Roche Cove Regional Park

The ancient temperate rainforest around the sheltered cove offers a perfect chance for solitude and a connection with nature. You can hike along a cool creek during the day or paddle on calm waters in the early morning light at this serene West Coast park.

If you like the beach, enjoy a picnic in the protected cove after an easy walk from the parking area. At low tide, you can find little-neck clams and barnacles in the sand. At high tide, look for sea stars moving over broken shells in search of food. You might also see migrating ducks, like red-breasted mergansers, Barrow's goldeneye, or buffleheads on the water.

If you're looking for an easy hike, the Matheson Creek Trail follows the creek through a lush forest filled with bracken ferns and western red cedars, connecting to nearby Matheson Lake Regional Park (note: The trail may be impassable in winter.) For a more challenging hike, try the Cedar Grove Trail.

Roche Cove is also a great starting point for a day outing on the popular Galloping Goose Regional Trail. For a shorter hike, consider walking from Roche Cove to Rocky Point Road, which is 4.7 km one way. The Goose is a multi-use trail with a smooth gravel surface and a gentle slope, offering ocean and lake views at various points along the way.

Size: 162.59 hectares
Location: Gillespie Road in East Sooke
Established: 1985
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Roche Cove Regional Park Map [PDF/712KB]

To help preserve the park:

• Keep your dog under control or on a leash.
• Stay on marked trails and do not disturb plants or animals.
• Clean up after your dog and take all your trash with you.
• Smoking is not allowed in parks or on trails.
• Motorized vehicles are not allowed.
• Camping, open fires, and alcohol are not allowed.