Mt. Douglas Park is an urban forest on the Saanich Peninsula that offers panoramic views of Victoria and the coastline below. Conveniently located 20 minutes from downtown Victoria, it is a hot spot for day hikes and outdoor activities boasting 188 hectares of forest, 21 km of trails and beach access.
Parking and Directions
Mount Douglas main parking lot is located at the end of Shelbourne Street right as it merges into Cedar Hill Road. The park is also accessible by bus on route 39 from UVic or by bike. Bike racks are located at the main parking lot by Churchill Drive gates.
Mount Douglas Main Parking Lot (Saturday March 26, 2022 at 5:11pm)
There are over 8 trail access points to enter Mount Douglas Park and 5 parking areas at the base.
If you plan to visit midday on the weekend the main parking lot is usually full with many cars waiting for a spot. If you are hard pressed to find parking, the Mount Douglas Beach parking lot is usually the best bet.
Check out the Saanich trail map PDF here.
GPS enabled map for your phone can be found here.
Can you Drive to the Top of Mount Doug?
You can drive to the top of Mount Douglas via Churchill Drive accessed from the main parking lot off Cedar Hill Road. Churchill road is paved and it takes about 3 minutes to drive the 160m to the summit parking lot.
At the summit parking lot there are 6 parking stalls, benches with a lookout area and an outhouse. You can continue to the highest peak and viewpoint on the paved walkway (an easy hike with 22m in elevation).
Mount Douglas Summit Parking Lot (Saturday June 18, 2022 at 6:00pm)
The gates to Churchill Drive remain closed until 12pm 7 days a week and all holiday long weekends. Be sure to check the closure schedule on the Saanich website also found here.
Open gates at the main parking lot looking up Churchill Drive
How Long Does it Take to Hike Mount Douglas?
From the main parking lot to the summit parking lot via the Norn, Harop and South Ridge trails the 185m hike takes approximately 20 minutes to summit for a moderate ability hiker.
For the full hike back to the parking lot plan for an average of 45 minutes. Hike time can vary widely based on access point, trail route and hiker ability.
The park trails are marked from easy (green) to difficult (black).
Trail Marker at the base of Little Mount Doug on Whittaker Trail
If you prefer an easier route with less elevation gain, “Little Mount Douglas” offers similar views and only a short 15 minute hike from the Blenkinsop Road parking lot via Blenkinsop trail.
View Point at the top of Little Mount Doug looking north
Favorite Route
Our favorite route for a good sweat that covers the many diverse ecosystems in the Park starts from the main parking lot off Cedar Hill Road. Head south on the Norn trail, west up the Harrop trail, then north onto South Ridge trail to the summit parking lot. This takes an average of 20 minutes.
South Ridge trail marker halfway up to the summit looking northeast over Cordova Bay
Continue up to the summit lookout and stop to check out the panoramic views of Victoria below.
Mount Douglas summit looking northwest over Cordova Bay
From the summit drop down the back of the peak to the north (unmarked trails) and continue down to Whittaker trail. Follow Whittaker trail south crossing between Mount Douglas and Little Mount Douglas and head up the trail to the peak of Little Mount Douglas. Check out the views from Little Mount Doug and snap some pictures at the famous arbutus tree!
Little Mount Doug arbutus tree looking southwest towards downtown
Continue down south on Tod trail to Mercer (this area is one of our favorites with rolling grassy slopes and stunted oak trees). Then follow Mercer back northeast to Whittaker head east back to Norn and finally north to the main parking lot. The full hike takes approximately 55 minutes.
