It was a crisp day in early spring when we decided to walk around Nanaimo’s Westwood Lake. This picturesque route is a refreshing mix of tranquility and natural beauty. As well as being a bird-lover’s paradise, the 6-kilometer loop trail meanders through lush forest, hugs the shoreline, and offers stunning views of the water and surrounding hills.

As you step onto the well-maintained path, tall Douglas firs and cedars tower overhead, their needles filtering the sunlight into dappled patterns on the ground and causing the water to change colour at every turn. The scent of damp earth and fresh greenery fills the air, mingling with the crisp, cool breeze off the lake.

Spring brings an explosion of wildflowers along the trail—vivid purple lupines, delicate white trilliums, and bright yellow skunk cabbage add splashes of colour to the undergrowth. Birds chatter in the canopy above— whistling chickadees, robins, and thrumming red-winged blackbirds flitting between branches, while the occasional woodpecker drums against a tree trunk. The lake itself is calm, reflecting the blue sky with only the occasional ripple from a passing duck or the splash of a jumping fish.

As you continue along the trail, the sound of water trickling down from the nearby hills adds a soothing soundtrack to the journey. The west side of the lake offers a more rugged, forested section, where wooden footbridges cross over bubbling streams, and moss-covered logs line the path.

Rounding the final stretch, the lake opens up again, and you may catch sight of a bald eagle soaring overhead or a deer stepping cautiously out of the forest for a drink. As you finish your walk, the warmth of the spring sun lingers on your skin, and you leave feeling refreshed, having spent time in one of Nanaimo’s most peaceful natural settings.

And because it is a fairly lengthy walk, you can definitely get your steps in for the day, and if you do the hilly bit last, you get a good cardio workout too.

One of my favourite spots.