Westwood Lake, Nanaimo
West of downtown, on the mountain's side of the Parkway (the highway that bypasses town), there is a lake sitting up on the foothills. Westwood Lake is an ultimate destination for many kinds of Nanaimo-ites, owing to its kilometres of springy pathways for runners and walkers, beaches for swimmers, fish for canoers, and its access to Mount Benson and Westwood Ridge, as well as Morrell Nature Sanctuary. Westwood Lake has a wonderful knoll on the northeast end - you can reach this knoll from Calder Road, parking and walking in for about ten minutes.
- A thread on our Nanaimo forum: Westwood Lake
Westwood Lake Cautionary
There have been reports of weirdos in the Westwood Lake area, so everyone should consider taking some kind of protection with them if they visit the park. Friends, weapons, and large dogs come to mind. Please keep in mind that most of the trail around the lake is a dog-ON-leash area; the dog-off-leash area is under the powerlines southwest of the lake. Dogs off leashes can disrupt children, dogs on leashes, waterfowl, and people who are afraid of dogs.