Reviews of Linley Valley Cottle Lake Park (Zoo)

Phuc Thinh Le

Awesome place to have a walk

Tom

Great idea to have this place as a park.Thanks Nanaimo.The signage for getting around as good.The park is large and more than one entrance is useful.The entrance from the dead end street on Tanya Dr could be better,as it is now difficult to get by walking through a ditch.No signage around this area and a good scene of direction useful.Stay to your right when you enter from Tanya. The area could use a good clean up.Some of the visitors to the park have no respect for their environment and use the place to dispose their garbage,Please stop.

Derek Bodner

Love the place

Carly H

Beautiful, not crowded :)

Kyle Friesen

Beautiful trails, and several geocaches to make it a bit more interesting. We liked seeing the various waterfowl on the lake!

Allen Felker VITVca

A great hike! Small lakes ponds beaver dams and creeks. Lots to see even for car guys.

jen H

Good walk for enjoying nature

Pip “Incardian” Venter

Hidden sanctuary

Manda Guignion

Great place for a hike or even a leisurely stroll.

Josh Richardson

Beautiful park with a plethora of winding trails and some truely gorgeous colours in the fall. Meadows and grassy spots everywhere.

Jennifer Percevault

Great walking trails... love this area...feels like your in a old growth forest in the middle of town????

Kevin So

Great walk/hike area around wetland/lake prior to getting on ferry. Takes about 40-45min with young kids to walk around the lake.

Laurel

A bit of a hidden gem in Nanaimo.

Lance Wolfe

Fairly easy trail for the family. Nice long walk of you do the whole ring.

Ross Cameron

Beautiful wild park in the middle of the city - a real jewel. Here live beaver, raccoons, salamanders, frogs, snakes, lots of birds, and a cougar or two.

Krista

Beautiful. Dogs love it, my kid loves it.

John E

Great place for a hike with multiple trails. I used All-Trails app for navigating all the little trails in here and they were accurate. Nice forest hike in-town.

Brian Kates (Big B)

Cottle lake park is an awesome little get away that is very pretty to hike around. Its serene and quiet . I would highly recommend to anyone who likes the outdoors and doesn't want to travel to far from home.

D K

Could use some better signage/maps for the trails. There are so many but it would have been nice to know where they went. The park is a lot larger than I thought and has a variety of terrains.

Jacqueline Bernhardsson

It was a beautiful day for a walk. Until I came across a tent camp of homeless people. . Beside Capilano River and close to the round about leading to Lions Gate Bridge

Jeremy Wick

Look at the pictures

Fennya Numeria

Peaceful, lots of trails, not used by many people and perfect for easy and moderate walks. My dog loves it!

Michael Timmermans

Nice trails with lots of areas to explore

Alicia Mogg

Linley Valley Cottle Lake Park is one of Nanaimo's hidden treasures. It is lovely and expansive, with many long walking trails and some lovely vistas of the park itself. There are large wooden staircases and adorable stone bridges. There is abundant wildlife as well. I've seen what I believe were sizable partridges and wild turkeys (see photos... I love doing my photography at this park). In a matter of minutes you can walk from a somewhat busy residential road to the absolute solitude of this wonderful park. The first time I visited this park, I had to remind myself I was basically in the middle of a very large and populated residential area. It also reminded me a bit of the Experimental Farm back in Ottawa, Ontario, in that you can quickly get in touch with nature without having to travel for hours. It is a popular place for hikers and joggers and is often quite busy.

Bruce Gray

Linley is a favorite hiking location because it has a wide diversity of trails along lakes and ridges. It is a green jewel right in the midst of North Nanaimo

Simon Trigona

A nice little park and lake tucked away in behind Country Club Mall. It's great in the summer a it stays very cool.

Robert Simpson (Emerald Sea Diver)

Great trails. Love to hike here.

Krista Baptist

Beautiful hike. Quite quick but good for an afternoon walk.

Susan Alexander

A nice leisurely walk.

Jackie Pallard

Beautiful trails

Kale Lee

There should be more garbage cans, there's so much dog poo everywhere, people really need to clean up after their pets.

Graham Romanovsky

Feels like your in the middle of nowhere 5mins from your front door

Heidi S.

Great little walk, excellent views if you know which paths to take.

EE Edwards

What a surprise to find some wild and bewitching wilderness in the middle of Nanaimo — and then to get lost! Be careful! First, one is on a well-beaten path and then it dead ends in a swamp. Next, one is on top of a mini-mountain, covered with moss and a million photo ops — but no clue or signage to guide one where to go. Hmmm... sun on face, distant traffic noise suggests people... follow the nose and suddenly a gravel path! Left? Or, right? We had no intention of charting new trails and soon found our way to suburbia - and a long walk back to the car on busy roadways. Upside: we got a 2.5 hour workout in some lovely new terrain. Lesson: stay on marked paths or be prepared for the unexpected. This place has an extensive network of seductive trails that can lead the unwary into the unknown.

