This past Sunday, I went on a good long hike with my dad at ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱/John Dean Provincial Park in Saanich. I’ve heard people say that autumn is the superior hiking season, and this excursion certainly did that statement justice. The weather was superb for us and the foliage colours were gorgeous.

My dad on the trail

On this hike, my dad & I covered 6.18 kilometers with an elevation gain of 198 meters. We did this at a fairly brisk pace (14:38/km), only stopping once at Pickles Bluff to look out at the view. I brought a satisfying snack to make the pitstop all the sweeter: two turkey pepperoni sticks and one babybel cheese. 🙂

My hiking snack

Hiking Statistics on AllTrails      

This was only my second time visiting ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱/John Dean Provincial Park, and it continues to fascinate me. By doing a bit of research, I found out the name of this park was only recently changed to reflect what W̱SÁNEĆ people have been calling it for centuries. They know this place as ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱. According to oral histories that have been passed down, W̱SÁNEĆ people saught refuge from a great flood by climbing to the top of this mountain. In 2019, a group of grade 4 indigenous students from ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School successfully petitioned the government to pass legislation to change the name of the park to ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱/John Dean Provincial Park.

Why you should try this hike: It is serene, beautiful and has an amazing must-see view out from Pickles Bluff.

Drawbacks/be aware of: moderate elevation (198m) with some stairs to climb. The parking lot can fill up fast on sunny weekends and the park is closed to vehicle traffic from November to March.

If you do this hike, be sure to go check out the view from Pickles Bluff. It is well worth the detour!