Nanaimo Parks
Our favourite local parks are listed underneath this map. A more complete list of beautiful places is in the side-nav to the left of the map.
Don't miss our Nanaimo Hikes section.
Bowen Park
Bowen is a 90-acre park located in downtown Nanaimo. The park is full of walking trails that meander past a nature centre, a decent waterfall, colourful gardens and more. The park also offers lawn bowling, golf and swimming. Address: 500 Bowen Rd, Nanaimo BC
Buttertubs Marsh Bird Sanctuary
Buttertubs Marsh encompasses 49 acres of natural wetlands and grasslands. The park's 4.5 km of trails make it easy to view the numerous wildlife that make their home here. Address: 1780 Jingle Pot Rd, Nanaimo BC
Morden Colliery Provincial Park
This is a must-see for anyone interested in Nanaimo's fascinating mining heritage. The park features Vancouver Island's only remaining coal tipple, built in the early 1900's. It's a twenty minute drive south from downtown Nanaimo.
Colliery Dams Park
This 28-hectare (70-acre) park encompasses the Upper and Lower lakes with hiking trails interspersed throughout. The park is crawling with wildlife, including deer, raccoons, pheasants and various species of birds. Muskrats live in the lakes. This park is worth a visit year-round as the mood and atmosphere change with the season. Address: 653 Wakesiah Ave, Nanaimo BC
Morrell Nature Sanctuary
The Morrell Nature Sanctuary is a beautiful network of trails that meander through a forest last logged in the 1920's. There is a lake and a big pond with wooden boardwalks leaning out into the water, as well as a lush, fragrant expanse of douglas fir and arbutus. Located in south Nanaimo, beside the Colliery Dams and the military base.
Neck Point Park
Neck Point Park totals 14.5 hectares (36-acre) and is surrounded by water on most sides, creating a lot of great beaches. The park is full of trails and includes a lot of picnic areas, parking and recreational areas. Address: 1055 Morningside Dr, Nanaimo BC
Newcastle Island
Nanaimo's best daytrip for families. Ride a little ferry across the harbour to this huge park, where kilometers of forest trails join beaches and lookouts in a massive historic interpretation environment.
PetroGlyph Provincial Park
Located at the south end of Nanaimo, where the Nanaimo River empties into the Northumberland Channel, Petroglyph Park is the site of hundreds of native carvings called petroglyphs, which are thought to be hundreds and even thousands of years old. They include carvings of mythological sea creatures, human figures, animals and more. No facilities are provided at this park, and in fact you should not get your hopes up about this place. The surrounding developments have blocked any spiritual properties the place once possessed; but it's cool if you really dig the idea of petroglyphs. Located on the Island Highway south of Alice's Restaurant and the Best Western.
Piper's Lagoon Park
Piper's Lagoon Park is a piece of land loosely resembling a smoking pipe and is almost completely surrounded by water. Totaling 8 hectares (20 acres), the park has many look-out areas to enjoy sunsets over the water, sailing regattas or ocean wildlife. Address: 3600 Place Rd, Nanaimo BC
Westwood Knoll
There is a beautiful little mound of rock with a great view of Westwood Lake and Mt Benson. the advantage of this spot is that it's only a ten-minute walk to get there from your car. It can be buggy at certain times, though.