Old Baldy Mountain Hidden Swing Hike

Old Baldy Mountain is becoming quite popular with its hidden swing overlooking beautiful Shawnigan Lake.  I mean, who doesn’t love a good hike with an even better reward at the end?  If you’re looking for a swing with a view but can’t travel all the way to Bali, the Old Baldy Mountain hike is sure to please!

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Vancouver Island’s Hidden Swing Hike

The Story Behind the Old Baldy Mountain Swing

The swing on Old Baldy Mountain is fairly new as it definitely wasn’t up there when I was going to high school in the area. I don’t know exactly when it was placed, but I believe it was within the last 5 years (correct me if I’m wrong 🙂 ) Apparently the story behind the swing is that a man placed the swing there to propose to his girlfriend as it was her favorite spot. How sweet 🙂 And it’s remained there ever since for everyone to enjoy.

How to get to Old Baldy Mountain

From Victoria:

Old Baldy Mountain is located in Shawnigan Lake, which is on southern Vancouver Island, just 45 kilometres north of Victoria. Coming from Victoria, head north on the Trans Canada Highway and over the famous Malahat drive.  Just after the halfway point, you will come to a turning lane for Shawnigan Lake on your left.

Turn left here onto Shawnigan Lake Road and follow it for about 12km.  After you pass St. John’s Academy on your right, you’ll know you are getting close.  Once you pass the old train bridge overhead,  turn onto the first road on your right (McKernan Road).  Then take the next right onto Galland Road.

After about half a kilometer, you’ll reach a 4 way intersection.  Turn left here, onto Baldy Mountain Road.  Continue for another kilometer and then turn right onto Hawking Road.  Less than a kilometer later, the road reaches a bend and becomes Strathcona Heights Road.  Continue up another kilometer or so, until you reach your preferred trail head and park alongside the road.

From Nanaimo:

Old Baldy Mountain is about one hour south, or 75km, from Nanaimo.  Take the Trans Canada Highway south all the way to Mill Bay.  Once you reach the Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Road intersection, turn right at the lights.  Continue on Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Road for 3.5km, then turn left onto Sylvester Road.

After 1.3km, turn right onto Baldy Mountain Road. Then after less than a kilometer later, turn left onto Hawking Road.  Less than a kilometer later, you will reach a bend in the road where it then becomes Strathcona Heights Road.  Continue on about one more kilometer and park at your desired trail head.

How to Find the Old Baldy Mountain Trail Head

There are two main trail heads for the Old Baldy Mountain hike.  As you drive down Strathcona Heights Road, look for either a red gate or a yellow gate.  The first one you’ll come across will be the red gate and then further down the road is the yellow gate.

We chose to hike in and out from the yellow gate trail head as this seems to be the more popular choice, although it is quite steep.  It’s also possible to do a loop and come back down to exit out the red gate, and then walk down the road back to your car.  Apparently the trail from the red gate is a little less steep so some people prefer to descend back down that way, but we haven’t tried it.

Both gates are fairly easy to see from the road and you’ll likely see a number of cars parked at both trail heads, letting you know you’ve found the right place.

The Old Baldy Mountain Hike

Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Length: 2.4km
Duration: About 1 hour 15 minutes
Dog-Friendly: Somewhat
Stroller-Friendly: No
Kid-Friendly: Yes

The Old Baldy Mountain hike is of moderate difficulty due to its fairly steep incline and some scrambling sections.  However it is a pretty quick hike, only taking about 30-45 minutes one way, depending on your fitness level.  You will want to wear shoes with good grip for this hike (I love my Nike Air Zoom Terra Kigers), especially if it is wet out as you will be climbing on some rocks.

Starting from the yellow gate, the hike immediately starts up a steep old forest service road with lots of loose rock.  The road doesn’t look that steep at first, but you will quickly feel it as you hike up!  The loose rock also makes it a little more tiring.  However, this part of the trail is pretty straight forward.

About 1/3 of the way up, you will come to the cell tower.  This is where the “fun” begins!  Head up the narrow trail to your left and continue your steep climb.  Soon you will see the gorgeous views over Shawnigan Lake to your right. 

This section does have a few scrambling sections over some boulders and rock face.  If you are afraid of heights like me, this section may be a bit challenging, but there are no really risky sections so it’s totally doable!  Ryan even managed to do it with our 1 year old on his back (although it was definitely tricky at times!)

After about 35 minutes you will reach the top and have gorgeous 360 views!  You can see over beautiful Shawnigan Lake, the mountains, Saltspring Island, the inlet, the peninsula, Mill Bay, the Victoria airport, and beyond!  This is a great spot to stop and have a snack while taking it all in.

How to Find the Hidden Swing on Old Baldy Mountain

In addition to the gorgeous 360 views, your main objective is probably to find the swing!  If you are coming from the yellow gate, once you reach the top you’ll want to follow the trail down to your right.  Walk about a minute down and look through the trees to your right.  There you will see the swing hanging from an Arbutus tree, overlooking Shawnigan Lake!  If you are coming from the red gate, you will find the swing to your left, just before reaching the top of the mountain.

The swing itself is in very good condition, with a lovely engraving of Vancouver Island on the wooden seat.  Its function as a swing isn’t that great, as the way it hangs makes it so that you swing sideways and not straight.  But I’m sure most people probably just go for the photo, and not to actually swing 😉

Also, at first glance, it may feel like you are going to swing right off the edge of the mountain. But in reality, when you are on the swing, you don’t even get close to the edge so it feels completely safe 🙂

Hiking Back Down

Once you’ve gotten your fill of the views and the swing, you can choose to either head back down the way you came or do a loop by heading down the opposite trail.  We chose to head back down the trail to the yellow gate.  While climbing down it can be a bit tricky to follow the trail so just pay attention.  We ended up going off trail once but it was easy enough to figure out how to get back on.

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Where to stay

If you’re looking to do a weekend trip, there are some awesome places to stay in the area!  Shawnigan Lake is a lovely little town, especially in the summertime.  There are a ton of beautiful Airbnbs available to rent, many right on the lake.

Or if you are looking for a more romantic stay, you could choose either the Moon Water Lodge on the Malahat or the Villa Eyrie!  I love the Moon Water Lodge for their in-room soaker tubs next to large picture windows overlooking the gorgeous Saanich Inlet. 

The Villa Eyrie Resort is another one of my favorites, also with fantastic views over the inlet!  They have a nice spa as well.

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