Thetis Lake is a pretty lake and an awesome park; it gets more visitors than any other park in the region. It began as Canada’s first nature sanctuary back in 1958. There is a lot you can do in this park. First off, there is the beach, it is such a great place for a swim and then a bit of sunbathing on the sand. You can hike the many trails along the lake. There are over 40 km of trails to enjoy. These trails are multi-use trails. You might find a group of mountain bikers or just maybe horseback riders. The park is a great place to bird watch. Small boats with electric motors are allowed, and of course, canoes and kayaks. The lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout, and they are usually biting. Like I said, there is a lot to do here.
If you are hiking the trails, keep your eyes open for the many wildflowers and succulents growing around the lake. There is Yarrow, Camas, Douglas Aster, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Broadleaf Stonecrop, Fireweed, Sagebrush Buttercup, Showy Jacob’s Ladder, Bluebells, Prairie Smoke, Virginia Strawberry, Oregon Stonecrop and Lanceleaf Stonecrop. All this in a forest of evergreen trees, Garry Oak Meadows and wetlands filled with a wondrous arrangement of wildflowers.
To get some amazing views of the lake, you can head to Seymour Hill. There are such awesome views from this vantage point, great views of the island. Seymour Hill is right along the southeast end of the lake; it’s a fairly short hike to reach this point. The climb up Scafe Hill is a bit more of a challenge. The best way to do this is to drive up Bellamy Road to the end, where there is a small cul-de-sac to park in, but parking on a sunny day can be hard to come by, so get out early. Then it’s a pretty long hike to reach the hill.
