One of the best ways to enjoy Nanaimo is also one of the easiest, least expensive and healthiest: take a hike. The town is located on Vancouver Island between Victoria in the south (110 km – 68 miles) and west of Vancouver on the mainland. It affords beautiful vistas and offers paths to suit those who want to break a sweat as well those who prefer a gentle stroll.
If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. ~Raymond Inmon
An Earthquake Fissure And Petroglyphs
It’s known as “The Abyss” among locals, and while you wouldn’t want to fall into it, the earthquake fissure is fascinating evidence of the earth’s power to reshape itself. This neat slice into the ground seldom is a meter wide; mostly so narrow you can step across it.
Nearby petroglyphs (drawings or carvings, usually on the surface of rock or caves) probably predate the fissure and offer another source of awe. You’ll find both on Extension Ridge, between the communities of Harewood and Extension, in south Nanaimo.
My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing. ~Aldous Huxley
Falls And Fossils
“The most dramatic waterfall around Nanaimo vancouver island is also one of its most secret ones,” according to The Nanaimo Information website. Visitors who navigate the steep, muddy approach will be rewarded with the double treat of a stunning waterfall and a profusion of oceanic fossils, for which the falls are named. The fossils, embedded in the sedimentary bedrock, are common talismans from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic oceans, 400 to 65 million years ago.
I have two doctors, my left leg and my right. ~G.M. Trevelyan
Get Up And Go
Hiking through Nanaimo’s natural beauty can cultivate your creativity, provide spiritual solace or fortify your fitness. So awaken your senses with a hike around Nanaimo.
Link For More Information
You’ll find 14 hikes detailed on the “parks” section of the Nanaimo Information website, complete with slideshows, maps and links to forums.
Nanaimo Accommodations
There are a number of hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts to pick from including our sponsors, Best Western:
The BEST WESTERN PLUS Northgate Inn is located at the hub of Vancouver Island and offers incredible value and an ideal location to area sights and businesses. Guests enjoy beautifully appointed rooms, fully equipped with high-speed internet, refrigerator, microwave and satellite television. Select rooms feature king size beds or Jacuzzi® suites, and the BEST WESTERN PLUS Northgate Inn features meeting and banquet facilities that can accommodate up to 75 people.
Contact info: BEST WESTERN PLUS Northgate Inn, 6450 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, British Columbia, V9T 2L8, CA. Toll Free: (800) 661-0061; Local: (250) 390-2222; Fax: (250) 390-2412. Email: info@bestwesternnorthgate.com
Enjoy all that Nanaimo has to offer and please tell your friends.
Re-published from www.amazingvancouverisland.com under creative commons license.