A Fun Afternoon To Experience The Malahat Skywalk Outside of Victoria BC
When we explored around the Malahat on Saanich Inlet, we were glad we planned a trip to experience the Malahat Skywalk. The walk through the trees and then the climb up the tower were a great way to enjoy the outdoors on Vancouver island. A fun day trip after we saw the Butchart Gardens in brilliant fall colours.
This was the second skywalk and tower we enjoyed. On our travels in the Czech Republic, we enjoyed a visit to the Lipno Treewalk. So we were excited when we saw the new Malahat Skywalk was open.
Getting To The Malahat Skywalk
The Malahat Skywalk was added as a new attraction in the summer of 2021. It was a partnership between A. Spire By Nature and the Malahat Nation. It was an easy drive north from Victoria up Highway 19 on Vancouver Island. The part of the highway that goes up the mountain is referred to as the Malahat.
We stopped at the viewpoint on the Malahat and got some early views. And with a zoom lens, we got our first sight of the Malahat Skywalk tower out on the point.
Driving north, it was an easy right hand exit into the Malahat Skywalk site. But driving south, you needed to go past the Malahat Skywalk and take a turn-around exit and come in driving north.
When we arrived for an afternoon to experience the Malahat Skywalk, the parking lot was empty. We did not purchase tickets in advance and there was no wait for us to start our walk.
The site map provided us with a good view of our path. From the Welcome Centre we walked along the elevated skywalk to the spiral tower. We walked up the tower and then went down the slide. Our walk back was along the dirt path return trail.
Great Driftwood Art At The Malahat Skywalk
The first stop we made was at the Gathering Place. We saw our first driftwood sculpture and were not quite sure what reptile it was.
But then we were captivated by the two cougars created in driftwood by Tanya Bub. The sculptures of Luke and Leah were amazingly true to life.
When we went up on the elevated skywalk, we found the next piece we looked for. The owl sat high in a tree just over the walkway.
On our visit to experience the Malahat Skywalk, we knew there were other pieces of driftwood art. But we missed both the herons and the eagle on our visit. Maybe you will see them when you visit!
Along The Elevated Skywalk
The wooden skywalk headed away from the Welcome Centre for about 600m (or ~ 2000 feet). It had a very gradual slope and was easy to walk. At one point we saw an emergency exit ramp that led down to the dirt return trail below.
The skywalk went through the forest of Arbutus and Douglas Fir treetops. When we looked down we saw how high we were off the ground and got a glimpse of the metal supports for the walkway.
Along the way we saw a number of different exhibit boards. One talked about the extensive root system that joined the trees. Another provided information about the mysterious Sasquatch, Sasq’ets (in Salish) or ‘Big Foot’. When we looked closely, we saw the Sasquatch in the trees. Our first encounter with a Sasquatch was when we visited the hot springs at Harrison Hot Springs. Yet another showed the wildlife found in the nearby forests. There were many spots to sit and enjoy being at the treetop level.
Experience the Malahat Skywalk and you will be educated along the way.
Climbing The Tower
When we reached the end of the walkway, we got our first view of the Malahat Skywalk spiral tower. The tower rose about 10 storeys (250m or ~820 feet). The walkway was a spiral wooden path at a gentle 5-8 degrees.
We found it was an easy walk at a slow pace and it took us less than 10 minutes to reach the top. As we walked up, we saw a central metal spiral staircase and the metal slide.
Experience the Malahat Skywalk and get a bit of exercise climbing the tower.
Experience The Malahat Skywalk From The Top Of The Tower
When we reached the top of the Malahat Skywalk tower we wandered around the top platform and took in the views from all sides. We had views along the Saanich Peninsula and the Finlayson Fjord. Off in the distance we saw the Gulf and San Juan islands. And on a clear day, Mt Baker was even visible.
For a bit of fun, we found the Adventure Net. At many viewpoints on our travels, we found glass floors with views down to the ground. Instead the Adventure Net was a metal net that we walked on. We were a bit worried that our feet would go through the net but that was not a problem. This was not a trampoline but David found fun ways to goof off on the net.
