is a 73 km (43 mi.) cruise exploring the award winning
village of Ladysmith BC
on your way to Lake Cowichan. Closest access from
the mainland is via the BC Ferry terminal in Duke Point
near Nanaimo or by the airport in the
outlying community of Cassidy, BC. |
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Lake Cowichan
Transportation