Top Places to See Fall Foliage Around Greater Victoria
This season, watch fall flourish and transform the landscape of B.C.’s capital city. Your fall adventure to Greater Victoria starts with a cozy accommodation. Find your perfect stay here.
The Butchart Gardens
A classic Victoria attraction, The Butchart Gardens are beautiful at any time of year. During the autumn season, shades of orange, crimson and gold come to the forefront and create a spectacular view through the Sunken Garden and Japanese Gardens. We recommend spending at least a few hours meandering the grounds, snapping photos along the way, before treating yourself to afternoon tea at The Dining Room Restaurant.
Image by @afrederia7
Beacon Hill Park
Would you believe this photo is from the heart of the city? Beacon Hill Park, located just footsteps from the Inner Harbour, is a 200-acre park in downtown Victoria. From its gardens to its old growth trees to its petting zoo to its cricket pitch, there are so many places to enjoy the fall foliage in all its grandeur.
The Gardens at HCP
This volunteer run garden is a hidden-gem amongst Greater Victoria's garden scene. Open year-round, this nine-acre demonstration garden boasts a Japanese style Takata Garden, the Zen Garden, the Rhododendron Garden, Heather Gardens, and more, made all the more beautiful by an eruption of fall colour. Explore the garden at your own pace, or join a guided tour or workshop, and admire the floral wonders of Canada's mildest climate.
Local tip: Make a day of it, and stop by the onsite restaurant, Charlotte and Quail, for locally-focused fare (some of which was grown in the Gardens at HCP's own vegetable gardens).
Hatley Castle & Gardens
If you've ever looked up images of Victoria (or watched X-Men or Deadpool), you'll likely recognize Hatley Castle and Gardens. A National Historic Site of Canada, the castle was commissioned to be built by the Dunsmuir family (also the former owners and residents of Craigdarroch Castle) and was completed in 1908. Its surrounding grounds include a rose garden, an Italian garden, a huge greenhouse, and a Japanese garden that's especially striking during the fall season.
BC Parliament Buildings
The communities of Greater Victoria are stitched together like a patchwork by greenspaces and rainforests. That means you can enjoy the fall colours from basically anywhere in the city. Just because you're downtown doesn't mean you can't soak up the season. Many landmarks, including the BC Parliament Buildings, find themselves draped fall foliage, making for spectacular seasonal photo ops.
Goldstream Provincial Park
Just 25 minutes north of Victoria's city centre, Goldstream Provincial Park is a great place to enjoy a morning or afternoon adventure. Take a leisurely walk along the forest floor toward the Goldstream Nature House, and keep an eye out for bald eagles along the way! Starting around mid-October, you can experience the salmon run, a natural phenomenon where millions of Pacific salmon forge their way upstream to spawn. To get your heart pumping, opt for the short hike to the Goldstream Trestle, a fantastic spot for photo-ops and to spot the fall hues from above.
Image: Goldstream Provincial Park, via Ian Terris Photography
Mount Douglas Park
Just 15-minutes from downtown Victoria, discover Mount Douglas Park (PKOLS). With clear signage and multiple hiking trails that vary from easy to intense, you can choose whichever one suits you.
Tip: The trails are dog-friendly so keep your companion on a leash and bring them along for the adventure.
Ross Bay Cemetery
This Victoria-era burial ground runs along the coast of the Salish Sea and is the oldest surviving formal landscape design in BC. Wander through the trees examining the marble and granite headstones, keeping your eyes peeled for the resident deer. This cemetery is the resting place of a number of prominent figures throughout Canadian and US history including Emily Carr, Sir James Douglas, Nellie Chapman, and Robert Dunsmuir.
Esquimalt Gorge Park & Pavilion
Beyond the Inner Harbour, beyond the Upper Harbour, the Salish Sea stretches into the Esquimalt Gorge. Home to a beautiful park and pavilion, the Esquimalt Gorge offers walking trails, paddling opportunities, Japanese gardens, and even an off leash dog area. This is a wonderful place to spend the morning exploring the pathways, admiring the season, and keeping your eyes peeled for a friendly seal or heron.
Galloping Goose Regional Trail
Walk, pedal, or jog your way through an ever changing landscape along the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. The Goose (as it's known to locals) runs from Victoria all the way to Sooke, which means you can enjoy 55km (one way!) of path that showcases everything from the urban cityscape, to farmland, coastal rainforests, and oceanfront views.
Thetis Lake
Just minutes from downtown, Thetis Lake is a world all its own. A local favourite for swimming, paddling, hiking, and fishing, Thetis Lake provides many ways to enjoy the colours of fall, whether that's from the top of Seymour Hill or sipping cocoa in your canoe.
Gowlland Todd Provincial Park
With a plethora of hikes to choose from that lead you to the top of mountains or down to sea level, discover these forested trails popping with colour.
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria boasts a wonderfully scenic campus with huge trees, sprawling green spaces and several large totem poles. You'll see fall colours all through "the quad," located in the centre of campus between the library and arts buildings. Take a stroll along tree-lined Ring Road and make sure to check out the cultivated Finnerty Gardens. For an immersive forest experience right on campus, opt for a nature walk through Mystic Vale.
Juan De Fuca
Starting at just over an hour outside of Victoria, these coastal trails along the Juan De Fuca Straight will bring you through some unimaginable foliage.
Image by @kristarobertsgeary
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