
our mission
If you've never made it out this way, now's a good time. We're close by, easy to reach, and worth more than a passing glance - good food, good shops, and a pace of life that's harder to find than it used to be.
boutique bnb | bike | float | play | local history | stay | watersports | dine | relax | camp | welcome | hike | chill | heritage & culture |
travellers
drive times, conveniences, and weather - everything you need before setting off

greetings
Everything you'd want to know before setting out. How long the drive is, where to sleep, what the weather's doing, and what's actually open when you arrive. Written for people who've never been, and checked by people who live here.
day tripping • there & back
Come for the day. 1 drivetime hour from Victoria, under an hour from Nanaimo. Tube the river, eat somewhere, drive home. Most people who do it come back for longer.Â
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Plan your day.

weekender • nowhere to be
Give it two days. That's where this place starts making sense - a float on Saturday, a trail on Sunday, and an evening in between. Book ahead in July and August.Â
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Plan your weekend.
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getting here • one road in
Take Highway 18 west from Duncan. It's a quick drive to Lake Cowichan with passing zones. For a spirited drive, check out Cowichan Lake Road - the original route into the lake.Â
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Get directions.

hotels & inns • book early
Book somewhere on the river. The Riverside Inn puts a hotel, pub, café and liquor store under one roof. Riverside by Cowichan Lake Cottages runs seven units with a private dock.
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Summer books out early - find a room.

camping & rv • by the water
Camp on the lake itself. Lakeview Park is the town's own - on the water, with a wharf, $44 a night. Gordon Bay Provincial Park sits 14 kilometres west with a sandy beach and boat launch.Â
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Compare the campgrounds.

good to know • ask anything
Get the practical answers. Where to fuel up, when things close, whether your phone will work, what to do on a wet day. Missing one? Send it and we'll answer it.
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Read the questions.


before you go
Helpful stories and details for anyone planning a trip. Drive times, weather that didn't behave, places that were full, and the things we wish someone had mentioned before we set off.










