MOUNTAIN BIKING

Hastings House has mountain bikes that are available to guests on a first come first served basis. Please contact the office for details. Please be aware helmets are mandatory in B.C.

TENNIS

Four all weather courts are available to the public at Portlock Park. Lighting available for after dark play. One covered court also available during the winter months.
Check notice board for court availability or call 537- 4243. Another court is located on the south end of the island, behind the Fulford Fire Hall on Fulford-Ganges Rd.

GOLF

Salt Spring Island Golf and Country Club established in 1928
805 Lower Ganges Rd. Phone: 537-2121
3,100 yards, 9 hole regulation course, par 36 with a course rating of 67. Watered fairways, a beautifully scenic course. Clubs and power carts are available to rent. Professional lessons also available. Licensed restaurant, gift and pro shop.
www.saltspringgolf.com

Blackburn Meadows Golf Club
269 Blackburn Rd. Phone: 537-1707
Challenging executive 9 hole course. Great greens! Rental clubs & pull carts. Coffee shop, gift and pro shop. Enjoy the peaceful sights and sounds of nature alongside Blackburn Lake.
www.blackburnmeadows.com

SWIMMING

Fresh water or salt, lake, pool or ocean; the choice is yours! Some beaches are ideally suited for the play of young, others for those in search of quiet contemplation. A new public lap pool just up the street on Rainbow Road.

Ocean Swimming :
Beddis Beach at the end of Beddis Rd. (Beautiful and sandy)
Vesuvius Beach at the end of Langley Rd. (Warmest water)
Bader’s Beach at the end of Collins Rd. off Rainbow Rd.
Churchill Rd. : a very pleasant beach at low tide - close to Hastings House, at the end of Churchill Rd. Quiet and Peaceful!
Arbutus Rd. off Southy Point Road

Lake Swimming :
St. Mary’s Lake - access from Tripp Rd. on the west side or North End Rd.on the east side. The only real beach is off North End Rd.
Weston and Stowel Lakes - south end of the island beside Beaver Point Rd.
Cusheon Lake - 1 mile down Cusheon Lake Rd. off Fulford - Ganges Rd. Small public wharf
Blackburn Lake - off Fulford-Ganges Rd. 5 minutes south of Ganges. Opposite the Cedar View Mobile Home Park.small wharf.

ENTERTAINMENT

Free open-air entertainment can often be found in the center of Ganges during the summer. Check the local paper “The Driftwood” for current events.

Hastings House Gardens

Guests are welcome to wander through our own kitchen and flower gardens. The only reason they are fenced is to keep the deer out. The fields surrounding the buildings are part of Hastings House also. You are welcome to wander through the fields and get to know our sheep a little better. Our woodland walk can be accessed through the flower garden and up the hill. The trail will take you out to Churchill Rd, back to the property down a series of stairs and over the little creek. A map of the property can be found in the green folder in your room.

PICNICS

Salt Spring has a number of excellent picnic spots, with Ruckle Provincial Park and Mount Maxwell being two of the most popular. We would be pleased to arrange a picnic lunch for you. Picnic request forms are available in the green folder. Our knowledgeable staff would be pleased to recommend other picnic spots also.

HIKING AND WALKING

Salt Spring’s magnificent vistas, numerous trails and natural beauty make it an excellent location for hikes and walks. From a leisurely ramble down a country road to a strenuous climb up a mountain face, there are challenges and delights for virtually every level of physical fitness. The Hiking Book found in your room will offer several suggestions.

Mt Maxwell

Day hike: Suitable all year, winter access may be difficult.

Mt Erskine

Length: 1.5 km one way
Elevation Gain: 391 meters
Day hike Suitable all year

Duck Creek

Length: 20 min - 45 minutes loop

Mouat Park

Length: various short trails. approx. 10 minutes each

Ruckle Park

Length: various trails. Stay an hour or spend the day.

 

PARKS AND BEACHES

Some of the lesser known parks and beach walks are outlined in brochures found in the office.

BERRY PICKING

Indulge yourself with a feast of wild blackberries or other wild fruit picked from along the public road sides, late summer and fall.

RUNNING/JOGGING

Take advantage of the quiet country roads for an early morning jog, or use the ocean front paths of Ruckle Park or the 1/4 mile cinder oval track at Portlock Park.

Bird watching

The McFadden Creek Heron Rookery is a significant heron colony composed of more than 118 nests in a stand of trembling aspen, fir, maple, alder, and cottonwood.  Nesting takes place from October through April.  Great blue herons can also be viewed around Salt Spring Island from September through June.

BINOCULARS

Binoculars are available in the office. Guests are welcome to borrow them to take on
hikes, picnics or day trips. The island has some great wildlife viewing, especially bald eagles, waterfowl and deer. Over 270 bird species have been identified in season.