Eric B.
Yelp
Beacon Hill is a popular 200 acre Park that contains a number of amenities including woodland and shoreline trails, two playgrounds, a water park, playing fields, a petting zoo, tennis courts, many ponds, and landscaped gardens. The land was originally set aside as a protected area by Sir James Douglas, governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island in 1858. In 1882, the land was officially made a municipal park of the City of Victoria, and given its present name. The name is derived from a small hill overlooking the Strait of Juan De Fuca, upon which once stood navigational beacons. The hill is culturally significant, having been a burial site for the First Nations Coast Salish people, who are the original inhabitants of the Greater Victoria region. It provides scenic vistas of the Strait and the Olympic Mountains of Washington.
Gayle and I enjoyed a wonderful walk through Beacon Hill Park. We particularly enjoyed the chance to exercise in such a beautiful setting and have the chance to enjoy such peace and solitude at such a short distance from the hustle and bustle of the Inner Harbour area. Along the way, we witnessed a Wedding, strolled around Goodacre Lake (including the pebble bridge), found Mile Zero, and gazed out at the Strait and the distant peaks of the Olympic Peninsula.