The best walks and hikes around Nanaimo G

The Englishman River Estuary offers an easy, flat trail through one of Parksville’s richest wildlife areas. Expect views of the river, salt marsh, forest, and ocean. If you're lucky, you might even spot some of the 250 bird species found here, including, notably, the Pacific Brant Goose. The trail can get muddy, so choose footwear accordingly.

The Top Bridge Regional Trail follows a former railway corridor through the Englishman River valley, linking Parksville with the surrounding countryside. The wide, well-graded route passes through mature forest, crosses scenic bridges, and provides easy access to the river, making it popular with walkers, cyclists, and runners alike. As part of the larger Parksville–Qualicum Active Transportation Network, it's an enjoyable way to experience the area's natural beauty without tackling steep terrain. There is no fee to use the trail.

Flowing for around 40 kilometres from the Beaufort Range to the Strait of Georgia, the Englishman River is one of central Vancouver Island's most important waterways. It supports runs of salmon and trout, provides drinking water for the surrounding communities, and has carved the rocky pools and sandstone ledges that make Top Bridge Park such a popular place to explore. On warm days, the clear water draws swimmers, while year-round it's an excellent spot to pause and enjoy the river from the trails or suspension bridge

Parking here is simply along the side of Middlegate Road, with a handful of informal roadside spaces scattered on both sides of the road near the trailhead. There isn't a dedicated parking lot, but there are usually enough spots for around four or five vehicles. Arriving earlier in the day is your best bet, especially on weekends, and from here it's only a short walk to the trails leading down to the Englishman River.

Channel Trail follows one of the most scenic sections of the Englishman River, where the water has carved a network of channels through the riverbed over thousands of years. The trail winds through mature Douglas-fir forest before reaching viewpoints overlooking the river's braided flow, gravel bars, and rocky formations. The combination of rushing water, towering trees, and ever-changing river scenery makes this one of the standout sections of Englishman River Regional Park.

The Spawning Channel is also known as the C.W. Young Side Channel, Englishman River Spawning and Rearing Channel. It's man-made, built originally in the 1990s and is responsible for producing up to 40% of the river's coho salmon, while also helping support steelhead, cutthroat trout, chum, chinook, and pink salmon to reproduce. Each species of salmon has a run there at different times of the year, like pink salmon run in July and August, Chinook in September, and chum and coho peak from October through November.

Top Bridge stretches 81 meters across the Englishman River, with awesome views of the clear green river below. There is a sandstone canyon below and a swimming hole where, on hot summer days, there are often bright-coloured tubes dotting the water, and cliff jumpers splashing down below.

The Englishman River Trail traces the Englishman River through lush forests, with beautiful views of the river's shores. There are some small bridges and short boardwalks to get over potentially muddy sections, and the end section of trail can sometimes get overgrown, but it's a great way to explore the river and connects with multiple other trails in Englishman River Regional Park.