A Family Outing at Bamberton Provincial Park

If you want to spend a special weekend or even just a day with your family,  take a trip to Bamberton Provincial Park on Vancouver Island.  This beautiful parkland is just a 30 minute drive from Victoria. With its 225 metre long sandy beach it’s an ideal spot for parents to bring the family either for a day’s outing or for a camping trip. where there’s a vehicle accessible campground nestled in the forest. 

To reach the beach and picnic area you must walk down a path and stairway through the forest.  This park has an abundance of arbutus trees with thick leathery green leaves, and reddish peeling bark.  The arbutus is found only on Vancouver Island and the Lower coast of B.C.

You might see osprey or eagles soaring overhead and in the Bay waterfowl and seals are frequent visitors.  My cousins families have gathered here every year for family picnics which I attend.  It’s always a day of great fun and enjoyment especially for the kids who spend hours building sand castles, collecting shells or exploring the creek that leads to a little waterfall.  When the tide comes up the water is warm for swimming and the beach here is safe for youngsters.  You can also kayak and canoe in the Bay. Paddlers can put in at the beach area.  There’s always a lot of small boats out in the Bay too as the area is a favorite for fishing.

The camp ground is open from March 15 – Oct 31 but reservations are required from May 15 – Sept 8.

At nearby Mill Bay, just five minues away,  you can hop on the Mill Bay ferry for a 25 minute trip to Brentwood Bay to visit the world renowned Butchart Gardens.

PHOTOS by W. Ruth Kozak