Witty's Lagoon Regional Park

Regional Park
Metchosin

This seashore park features a diverse landscape that includes woodlands, a freshwater creek, salt marshes, sandy beaches, and rocky headlands, creating habitats for a wide variety of plants and animals. With its forest trails, sandy beach, and abundant birdlife, it’s a perfect destination for the whole family.

From the main Parking lot, the trail slopes downhill alongside Bilston Creek, which flows toward a waterfall known as Sitting Lady Falls. In summer, it’s a gentle trickle, while in winter, it becomes a thunderous cascade. There’s a wooden viewing platform where you can rest and take photos.

Witty's Lagoon is also a paradise for birdwatchers, with over 160 species documented in the park. Listen for the rattle call of the belted kingfisher and the songs of orange-crowned warblers and dark-eyed juncos. Bring your binoculars but remember to respect the habitat and the birds.

From the main park entrance, a 1.2 km moderate forest trail leads to a spacious beach, one of the few sandy beaches with significant tides on southern Vancouver Island. The trail can be uneven and narrow, becoming muddy after rain. The beach, formed by eroding bluffs, is home to sensitive sand-dwelling plants and animals adapted to the shifting sands and changing tides.

Size: 58.21 hectares
Location: Metchosin Road in Metchosin
Established: 1966
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Witty's Lagoon Regional Park Map [PDF/726KB]

Tower Point

You can access the rocky shore at Tower Point from the beach at low tide or via the Tower Point entrance. In this intertidal zone, you'll find a variety of fascinating plants and animals that thrive in the harsh tidal environment. Look for harbor seals playing in kelp beds and sea lions migrating by in the spring.

Tower Point User-Friendly Trail

Follow the 500-meter flat trail with mixed gravel and dirt surfaces for beautiful ocean and mountain views. Be cautious, as the trail can be muddy and slippery during the rainy season. There are also side trails leading to Picnic areas in the field.

To help preserve the park:

  • Keep your dog under control or on a leash.
  • Dogs are not allowed in the beach areas above the natural boundary of the sea at Witty's Lagoon Regional Park (except Tower Point) between June 1 and September 15, except to pass through on a leash without stopping. 
  • Clean up after your dog and take all your trash with you.
  • Smoking is not allowed in parks or on trails.
  • Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not allowed.
  • Camping, open fires, and alcohol are not allowed.
  • Stay on marked trails and do not disturb plants or animals.

Related Content

Activities

Beach
Bird Watching
Horseback Riding
Swimming
Walking/Running

Amenities

Bike rack
Boat launch
Information kiosk
Parking lot
Parking, accessible
Picnic area
Picnic area, accessible
Public transit
Rest area
Toilet
Toilet, accessible
Wheelchair access

How to Get There

Main Entrance

Follow the Trans-Canada Highway from Victoria, and take the View Royal/Colwood #10 exit. Continue on to Old Island Highway, which turns into Sooke Road, Highway 14. Turn left on Metchosin Road and drive 7 kilometres to the park entrance on the left.

Tower Point Entrance

Follow the main entrance directions to Metchosin Road. From Metchosin Road, drive 5.8 kilometres and turn left on Duke Road, drive 650 metres and turn right on Olympic View Drive, which leads to the park entrance on the left.

Public Transportation

Take BC Transit bus #50 from Victoria to the Langford Exchange. Transfer to #54 or #55 to Metchosin Road at Pears Road, near the main park entrance. Check BC Transit for schedule information.

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Territorial Acknowledgement

The CRD conducts its business within the Territories of many First Nations, all of whom have a long-standing relationship with the land and waters from time immemorial that continues to this day. Statement of Reconciliation