Step out of the forest and onto a rocky hilltop, and look out across the city and far beyond, across the ocean to Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast.
The ridges are a long hump of rock at the foot of Mount Benson, just above Westwood Lake. You can park near either end of the ridges, climb to the nearest viewpoint, and be back within 100 minutes. Or, you can take a few hours and do the entire length of this trail system. Some people park one car at Westwood Lake and another at Morrell Sanctuary.
Night Hiking
Westwood Ridge is just as pretty in the dark. Most of the trail is not treacherous, so anyone with a headlamp or a full moon is encouraged to try the night-hike version of Westwood Ridge.
It is breathtaking to clamber up the last few strides to the summit and look back at the city lights, or even across to Vancouver and its illuminated ski hills. I remember identifying local malls according to the light they threw onto the fog which blanketed them! The hospital is always easy to identify, with its red lights around the helicopter pad. The ferries coming and going far below, is also great to watch.
We have only run into another night hiking party up there one time - it's so damn quiet. But we often see the lights of dirtbikers up on the mountain above. In early 2025 there was a spectacular fireworks show down at the lake, which we saw from the ridge summit high above, reflected on the lake - so good. And then we heard a noise behind us, and looking up we saw more fireworks on the summit of Mount Benson.
Naturally I should advise against going up at night if you aren't familiar with the many trails that meander through the area, including trails made by mountain bikers that are MEANT to twist and turn without being direct (it's frustrating to accidentally use one of these trails at the end of a long and tiring hike!).
The Cesspool
About 920m due south of the main parking lot, there is a lower-elevation peak of the ridgeline that I have always called "the cesspool" (unfairly) due to a mysterious flooded pit at the top.
Efforts to find the bottom of this pit have been unsuccessful, to my knowledge. I have pushed 14' logs down into this hole without touching the bottom.
I suspect this hole was created by a prospector in Nanaimo's earlier days, perhaps following a vein of quartz. It would be cool to drain it and clean out the bottom in hopes of finding old bottles. I would appreciate hearing from anyone with any stories or explanations. (Contact me)
Memorial and Shelter
One of the main viewpoints is at the northwest summit of the ridge, roughly due south (1250m) of the Arbot Rd parking area. About 500m northwest of this viewpoint and down the hill a little ways, there is a little memorial garden of sorts, and near to that is a four-posted shelter and a stainless steel barbecue.
The memorial commemorates the tragic losses (unrelated) of two young men who died in the area during the same season, in the mid-2000s. One of them was caught in bad weather on the mountain during a hike, and the other was sleeping in a log cabin (pictured here) when it burned down; I'm told he was sleeping in the loft and the fire in the woodstove spread. The cabin was where the "memorial garden" now stands.
In 2022, a squatter took residence in the four-posted shelter and made a gigantic mess of the area. Although it was along a main trail, he would aggressively chase any hikers and bikers who passed through, as if he owned the place. He assaulted at least one person, and the police arrested him when he came to Nanaimo for supplies. I carried about 40lbs of his garbage out of there, but much of it remains, tainted by his piles of excrement.
Location
The most common approach to Westwood Ridge is from Westwood Lake - see the trailhead location below. It's also possible to approach from Morrell Sanctuary, but this isn't recommended if you don't know where the Department of National Defense boundaries are.
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