Goldstream Provincial Park

About This Park

Massive trees, majestic waterfalls, a meandering river that meets the sea, flowers, birds and fascinating fish are but a few of the attractions that draw people to Goldstream Provincial Park, a mere 16 km from downtown Victoria on southern Vancouver Island.

It’s a world that seems far removed from the urban adventures of British Columbia’s capital city, whether the visitor is a hiker seeking inspiration from this magnificent example of the great outdoors, or a naturalist looking to add to their notebook. There’s something new, different and exciting every month of the year at Goldstream Park.

Goldstream’s numerous trails criss-cross through the dramatically different terrain of two distinct vegetation zones. The park is home to 600-year-old Douglas fir trees and western red cedar, mixed with western yew and hemlock, red alder, big leaf maple and black cottonwood. On the drier ridges visitors can find flowering dogwood, lodgepole pine and arbutus. The arbutus, with its thick leathery evergreen leaves, red-dish trunk and peeling bark, is Canada’s only broad-leafed evergreen and is found exclusively on Vancouver Island and on the southwest coast of British Columbia. In the spring and early summer, Goldstream overflows with colourful wildflowers, including the shade-loving western trillium and the calypso, a delicate orchid of the mossy forest glades.

Trails range from easy, wheelchair accessible walks to strenuous hikes and track along creeks, through forested uplands and past abandoned gold diggings from the days of the Gold Rush. More adventurous hikers can climb to the top of one of the highest points in Greater Victoria – Mt Finlayson, a recent addition to the park in 1994. Another trail leads you to stunning Niagara Falls, which cascades 47.5 metres down a rock cliff into a crystal clear canyon pool below.

The park is also the site of an annual chum salmon spawning run, which draws thousands of salmon – and visitors – every year. Riverside trails and observation platforms provide extraordinary opportunities to view this natural phenomenon, which also attracts Bald eagles, who swoop down to devour the bodies of the spawned out salmon.

Park naturalists are available at the Freeman King Visitor Center, which offers interpretive programs and informative lectures about the area’s natural history for individuals and groups. The park also features a large picnic area with shelters, as well as vehicle accessible camping and group sites.

For your convenience during the summer season, this park has a small concession managed by the Park Operator.

Established Date: June 26, 1958
Park Size: 477 hectares (454 ha upland, 23 ha foreshore)

Special Features:

• Goldstream Park is home to waterfalls, including Niagara Falls, which at 47.5 metres is almost at high as its famous namesake, and Goldstream Falls, a small waterfall located in the southwest corner of the park near the campground.
• Goldstream is also part of the Nanaimo Lowlands Ecosection and the Coastal Douglas Fir Biogeoclimatic Zone. The park is home to small Garry oak meadows, arbutus, and Douglas fir trees – some more than 600 years old.
• The park protects a number of red and blue listed species of flora and fauna, including rare wildflowers and plant species such as the Dense Spike Primrose and the Pacific Waterleaf. It also protects various reptiles and amphibians and plays major role in conserving the Goldstream River salmon run.

Know Before You Go

Park Safety

• Warning – do not attempt to cross the highway

  There is no pedestrian access between the east and west sides of Goldstream Provincial Park, bisected by the Trans-Canada Highway.

• Be advised – railway lines/trestles/tunnels are private property

  All railway lines and associated structures (trestles and tunnels) are located outside the boundaries of Goldstream Provincial Park. Accessing these are considered trespassing on private property and pose a significant public safety risk.

• Mount Finlayson Trail caution

  This trail is steep and rugged; dress for the terrain and weather; stay on the marked trail; allow adequate time for return in daylight. The summit can be accessed from Finlayson Arm Road or the day-use area. Use caution when walking on Finlayson Arm Road.

