Gowlland Tod Park

Gowlland Tod Park provides excellent day-use recreation opportunities for hiking, nature appreciation and picnicking. There are more than 25 kilometres of trails varying in difficulty, which are adorned by spectacular scenery. Located on southern Vancouver Island, the park preserves a priceless heritage of green space. It encompasses a significant part of the Gowlland Range, one of the last remaining natural areas in Greater Victoria, and a significant portion of the of Tod Inlet. The Gowlland Range is a particularly rich area of biodiversity, with more than 150 individual animal and plant species identified. The protected area features grassy meadows, rocky knolls and old-growth forest. The park also protects a wetland area which provides habitat for vulnerable flora and fauna.Towering 430 metres over Finlayson Arm, this unique fjord only replenishes its marine waters once a year. Species that are rare elsewhere in the world flourish in this isolated habitat. The abundance of marine activity attracts scuba divers from around the world, as well as boaters seeking the calm waters and sheltered anchorage.Visitors will find reminders of the area’s early pioneer activity, as well as remains of settlements associated with the Vancouver Portland Cement Company, which thrived here in the early 1900s. The area continues to be important to First Nation peoples, who utilize areas of the park for medicinal, ceremonial and spiritual purposes.