So you’re back for more, hey? This week I increased the difficulty level and hiked Mount Douglas. This hike is full of lush greenery and stunning views. With a ten minute drive or a fifteen minute bus and a 200-meter walk to the trailhead, this hike is fully accessible by transportation.
Something I did not expect on this hike was how busy it would be. I went on a Sunday afternoon when it was cloudy and fairly cool out and didn’t expect this trail to be so popular. The parking lot was full when I arrived and when I was leaving, there were cars parking along side the road.
If you are driving, it is hard to miss the parking lot, as there is a giant sign saying “Mount Douglas Park.” Once you have parked or have walked from the bus stop, walk up the road past the outhouses. This road continues up the entire mountain and leads to a parking lot at the top. Most people hike up the road, but I took the trail. Hiking along the trail provides you with views that you would not have been able to see from the road. Once you have begun up the road, you will come across this sign on the left side of the road.
The trail begins with a reasonable incline to get your blood pumping and quickly you will be above the road. The trail is easy to follow throughout the entire hike, provides you with some breaks from the steady incline, and rewards you with periodic viewpoints like these.
This hike, while beautiful, is on the more difficult side. On way down, I passed many people huffing and puffing and one girl who looked university age saying how she was “soooo sweaty, omg.” She was using her front camera to fix her hair until she saw me and panicked.
*Pro tip: wear a hat. It will hide your sweat and keep all of your crazy hiking hair contained.
Even though the trail is steep and sometimes a little rocky, it is rather beautiful. Continue following the trail and the white markers like this one (on the trail it will say “Irvine”).
When you reach the top, you can cross over to the South Ridge. It’s quieter on the ridge where you emerge from the trail, so that is a nice place to have lunch. On the far ridge, you are able to see Sidney Island, downtown Victoria, and the Haro Strait. Once you have finished enjoying the beautiful views, you may either head back down the trail or use the road. The trail was quite muddy on the way up due to the days of rain prior so I opted to take the road to avoid slippage.
I am very excited for next week’s hike as I will be checking out the ever-popular Goldstream Trestle. Stay tuned for details!
Rankings for this hike out of 5:
Transportation accessibility: 5
Distance from UVic: ten minutes by car, fifteen minutes by bus plus 200m walk to trailhead
Difficulty: Intermediate
Views: 4
Time: 90 minutes (including a 15 minute lunch break at the top and some picture taking on the way up)
Rankings guide:
1-5, 5 being best
Difficulty ratings: easy (you’re here for the good Insta pics, not the workout), intermediate (you’ll break a sweat, but you won’t die), difficult (bring the extra water and your best protein bar; will most likely be rewarded by stunning views and pictures to make all of your Insta followers jealous and make them wonder how you found out about such a cool hike)
Questions or suggestions? Let me know in the comments!