El Gremonprez

Love it Awesome trails ????????

Michael Chapman

Great location; a quick way to get away from it all in nature. Hours of trails to explore

Laura Simms

Great little hike to breal up the day!

Cara Denney

Nice trail around Lake, not wheel chair entire way around ( some stairs) nice Forrest area, hidden off rural road. Quite, shady, nice walk:)

Luka Iremadze

Entrance to the park is a small parking lot (3 spots) which google should navigate you correctly. We came here with a stroller but soon found out that the entrance required walking down a staircase. So, not a stroller or wheelchair access friendly. This place has some amazing spots, I found the scenery best suited for an evening walk. Oh, and you'll want to wear proper shoes :)

Grace Xiao

It’s quiet lovely park

Randy White

So peaceful and pup loves all the trails

Andrew Qammaniq

Love it here

John Vreden

Excellent Park! Needs a little maintenance though. The woodwork/ bridges and boardwalks has/have seen better days. We started from Rock City road and somehow, quite easily actually, found ourselves at Linley rd. Way out of the park zone. So the signage could be better. But it's a beautiful tranquil place to walk around in. Wide trails. Nice, nice, very nice. ????

Jonah Ferguson

Beautiful lake in the forest with well-maintained trails circling it. A peaceful and accessible hike in central nanaimo

jamie whelan

Pleasurable hiking area.

FT K (Șegun McShegz)

Beautiful place. Beautiful people. So much to see/do. I ❤️ the place. Must visit.

Cory Schreyer

A nice quick escape from the city, in the city.

Rupert Gadd

Beautiful trails through the forest and around the lake.

Brandon Brown

Quaint lake with a path to walk around it. A great place for bird watchers.

Lisa R.

Beautiful place. A few stairs, fyi. And if you're walking around the Lower Lake trail there are lots of tree roots. So lovely with lots of fresh running water. Gentle hills. Lots of little trails. My girl dog loved it. Trash bin and poop bags at trail entrance/parking area.

Exchiela Benusic

Beautiful lake, very peaceful.

Daniel-André Delorme (Betadan)

Needs more signage to let you which exit is where

Tom Wood

Great staff, very helpful! Great selection, what's not to like?

Isabel VanGrootheest

Love the many trails, but it's easy to get lost- not enough signs

Jose Soriano

This is a hidden gem, there are so many great trails to walk, ride or run. There is everything, from easy to difficult. I have been to this park around 15 times and everytime I go I find a new spot, new trails. It connects with lost lake trail. 100% recommended. It has different entrances. Go check it out, maps don't show all the trails here.

Shirley Winter

Muddy along parts of the trail but we'll worth the effort. Beautiful natural trails meandering through lush vegetation.

opaque light

A nice park in the summer to get away from the heat, but beware the evil winged creatures around the darker alcoves, they will devour your soul without a concern! The Scotch Broom Species Cytisus scoparius. Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) is an escaped garden ornamental, and seems to be on its way to disrupting the delicate eco-system, infact it is popping seeds everywhere as I type. Please do make sure to retire any specimens you may find in your travels. Thank-you for you consideration.

Eagle Junior

Great option for a local walk in nature

Jesse Wheeler

Beautiful park with lots of trails right in the middle of town. Good hiking.

Drew Smith

This is a great park nestled in between departure Bay and Hammond Bay road. There are several trails ranging from gravel double track to small narrow foot paths. There are some great views from the various open spots that one can hike to from these trails. There are also some decent mountain bike trails, but not a lot. This area would be best for trail running or dog walks.

Stan Schofield

Nice place for a jog or a walk. Numerous trails, small lake, dog friendly (on leash).

Chris Venter

A paradise our own forest with lots of trails

tanner scott

Picturesque and quiet

Devon McLeay

Literally one of my favourite places in Nanaimo. It's so gorgeous and my girls can handle a "hike" around the area though they're only 2 & 5. Love the mix of water, fields and forest. It is truly perfect, especially on a breezy day when we don't want to go to the beach.

Chris Desautels

Right in town, wide variety of trail difficulties and uses, amazing views, and lots of wildlife. This is, by far, my favourite "I only have an hour" spot to go. Not wheel chair friendly unfortunately.

Olivia Mah

Great green space in the heart of Nanaimo. Sadly much of the land has been developed but there is still a lot of area to walk and forest bathe.

Mike Sherman

Beaver seen. Very picturesque

David Thornton

Great hike in Nanaimo

Nicole B

Quiet, serene and a well marked trail make this a very enjoyable location for a day trip. There is some uneven terrain so don't wear your flip flops. Got dome great nature pictures at this location.

Eris

Brilliant trail. Sure beats neck point.

Rick Kitsul

Linley Valley is a hiiden jewal in Nanaimo. Need to expand the park and keep hreen at all costs.

Cody Robertson

Not bad if your short on time. Good place for joggers/dog walkers. Surrounded by houses but it's pretty hard to notice. Has pretty much an OKAY outdoor feel. Like I said for being in the middle of a city, you don't here any vehicles at least.

