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Spectacle
Lake
Spectacle Lake Provincial Park is located at the top of the Malahat
on Vancouver Island 18 km (11 miles) north of Langford
and 14 km (8.5 miles) south of Mill
Bay on the Trans-Canada Hwy 1.
Travelling
Here
Travel on Hwy 1 towards the Malahat on southern Vancouver Island.
Once on the summit of the Malahat, look for the turnoff for the
park on Whittaker Road and follow the sign on Cedarwood Street to
the parking lot.
Saw
Mill
The park at Spectacle Lake is established extensively around an
area that served historically for logging and with a saw mill operating
between 1920 and 1930 with some minor operations up until 1940.
During this time, the spring-fed lake was dammed so that the logs
could be sorted, boomed, and stored before being milled into timber
and lumber. Now co-managed by the CVRD and BC Parks, Spectacle Lake
Provincial Park serves as an area where nearby residents can enjoy
outdoor recreation, including swimming in the summer, and, depending
on the thickness, ice skating in the winter.
Day-Use
Area
This park offers a visitor day-use area that includes a 2 km (1.3
miles) trail that circles around Spectacle Lake, is wheelchair accessible
on the east side, a boat launch for kayaks, canoes, and car-toppers,
picnic tables, pit-toilets, some rock outcrops and a small sandy
beach. There is no designated swimming area, and as with all BC
Parks, there are no lifeguards present and swimming is at your own
risk.
Fishing
With the appropriate licence, you can find some angling opportunities
for stocked Cutthroat trout and Eastern Brook trout. Please check
current regulations before fishing.
Provincial
Campgrounds Nearby
There is no camping allowed at Spectacle Lake Provincial Park, with
the nearest provincial campground being either at Bamberton, 11
km (7 miles) to the north, or Goldstream,
13 km (8 miles) to the south on Hwy 1. Both of these campgrounds
are quite large with some sites available on a first-come, first-served
basis.
Bear
Country
Just remember if you are enjoying the provincial parks and the countryside
around British Columbia, please remember this is bear country. Try
to avoid the rivers during heavy salmon spawning times unless you
feel comfortable with bears around and take the usual precautions.
There is also the possibilities of encounters with wolves or cougars
so please play it safe.
BC
Parks
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Spectacle Lake
Provincial Park
Wheelchair Accessible
Section of Trail
Rock Outcrop
Trail Over Wooden
Bridge
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