Old Baldy Mountain

A steep hike to photogenic swing overlooking Shawnigan Lake

• When – All times of year (Better on a sunny or clear day)
• Where – South Island (Shawnigan Lake)
• Why – Point of interest (Rope swing, 360 view over Shawnigan Lake)
• How – Hiking (Out & back, 2.4 km, 30-40 minutes each way)
• Difficulty – Moderate (uneven terrain, some minor scrambling, 208 M elevation gain)
• Cost – Walking is free.

Directions / Location

• From Trans Canada Hwy (Hwy 1) turn onto Mill Bay Rd.
• Head west on Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Rd for 3.5 km.
• Turn left onto Sylvester Rd and continue for 1.3 km.
• Turn right onto Baldy Mountain Rd and continue for 850 M.
• Turn left onto Hawking Rd (Hawking turns into Strathcona Heights Rd) and continue for 2.3 km and find parking on the shoulder of the road. Park close to the yellow gate on the left-hand side of the road.
• Parking / Trailhead – 48.6328621, -123.6240679
• Summit – 48.6270010, -123.6219051
• The swing – 48.6261663, -123.6213873
• Google Map Link

The Hike

Old Baldy Mountain is best known by the photos of a secret mountaintop rope swing overlooking Shawnigan Lake. With such an amazing view, it hasn’t taken long for this not so secret swing to become a landmark in the area, drawing in people, not just from the island but from all over, to get a photo on the swing. The swing itself is just down from a flat, wide-open summit that offers a 360 view of the surrounding area which is reason enough to make the climb. Both of these points have pin drops on Google Maps, making them easy to find, but getting up to them can be a bit of a grind.

With a few different routes to get to the top, I’m going to focus on the more scenic but difficult route. The beginning of the hike starts on a service road and is marked by a yellow gate on the side of the road blocking the way up. The service road is about 600 M and is fairly steep for 2/3rds of the way, but levels out to be more manageable for the last 3rd, and ends at a radio tower and trailer that has the first view overlooking Shawnigan Lake.

From there, you follow a single-track trail that starts on the left-hand side just before reaching the trailer and radio tower. The trail follows the face of the mountain, getting steep at times, and there are a few slightly technical areas that may require ducking under a tree or a quick scramble of one of the exposed rock faces. There are a lot of loose rocks and roots, but the biggest tripping hazard will be keeping an eye on the trail instead of the view, which only gets better as you continue to climb.

The end of the trail meets another service road just before the summit. To get to the summit, either follow the service road heading to the left (north) or scramble up the rock to the wide-open summit and the 360 view of the surrounding area. To reach the swing, head down the service road from where the trail comes out for around 80 M give or take. There will be another trail to the right heading into the trees and the swing that overlooks Lake Shawnigan.

When it’s time to head back, follow the same route you came up by, being careful of your footing as the trail is slippery on the way down.

Notes

Gear taken: Backpack, water. 

Gear used: Everything listed above.

Cell service: Yes.

Recommendation: N/A