Nanaimo Walking Tour

An urban hike with natural accents – it begins at the waterfront and follows the Millstone River for kilometers to Buttertubs Marsh

This is a great self-guided walking tour that'll show you the most pedestrian-friendly part of Nanaimo's waterfront. Then it runs up the length of Bowen Park along the Millstone River, an area with old Victorian trails, and finally around Buttertubs Marsh.

It's a beautiful route with very tall trees, and takes about 60-90 minutes to hike each way. It includes both natural and historic landmarks (though the latter are subtle). If you are new to Nanaimo, my directions may be difficult to follow, but you're guaranteed an adventure.

Directions

You can start at either end, but I'll describe the trail as if you were starting downtown. From the Bastion, walk along the waterfront toward Maffeo-Sutton Park to the north. On the other side of Swy-a-Lana Lagoon, past the little building where concerts are performed, the trail comes to a bridge over the Millstone Estuary, and the highway bridge is overhead. Instead of crossing the footbridge, pass underneath the highway bridge (you will see a mural depicting salmon on the concrete under the bridge). Don't cross a bridge here! Pass underneath the bigger bridge.

Once you are upstream from the bridges, there is a paved pedestrian pathway running along the right side of a parking lot (you'll see businesses on the left, including the Tally-Ho wine and spirits store, and the bus depot). Follow the pathway as close to the river as possible. When the trail ends at a road, turn right on the road toward the river. You'll eventually find a trail going into the trees, to Barsby Park. (Along the water downstream of this park, there are a lot of old ruins, decayed wooden docks especially.)

There are stairs and boardwalks leading into Barsby Park, and you'll find the spot where the river turns sharply — there used to be a hydro-electric dam here, about a hundred years ago. There are a lot of strange pools.

The trail crosses a footbridge as it heads west toward the E&N Railway causeway, towering above. After passing the German cultural centre on the left, you'll be forced onto a road and to the right, up a hill. Watch for the stairs on the left that go up to the railway tracks; cross the tracks and then go down the path on the other side, staying to the left at a fork after that, and passing above the soccer field.

Let this path deposit you on Wall St, the steep road that dips down between Bowen Park and the Curling Club/Skate Bowl. Go left and down, then cross Wall Street — find low ground. You should end up near the picnic shelter at the very bottom of Bowen Park. Go check out the river and the rock formations beside it.

From here you can follow a trail leading upstream. It takes you the length of Bowen Park, following the Millstone River. You'll pass the old fish ladder, the recently upgraded duck pond and "totem poles", and some neat footbridges (check this river out in the wet season). The picture below shows a pool that Nanaimo boys and girls used to swim in when the city was younger.

Eventually, after you've passed the second footbridge in Bowen Park, the path will wind around another soccer field. You're now near the Quarterway Pub. The trail comes out on Bowen Rd, right beside the bridge near the Quarterway. Instead of crossing the bridge, cross Bowen Rd and turn down the little street you'll see - Buttertubs Drive. The marsh is at the end of this road (about 5 minutes walking), and since Buttertubs Marsh offers a loop hike, you can circle around it and head back the way you came, or catch the number 3 bus back to downtown.