Special Notes

• Each year, visitors can witness salmon spawning at Goldstream Provincial Park. The best time for viewing is late October through November. During this period, there is congestion on Hwy #1 while cars park and exit the day-use area. Please be cautious. Help prevent disruption of salmon spawning – keep pets on a leash and out of the water at all times.
• Fishing is not allowed in Goldstream Provincial Park.
• For school groups and special group programs, please contact the Goldstream Freeman King Visitor Centre @ 250 478-9414 (phone/fax).
• West of the E & N Railway right-of-way is the Greater Victoria Water Supply Area – Access is prohibited.
• Please note that the head of Finlayson Arm and the Goldstream Estuary are closed to boaters and paddlers.
• No sani-station in the winter season.

Reservations

All campsite and group site reservations must be made through Discover Camping. When reservations are not available all campsites function as first-come, first-served.

Campsite Reservations

Campsite reservations are accepted and first-come, first-served sites are also available.

Group Camping Reservations

Group campsite reservations are accepted at this park during the main camping season.

Location and Maps

• Location Map

• Visitors coming to the campground now must use Amy Road via Westshore Parkway to get to the campground. The Westshore Parkway intersection is just south of the old (now closed) Sooke Lake Road intersection and the first traffic signal after the Spencer Road intersection on Trans Canada Hwy #1.
• The entrance to the day-use area is at the junction of Trans Canada Hwy #1 and Finlayson Arm Road.
• The entrance to the group campsite is off the Trans Canada Hwy #1 opposite the now closed Sooke Lake Road intersection.

Maps and Brochures

• Park Map [PDF 1.66MB]
• Park Campground Map [PDF]
• Brochure [PDF 1.73MB]

Nature and Culture

• History: The area of the park was given to the people of British Columbia by the Greater Victoria Water Board in 1958. Additional lands were designated in 1994 and 1996 through the Commonwealth Nature Legacy and Crown Land additions.
• Cultural Heritage: Goldstream is located on traditional fishing grounds of local First Nations. Old mining shafts and tunnels are all that remain of the gold rush that Goldstream River experienced during the mid-19th century.
• Conservation: The diversity of flora and fauna within the area makes Goldstream Provincial Park a marvel of nature. With two distinct vegetation zones, the park offers views of 600-year-old Douglas-fir and western red cedar as well as stands of Garry oak and arbutus, found exclusively on Vancouver Island and the southwest coast of BC. Goldstream River, the site of an annual Chum salmon spawning run, also adds to the park’s natural values. The park also protects various reptiles and amphibians and a number of red and blue listed species of flora and fauna, including rare wildflowers and plant species such as the Dense Spike Primrose and the Pacific Waterleaf.
• Wildlife: Goldstream Park is home to black bears, cougars and deer, as well as numerous small animals like raccoons, minks, beavers, otters and Gray and Douglas squirrels. Salmon, trout and steelhead are found in the park’s streams, and migratory and resident birds such as hummingbirds, Bald eagles, turkey vultures, ducks and gulls can be spotted throughout the park. From late October through December of each year, the Goldstream River is the scene of one of nature’s spectacles as chum, coho and Chinook salmon enter the river via Finlayson Arm from the Pacific Ocean. Three to four years previously, these same salmon were born here before traveling to the sea to grow and mature. Their return to spawn and die in their ancestral spawning beds is fascinating. The Goldstream River estuary is closed to the public (including all boaters). This closure has resulted in a resurgence of wildlife using the estuary throughout the year. Due to the closure, once rarely seen Bald eagles now abound during the salmon run and nest during the summer – Eagle Extravaganza

Management Planning

• Management Planning Information
• Goldstream Park Management Plan – 1993 [PDF 1.56MB]
  The management plan for Goldstream Park was approved in 1993.

Activities Available at this Park

Cycling

Hiking

Interpretive Programs

Pets on Leash

Swimming

Wildlife Viewing

Facilities Available at this Park

Campfires

Drinking Water

Group Camping

Picnic Areas

Pit or Flush Toilets

Playground

Sani-Station/Dump

Showers

Vehicle Accessible Camping

Wheelchair Access

Winter Camping