Cool Nanaimo Walking Tour
An innercity hike that begins at the waterfront and follows the park-rimmed Millstone River to Buttertubs Marsh
As
the Trans-Canada Trail is developing, cities are rushing to finish their
sections of the trail. Nanaimo's trail winds through a number of kinds of regions, including a stretch along the Nanaimo River, Extension
Ridge, and the section along the Millstone River that I am about to
describe.
Here's a great self-guided walking tour that'll show you the downtown part of Nanaimo's waterfront; then it winds up into Bowen Park along the Millstone River, and finally around Buttertubs Marsh. It's a beautiful route with very tall trees, and takes about an hour to hike each way (probably about 6km?), and includes both natural and historic landmarks (though the latter are very subtle). If you are new to Nanaimo, my directions may be difficult to follow, but you're guaranteed an adventure.
You can start at either end, but I'll describe the trail as if you were starting downtown.
From the Bastion (at the waterfront near Bastion St), walk north along the seawall to Maffeo-Sutton Park and Swy-a-Lana Lagoon. Keep walking along the waterfront until you're forced to turn left, and the seawall comes to two bridges over the Millstone Estuary: a footbridge and, above you, the highway bridge (the Pearson Bridge). Instead of crossing the footbridge, pass underneath the highway bridge (you will see a mural, or the remains of one, on the concrete under the bridge). Don't cross a bridge here! Pass underneath the 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 liquor store, and the coach bus depot). Follow the pathway as close to the river as possible. The trail soon leaves the river and ends at a road – turn right on the road toward the river again. Follow the road straight and you'll soon 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 and little waterfalls.
Continue upstream. The trail crosses a footbridge as it heads west toward the E&N Railway causeway, towering above. After the German cultural centre on the left (immediately after the footbridge), 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 go down the path on the other side, staying left at a fork after that, and passing above a soccer field.
This path will bring you to Wall St, a steep road that
dips down between Bowen Park and the soccer field. Go left, down the sidewalk, and cross
Wall Street at the crosswalk. On the other side of the crosswalk, there's a gravel parking lot near some volleyball courts. You're now in Bowen Park. Stay to the right and you'll find yourself looking down on a small valley with a picnic shelter, a playground, a grassy field, and the river. From here you can follow a trail upstream that 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 to see a dramatic flow). The picture below shows a pool that Nanaimo boys and girls used to swim in when Nanaimo was younger and a bit cleaner.
Eventually, after you've passed the
second footbridge in Bowen Park, this path will wind around another
soccer field, and you'll see/hear Bowen Road up and to the left. Stay to the right of the field, and the trail will finally comes out
on Bowen Rd, right beside the bridge near the Quarterway Pub. Instead of
crossing the bridge, cross Bowen Rd and turn down the little street
you'll see — it's called 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 44 bus back to downtown.