We enjoyed our time at the top of the Malahat Skywalk tower. We were sorry the clouds moved in on our visit and we did not get bright sunshine views. But it was still interesting to take in the panoramic sights.
Heading Down On The Slide
There were two ways down from the top of the Malahat Skywalk tower. The easy way was to re-trace the walk down the tower. But we were not passing on the fun way.
The Malahat Skywalk slide started a few levels down from the top. We walked back down the ramp and got in line to slide down. David went first and tried to video his trip. And then I went down screaming with delight all the way.
We saw many people head back up and they did the slide over and over again. But one slide was enough for us. We went to the cantilevered lookout platform and enjoyed a last look out at the view.
Experience the Malahat Skywalk and have a lot of fun on the slide down.
Wander Back Along The Dirt Path
From the bottom of the Malahat Skywalk tower, we stopped for a view back and up the tower. A sign by the tower proclaimed this was the first of its kind in North America. But this was the second skywalk and tower we enjoyed. On our travels in the Czech Republic, we enjoyed a visit to the Lipno Treewalk.
We started out on the dirt return trail. The trail was a slight downhill path and ran alongside the Skywalk path. From below we got a great view of the supports under the Skywalk.
We found the trail was an easy walk back.
Experience The Malahat Skywalk For A Fun Day Trip Outside Victoria BC
We were so happy we planned to experience the Malahat Skywalk on our stay the Victoria area when we visited Vancouver Island in the Fall. We enjoyed a stroll at the treetop level. It was an easy walk up the tower and worth it for the panoramic views. And so much fun to take the slide to get down.
We had so many awesome outdoor experiences on our visit to British Columbia in the Fall. And were glad we added the Malahat Skywalk to the plans.
Have you had the chance to experience the Malahat Skywalk outside of Victoria BC?
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It’s so cool that you can slide down the skywalk, I would definitely do that, haha. The views from the top of the skywalk are so beautiful, and I like that climbing up is very easy, not like an infinite number of stairs. I really like those cute sculptures on your way to the tower. That’s a very talented artist!
The whole experience at the Malahat Skywalk was a lot of fun. Glad it was open when we visited.
We have been to Victoria BC. But this July, we have another chance to go. This Malahat Skywalk is new and it would be fun to experience the treetops and the spiral tower walk and views!
I hope you get a chance to visit the Malahat Skywalk when you get back to Victoria this year. A fun stop.
This new Malahat Skywalk sounds like my kind of attraction. The views from the top look amazing! Love the driftwood sculptures, especially that dog and the owl in the tree. The tower itself looks easy to walk up, though I don’t know if I’d be brave enough to take the slide back down!
There were so many different fun things to see and do when we visited the Malahat Skywalk!
Love that view from the top of the Malahat Skywalk! The scenery in that area looks beautiful. Personally, I would go just for the sliding experience. I’d probably have to do it multiple times.
We saw many people who sent up and down several times just to slide! It was the best way down.
From the crisp air to the brilliant blue skies and stunning sunsets — who wouldn’t enjoy strolling across the park in the afternoon like this? I’m impressed by the driftwood sculptures, which should be credited to whoever created them. I also adore the spiral wooden path’s one-of-a-kindness. The inside architecture of the Malahat Skywalk is incredibly beautiful, and I’d love to experience the slide as well.
It was a great day trip to experience the Malahat Skywalk. We loved the chance to see this new attraction when it opened up.
This hadn’t been built when I did my day trip to Victoria and Butchart Gardens and it is something I would love. The driftwood sculptures are incredible. Good to know the walk up is easy and that slide down looks like a lot of fun
I hope you get to visit the Malahat Skywalk if you get back to Victoria. We were glad we got the chance. So many things to see and do here.
The Malahat skywalk tower is an awesome place to explore and I found it somewhat similar to Hudson Bay in New York.The entire stretch in between the woods following the skywalk is full of nature’s bounty. And the drift wood artwork by Tanya Bub is outstanding and something I haven’t seen before.
