Today Michelle and I checked out a new-to-us, albeit short, hike on the north side of the Tod Inlet on the Saanich Peninsula. The route runs very close to the property of the famed Butchart Gardens (a place I have never been, but have heard much about). This being a completely new hiking destination, I had some guesses about what it might be like, but of course the imagination only goes so far. As it turns out, this little hike down to Tod Inlet and back was great. There’s a wider path/road that is pretty much a straight line, but for me the winding, undulating, route down the hill alongside the creek and inlet (with lots of west coast greenness) was exactly the type of thing I crave in my explorations of new places. The return trip on a bit of a deer path on the opposite side of the main path was pretty cool too.

It looks like it’s possible to cross the creek and head south into the larger portion of Gowlland Tod Park (on the south side of Tod Inlet), but that sort of exploration will have to wait until sometime in the future.

GPS Data: 3.4km – 0h54m – GPS Route

A short hike at Tod Inlet / Gowlland Tod Park on the Saanich Peninsula near Victoria, BC. Click on the map to see detailed GPS data on the Garmin website.

I have ridden my bike along Wallace Drive, past the start of this hike, may times in the past and have never noticed any evidence of a creek in this area. Within a minute of the start of our hike you could definitely here it running. I like creeks.

Watch out, hairy trees along the trail may try to fondle you.

Tod Inlet was looking pretty serene in the late afternoon sun.

Things are pretty green on south Vancouver Island in the winter. Example of the day: some sun lit fern foliage.