Lighthouse Park is home to the Point Atkinson Lighthouse and is a popular location during the summer. Go for a hike, have a picnic, take a swim in the ocean and more.
The 75-hectare Lighthouse Park offers many short hiking trails ranging from easy to challenging, it’s also a popular location for bird watching, sightseeing, and picnicking.
The park is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
History:
-The first lighthouse was built from wood with a small attached keeper house in 1875 and was replaced by a reinforced concrete structure in 1914.
-The lighthouse light was first lit on March 17, 1875, the light was used to warn ships, ships would sound their foghorn three times and the lightkeeper would pump a horn by hand back at the ship.
-The station’s equipment was updated in the 1930s and later updated again in 1962 from steam power to modern electricity.
-Point Atkinson Lighthouse was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1974 because of its hexagonal reinforced concrete tower being an early example of its design.
-Today the lighthouse is fully automated and still in use.
Trails:
The park has 5 main hiking trails that are all found within the park’s main area:
1. Lighthouse Park Viewpoint Loop – 5.5 km (3.4 Mile) moderate loop
2. Point Atkinson Lighthouse and Shore Pine Point – 3.4 km (2.1 Mile) moderate loop
3. Arbutus Knoll and Eagle Point Loop – 3.4 km (2.1 Mile) moderate loop
4. Shore Pine Point and Lighthouse Viewpoint Trail – 3.2 km (1.98 Mile) moderate out-and-back trail.
5. Beacon Lane and Valley Loop – 2.3 km (1.4 Mile) easy loop