We were excited to find so many great spots on our visit to the Malahat Skywalk. Well worth a visit from Victoria.
Yes Linda I loved your itinerary and amazing pictures of the Malahat skywalk.
Looks like you had a great time! We would love to visit one day. That slide down looks like lots of fun.
The whole visit to the Malahat Skywalk was a fun experience. So glad we did the slide.
Wow the skywalk looks really cool. I always find those installations so fascinating – you really get to see a different perspective.
It was great to get to the top and see the view from the top. A whole fun experience.
What a wonderful place to visit! No need to hurry going to the top and how fun it is to slide down to the bottom. The views are amazing and those driftwood sculptures are cute. Somehow, the Malahat Skywalk looks like The Vessel in Hudson Yard, New York. Don’t you think?
Sadly we have not yet seen The Vessel but I have seen pics. It does look a bit similar. It was much more like a similar treetop walk we did in the Czech Republic.
What a wonderful place to visit. The views are spectacular. I particularly liked seeing the animals made of Driftwood.
The animal carvings were a great surprise on our visit to the Malahat Skywalk. A fun addition to this outdoor adventure.
As I saw the walk, I thought, that’s not so bad. But then the tower….I think I would make it to the first floor. If I had to climb up there, I’d probably faint. Although my fear of heights is getting better, I could not climb this tower. But yes, I can clearly see that you guys enjoyed it to the max 😉
The walk up was actually much easier than I expected. A gentle ramp with lots of room if you need to rest. But standing at the edge at the top might be a challenge if heights were a problem. It sure was a lot of fun!
What an adventure! I love that amazing driftwood artwork – very creative. The gentle sloping path to reach the top of the tower is so much better than stairs. What fun to slide down all the way! No wonder people want to do it again. I will definitely lookup the Malahat skywalk when I am in Canada next. Great blog post! 🙂
I hope you do get to visit the next time you visit Vancouver Island. It was a fun discovery for us.
Reminded me a bit of the Singapore Skywalk. But Malahat Skyway has in my opinion much more to offer. The views are just amazing. And the drift wood artwork by Tanya Bub is spectacular.
We were excited when we saw this new attraction. So much to see and do on a visit.
I wish I had heard of this place when I was in Victoria. But nothing is lost, as I plan to travel to BC this summer to visit my friends. I add Malahat Skywalk to my bucket list. The views are spectacular. I would also like to see those two cougars created in driftwood. Amazing work! But I’m not sure if heading down on the slide is for me 🙂
I hope you do get to visit the Malahat Skywalk when you are back in BC this year. It was such a fun day. Even if you don’t the slide!
What a unique and fun trip to this skywalk! This looks like something our family would enjoy. I love nature and walks so right up my alley. I would have so much fun on that slide coming down!
The slide was sure a fun part of this adventure. Many people went back up for another ride or two. Lots of family fun.
What a cool day out! I think maybe the first wood sculpture is an eel or the Loch Ness Monster? 😂
So fun to see all the different driftwood sculptures. Most did not need much imagination!
This seems like so much fun! The cougars made from driftwood stole the show for me. The slide also looks super fun! Would love to travel here.
There were so many fun things to do on our visit to the Malahat Skywalk. A little something for everyone.
David’s handstand is great! The Malahat Skywalk has been on my radar for a while, but I haven’t ventured over to Vancouver Island since it opened. It’s definitely on my list for a future trip. Great photos, thanks for sharing!
I hope you do get over the Vancouver Island to try this new fun adventure. We were glad it was open when we visited. Definitely had a lot of fun.
wow. I never saw that before. It looks like a unique thing to do. I love the carved wood. I pinned this for future use.
Our visit to the Malahat Skywalk was indeed a unique thing to do. So much fun. Hope you get to visit one day.
Such a great place to visit and these views! Wow! I loved the cougars as well, would like to take a closer look! Saving this for the future!
