A spring afternoon with my daughter at a park that trades flowers for concrete military history.
Victoria is famous for its manicured parks. Butchart, Beacon Hill, the hanging baskets downtown. Macaulay Point Park in Esquimalt is none of that.
My daughter and I spent an afternoon here recently, and what we found was a boat launch, a rock climbing wall, concrete bunkers, a tunnel, First Nations art, and a lookout over the Juan de Fuca Strait. It is not the prettiest park in Victoria, but it might be the most interesting one.
We parked at the boat launch and started walking. Right away there is a rock climbing wall and a small pebble beach that is perfect for kids who want to wade and throw rocks.
Past that, a grassy field sits where a saltwater pool once served the military stationed here. That pool is long gone, but it left behind a big flat grassy area that is perfect for frisbee or laying out a blanket in the summer.
The military history is what makes this park feel so different from anything else around Victoria. Large concrete bunkers and gun batteries are scattered throughout the park. They were built to protect the harbour, and they are still standing, still open to walk through.
We cut off the gravel path and into the mud a little to get a closer look at one of the bunkers, then walked through the tunnel that connects to a lookout platform. Standing up there, looking out at the Juan de Fuca with a couple of large sailing ships passing in the distance, it felt like the kind of place that earns its story.
At the far end of the park, First Nations carvings and art mark the point, with picnic tables set up nearby. It is a good spot to sit and take it all in before turning back.
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Macaulay Point Park is not big and it is not going to win any garden awards. But it packs a lot into a short walk: a boat launch, wading beach, rock climbing, military history, First Nations art, and ocean views.
If you have already seen the famous Victoria parks and want something completely different, or if you are a local looking for a park that actually surprises you, this one is worth the drive to Esquimalt.
One more thing. If you are in the area, I have a full page that goes into detail about the Macaulay Point Park experience.
We also drove down to Saxe Point Park afterward, just a few minutes away, which had a totally different feel. More laid-back, green and flowery, with a small beach. Good pairing for an afternoon. And if you want the full military history experience, Fort Rodd Hill is nearby and goes much deeper into that side of things.
More in this area:
The tunnel entrance at Macaulay Point Park dates back to 1895, built as part of the military fortifications that once protected Victoria’s harbour.