Yard Plots

What an amazing area!!! ...right in the middle of the city

propane river

Great hike or walk around the lake view the birds or climb the rocks

Diane Brennan

A beautiful natural park in the centre of the city. A great walk with fantastic trails.

Kelsey Crozier

Sweet little get away

L'liien Myka

Kind of confusing, and easy to get lost in, but a very exciting and adventurous experience. I got lost and nearly died.

Viraat BK Thammanna

This is an amazing biggest park of wilderness right inside city. Miles of trails to give feeling as if you are in the deep woods. There is limited parking space where the trail head on Rock City Road, no paved parking, no handicap accessible. This trail goes down through stairs between private properties. First to get Cottle lake from where we have multiple trails to choose. Have map as it is easy to get lost especially if you are going there first time. It is a real worth to explore for all Nanaimoites and visitors.

Adam Zanbilowicz

Wonderful local wilderness within the city. Cliffs, views, lakes, arbutus ridges. Really great.

James Bates

Overall a very large are not all of which is dedicated parkland. Lots of trails and pending on the time of year a few marsh like areas. Lost of birds. Good for all ages

Reza Sourate

Great trail to walk or run.

Jina Culleton

Its the other park of our "front yard"...

Ben Doan

Beautiful smells lovely in the woods

Dawn Diamond

Beautiful place highly recommend

Micky Dee

Too steep

Harry Jones

Always my favorite...different lookouts. Good people. Peaceful and quite

Janet Robertson

You can enjoy nature here, a nice lake loop trail and 3 or trail heads so convenient start points wherever you are ...hammond bay, lost lake rd and rock city...good for a relaxing walk or run the trails...i take my dog for walks here too, she loves it...

Brad Rush

My favorite place to run the trails!!!

Nadine Sainnawap

Beautiful, it was definitely a nice walk through Nature.

Colin Bishop

A great hike 5 minutes from home.

Ken Esau

Peaceful walk with the old dog.

T C

Great walk the dog. Not too long. Not alot of elevation changes.

Daryl & Janie Brown

Great views if you climb to the towers. Amazing diversity of landscapes below.

Lance

Went for a brief walk here during a recent visit to Nanaimo. There appear to be a few different entrances to this park, which features several kilometres of some mild trails that surround the titular lake. It was a peaceful experience and only saw two other people when I went on a Friday. A good place for an easy stroll or to walk your dog.

Jess Bajar

Was fun. Found some wooden structures as well as old abandoned cars.

Adrian Carotenuto

Lovely walk around the lake.

Kari White

Great for short/med walks, scenery is ok, not too many good photo opportunities

Yves Martineau (Y vez)

nice easy trail.

L Nel

Very nice. Hard walk with a hurt knee

John Curran

Another wilderness gem in the heart of Nanaimo. Plenty of trails to explore

Insomniac Media

Some of the best trails in the north end ! There are so many different ways to go and great for mountain biking too !

jim bo

Great area for walks. Several trails, with a few small lakes near by.

Nicole Monette

It was a perfect day for a walk....enjoyed it with my girlfriend Darlene...????????

Mavrick Noddin

Pretty nice place for some exercise. Walk or bike. Trails are super smooth & pretty long with long little sloped hills. Lake is nice. Rope swing was once there. Hopefully it will be put up again

Anthony Parker

Nice retro cars that went of the edge

harold strempler

??

Alli Ware

Great place for a walk that isnt over crowded

Douglene Roughton

lots of trails and great place to walk

Catherine Deutscher

Beautiful forest walks with easy to very hilly terrain. Found 3 wild orchids today!

Anneke Bain

Great place to walk and spend time with my dog.

Flexicanna Company

Calming place to go

William Chambers

Awesome place❤ We had fun picking salmon berries????

Patrick Burnham

Great place for a run or a walk with the dog

Bray Man

Not my favourite. Had to park on a nearby residential street because the 4 parking spots were used. It was recommended as a good running spot online but the trails were not meant for running on! Better for mountain biking

Kenneth Pearce

Great place to enjoy nature at its best

Buddenhagen Jeremy

Great hikes inside the city

Breanne P

Beautiful park, the old cars were neat to look at.

K. RP

Nice little place for a quick hike around the pond

Sonja Knabe

This is one of my favourite places to hike. When you go beyond the main trails up into the hills and trees, a completely other world of rocks to climb and meadows unfolds. The wild flowers are a joy to behold and the songs from the various birds that inhabit the space are delightful. I consider myself so fortunate to have this wonderful place, where I can roam for hours, just minutes from my home.

Norm Shokal

Beautiful

Francisco Comas

Hidden gem in Nanaimo. Unique.

nathan fuchs

Wild beauty in the heart of nanaimo

Aidan Berglund

This is one of the only places where you can find a waste bin in the entire park, plan your trip accordingly.

Jillian Harrison

Beautiful well maintained trail system in the North end of Nanaimo. Easy to access, clean and peaceful.