I hope you do get to visit the Malahat Skywalk one day. So many fun things to see and do.
I love Skywalks and this one looks a joy to visit. I have been to ones that look similar in Malaysia and Australia but none had these beautiful driftwood creations and definitely no signs for Big Foot. If I ever get to Canada its going on my travel list but I may have to give the slide a miss!
This skywalk was definitely a lot of fun. We were glad we did the slide. But many people walked back down!
That driftwood art is pretty incredible. I wish I known about this place when I went to Vancouver!
We were glad the Malahat Skywalk had opened when we visited. Well worth a visit from Vancouver for sure.
I love the driftwood art! That would be worth the visit even without the rest of it. I do like that the walk up is a gentle slope. It sounds like it’s wheelchair accessible too, right?
The walk is definitely wheelchair accessible. There was even an off ramp if people decided they could not do the whole walk. The artist has more work if you wanted to see more. Check out the link.
This looks like so much fun! I’d have taken the slide down too. The driftwood art is also really cool. Hopefully I can visit one day and look out for the other animals.
The whole visit to the Malahat Skywalk was a lot of fun. A few trips down the slide can definitely be fit in!
What an fun place to visit. Did you see a lot of birds from the top? I hope to visit soon!
We saw much fewer birds the whole time we were on Vancouver Island than we expected. There were signs indicating what was in the area but we did not see them. Maybe next time!
Malahat Skywalk looks like such a great thing to do with magnificent views too. Love that you took the fun option to get back down.
We were delighted with the whole experience at the Malahat Skywalk. And of course we took the fun way down!
This looks like so much fun Linda! I’d never heard of skywalks before I read this article and now I’d love to try one – especially that slide back down again.
I hope you do find a skywalk on your travels. We were delighted to find the Malahat Skywalk on Vancouver Island. And the slide down was a fun finish!
Wow, this looks like such an amazing experience. I’d love to visit. While in Toronto I went to the CN Tower and the Malahat Skywalk Tower reminds me of that. Those sculptures by Tanya were really striking! You are so fearless going down that slide, I would do it too.
We loved the whole experience at the Malahat Skywalk. The slide down did add to our experience. But it was an easy walk down with views all the way for those who did need the rush.
What a cool place. I wish we had known it was there when we visited. And it is impressive that your husband can do a handstand!
I did not share the video of his trying over and over again. But he did indeed get a handstand on an unstable net. The whole adventure was a lot of fun.
I would love to experience the Malahat Skywalk and Tower. The slide would be so much fun and love the views!
We were glad we planned to spend some time at the Malahat Sky walk and enjoy so many of the things to see and do. Definitely a great spot to visit from Victoria.
This is too good about information and lovely blog thanks sharing this article and help us information
I am glad this was a helpful post for you to plan a visit.
Woooow! Another fabulous experience. The views from the top are absolutely stunning! I have to say that I am very intrigued by this slide for the way back down – I am probably going to be screaming as well taking it down! Lovely article!
We had so much fun on our visit to the Malahat Skywalk. All parts of the experience were great.
What an amazing place! We definitely have Vancouver on our list of places to visit. And that driftwood art is absolutely something we would love to see! Pinning this for later 🙂
I hope you do get over to Vancouver Island if you get to Vancouver. This is one of the day trips from Victoria well worth a visit.
This article is just so fun! What a neat place. I’m all about Bigfoot and can’t get over the cougar drift wood art. Thanks for sharing.
The Malahat Skywalk was definitely a fun adventure.
This looks like so much fun! We really need to get up here and explore more, its not that far from us. The driftwood art is absolutely incredible! I definitely need to save this one, and make a plan!
I hope you do get to visit the Malahat Skywalk. The artist also has more driftwood art to explore around Victoria.
This is something which i would like to explore. The sculptures of Luke and Leah looks so real and distinct. Driftwood art something i never heard of.
Thanks for sharing.
Himanshu
It was fascinating to find the great driftwood art along the path. So intricate in detail. A great stop on our walk at the treetops.