Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park - Metchosin, BC

Difficulty: An easy walk along a sand beach with views of Victoria & the Olympic Mountains.

A sunset over the peaceful Albert Head Lagoon.

Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park is a small, oceanside park with a classic cobble and sandy Vancouver Island beach. Located about 25 minutes from Comfort Cove Cottage in the neighbouring community of Metchosin, this park features a protected lagoon with southern views of Victoria and the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. The long beach offers a place for visitors to enjoy a secluded & serene oceanfront stroll.

Albert Head Lagoon Park is only 7.1 hectares with most of it being a fresh-water lagoon. A rock berm separates it from the waters of the Juan de Fuca Strait and a small stream connects the two on the western edge of the park. There are no loop trails here due to the marshy lands around the lagoon but you can take an amazing walk along the beach. Mornings and evenings tend to be quiet and uncrowded.

The lagoon is a wildlife sanctuary for migratory birds including swans, herons, ducks and geese, a haven for birdwatchers. Birds raising their young are a common sight on the lagoon while ocean birds are more comfortable in the gentle Pacific surf.

In the spring, driftwood -- ranging in size from small branches to mature rainforest tree trunks -- are lodged high on the beach, offering comfortable places to sit as you watch the marine traffic on the Juan de Fuca Strait. In the summer, beachcombers have clear views of Victoria to the east and the Olympic Peninsula to the south. Ocean birds, seal and even orca whales can be sometimes be seen.

NOTES

• During the winter months (November to February), Pacific storms are common. It's not the best time to visit the park since there are no water-breaks or wind barriers for protection. Salt spray makes it hard to see and the ocean waves can be dangerous.

Driftwood scattered over the beach.

A lone swan swimming on the lagoon.

LOCAL HISTORY

• The Albert Head area was inhabited for thousands of years. The last native inhabitants were the Stsanges people, a subgroup of the Songhees Nation that's still lives in the Victoria area.

• Albert Head Lagoon was named after Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, in 1846.

HOW TO GET TO ALBERT HEAD LAGOON PARK (from the cottage)

1. Turn left onto East Sooke Road (towards town).
2. Go straight through the T-intersection past Gillespie Road (past Bills Food 'n Feed).
3. Drive for 10 minutes along East Sooke Road, through the Becher Bay Reserve.
4. At the stop sign, you'll come to an intersection. Turn left and follow Rocky Point Road for about 10 minutes.
5. Watch for Hans Helgesen Elementary School on the right. Slow down - your turn is coming up.
6. Turn right on Lombard Drive.
7. Turn left on Williams Head Road and drive for 3 kilometers. This road turns into Metchosin Road.
8. Turn right on Farhill Road.
9. Turn right on Lower Park Drive which turns into Park Drive and then Delgada Road. The parking lot is at the end.

OFFICIAL LINKS:

• Albert Head Lagoon Regional Park - from the Capital Regional District website.

Ready to visit Sooke? Contact us for availability!