Duke Point - Biggs Park - Jack Point Park
Duke Point is the name of the peninsula jutting out from the eastern side of the Nanaimo River Estuary. It is very long relative to its width - quite a phenomenon! Biggs Point is the park that extends along most of one side of Duke Point, leading to Jack Point, the park that covers the tip of the peninsula. It is a very beautiful oceanside area that is usually mostly deserted. Trails meander through the arbutus and douglas fir, snaking high and low, a few metres above the ocean or right beside it. The shore is all sculpted sandstone, offering interesting shelters and designs. You can see sea lions and sometimes otters, plus eagles and, if you're very lucky, orcas.
Duke Point is a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Nanaimo.
To get there, follow the highway that takes you to the Duke Point Ferry Terminal, and watch for the last right-hand turn some distance before the terminal. You'll park in a small lot beside the highway, and walk through an underpass to the parks.