Malahat, British Columbia, is home to Malahat SkyWalk. The experience combines an elevated forest walkway with the ten-storey Spiral Tower. To get your bearings, it helps to distinguish between the different perspectives: TreeWalk winds through the forest, while the tower opens up panoramic views.
Forest walkway, tower, and sweeping views
TreeWalk runs 20 metres above the ground through a mature arbutus and Douglas fir forest. From there, the SkyWalk experience continues to the ten-storey Spiral Tower. This means a visit begins with the elevated walkway and forest passage, followed by views from the tower.
From the Spiral Tower, you can enjoy panoramic views of Finlayson Arm, Saanich Inlet, and the Saanich Peninsula, as well as the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands. Mount Baker and the Coast Mountain Range are also among the named viewpoints. The vista takes in coastal inlets, a peninsula, island groups, and mountain ranges.
At the top of the Spiral Tower is the 84-square-metre Adventure Net, high above the forest. From there, you can look down through the tower’s spiral centre. Another attraction is the Spiral Slide: it is 20 metres (66 feet) long. The net and slide add different perspectives at the tower to the views of the landscape.
Luke’s Lane and the surrounding area
Luke’s Lane Nature Trail offers a different kind of route: the ground-level path runs through mixed coastal rainforest and is an 800-metre gravel trail. Unlike the elevated TreeWalk, the focus here is on ground level and the trail surface. The two descriptions highlight different aspects of the nature around SkyWalk.
Malahat SkyWalk is north of Victoria, and the drive there is estimated at about 35 minutes. This is an approximate driving time that may vary depending on the route and traffic. If you are considering Malahat as a travel destination, use this estimate as a rough guide for the journey, not as a fixed travel time.
Malahat SkyWalk is on the traditional territory of the Malahat Nation. In the area around Malahat, near the Shawnigan Creek Bridge, is also the Yos Pole, a carved Indigenous pole. These details provide cultural and geographic context without suggesting that the two locations are the same.
At the Tower Plaza at Malahat SkyWalk, The Canteen serves smashburgers, George’s famous chili, pizza by the slice, and hot dogs. The menu may change. As a place to eat, it complements the pathways and viewpoints right at SkyWalk.
Putting Malahat in context within Cowichan Valley
On the drive south, Malahat and Bamberton form the final stretch of the Cowichan region. In the broader Cowichan Valley travel area, the Cowichan Valley Trail is a major part of the Trans Canada Trail route on southern Vancouver Island. It is a regional point of reference, not part of the description of SkyWalk itself.
Most of the Cowichan Valley Trail is a wide, flat gravel path; some sections run alongside roads. The route is suitable for easy cycling and hiking. Kinsol Trestle is one of eight trestles along this route and is among the world’s tallest free-standing wooden railway trestles. The Cowichan Valley thus offers another regional perspective alongside the specific focus on Malahat SkyWalk.
Discover more destinations: Chemainus, Cobble Hill, Mill Bay, Ladysmith, Youbou, Duncan, Shawnigan Lake, Honeymoon Bay.
Go to the main travel overview: Cowichan Valley.
