Easy hikes and walks around Nanaimo G

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.

This extension of the Hoylake Pathway is to the west and follows Hoylake Road closely. The roadside section of trail is out of the woods but then dips back into the woods and follows Grandon Creek out to the sea.

Hoylake Pathway is a packed dirt trail that is pretty flat and takes hikers and bikers out of the urban area of town and into a quiet greenspace. The pathway ends on its eastern end at the Qualicum Beach Museum, and on its western end, it can be continued on to the extension of the trail that follows Hoylake Road.

The Little Qualicum Fish Hatchery was established in 1979 as part of the Canadian Salmonid Enhancement Program. Its primary role is to provide spawning and rearing habitat for several species, including Chinook, Coho, Chum, and Steelhead. Surrounding the facility is a 10-kilometer gravel service road that is open to the public for hiking and cycling.