A fashionable summer recreation and cottage area for over a century, Shawnigan Lake has seen its share of happy anglers, blissful sunbathers and elegant day-trippers. The Lake is still a favourite weekend getaway spot and, increasingly, one of Victoria's more popular "bedroom" community. The Village is a well-known venue for arts and craft shows, and hosts a small but excellent museum. Population: 14,040 (Area) Location: Shawnigan Lake is located on southern Vancouver Island, 3 miles (5 km) west of Mill Bay and 28 miles (45 km) north of Victoria. * The last spike on the E&N Railway was driven at Cliffside, on the east side of Shawnigan Lake. Boat dock on Shawnigan Lake Numerous shoreline marshes, an island park, and intriguing old lakeside cabins make Shawnigan Lake an excellent spot for kayaks and canoes. * Spanning the Koksilah River Valley, the now-abandoned Kinsol Trestle is one of the largest and highest wooden trestle bridges in the world. * Memory Island Provincial Park is located on the southern half of Shawnigan Lake. It only requires a short 1km paddle to reach this tranquil little park. Come ashore to picnic, stretch your legs and do a little laid-back bird-watching. * Hike the trails on nearby Koksilah Provincial Park, or pack a picnic lunch and explore West Shawnigan Lake Provincial Park. The beach here is very popular with young families. Shawnigan Lake Municipal Beach is located on Renfrew Rd in the quaint town of the same name beside the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway on the east side of the lake. *

Golf: Golfers have a few golf courses in the area to choose from; Cowichan Golf and Country Club in Duncan (20 minutes from Crofton), Duncan Meadows Golf Course (15 minutes from Crofton), Mount Brenton Golf Course in Chemainus (10 minutes from Crofton), and Arbutus Ridge Golf and Country Club in nearby Cobble Hill. Golf Vacations on Vancouver Island. * Directly east of Shawnigan Lake and just south of the Mill Bay ferry terminal is Bamberton Provincial Park. A large swath of sandy beach, complete with changing facilities, fronts on the Saanich Inlet here. Dozens of picnic tables sit on the terraces slopes above the beach, shaded by a fir-and-arbutus (madrona) foest. This is one of the more scenic locations on the inlet, and from here you look east towards Mount Baker on the mainland.

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