Comox Valley's Best Dog Walking Areas - #2

In my last blog post I named my favourite dog walking trail in the Comox Valley: Seal Bay Park. In second place? Kye Bay Beach!

Kye Bay is where my family lived for a few months when we first moved to Vancouver Island. It is one of the only sandy beaches that I know of in the area…and when the tide is out the sandbars go on forever!

You are almost always going to see people walking their dogs on the beach, and no wonder. There is room to spare! Most people are very relaxed about letting their dogs run off leash (but always check!). Josie is sometimes a little too rambunctious for her own good so I always have a leash handy just in case.

There is a picnic area if you want to pack a lunch, as well as public washrooms.

There’s always something to see at Kye Bay. Next door to the airport, you frequently see planes coming or going, and if you’re visiting in April you have a great view of the Snowbirds as they practice their maneuvers over the Strait.

There is an abundance of wildlife, from bald eagles and blue herons, to shellfish like sand dollars, starfish, crabs and clams.

Kye Bay is actually my favourite beach for photo shoots because of the variety of images I can create there. The forested area makes a wonderful background, and action shots in the water can be pretty fun as well.

Sunset is one of my favourite times to visit! On a clear day the views of the North Shore mountains are spectacular.

So whether you are a local, or coming to the Comox Valley for a visit, I hope you will check out Kye Bay! You’ll be glad you did.

Have a dog walking trail you’d like me check out? Leave a comment below! I’m always on the lookout for new places to walk with Josie. If it’s a good one maybe a write a blog post about it!

Until next time, get out and walk!

Comox Valley's Best Dog Walking Trails: #1

Now that I have a puppy (a very active puppy!), I am spending more and more time walking in the great outdoors. And of course I have come to have my favourite spots for walking Josie here in the Comox Valley. So I thought I would do a blog series on my favourite dog walking trails.

So today’s post is all about my #1 favourite dog walking park in Courtenay: Seal Bay Park!

Managed by the Comox Valley Regional District, Seal Bay Park has it all: endless walking and multi-use trails, an ocean playground, lots of wildlife and views of mainland mountains. It is over 652 hectares in size and is never crowded. There are leashed and leashing optional trails for dogs, although in the spring there is mandatory leashing due to nesting and fawning season.

Josie learned to swim here last week!

One of the fun things about Seal Bay’s beach is that you almost always see seals, either on the rocks or swimming in the distance. Once I even saw orcas!

Unfortunately the beach is rocky, but at low tide there is a bit of sand to play on.

Every season in this park has it’s own beauty. I think I love fall the most. The colours are spectacular. Even though I detest winter, sometimes the crisp winter air is refreshing.

One of my favourite walks with Josie is around Melda’s Marsh. Often you can see beavers swimming around in the evenings.

Although there are several ways to enter the park, the main lot is on Bates Road. From there you can take one of three trails that meander down to the ocean (coming back up is a chore), or cross the road for more trail options.

My hubby and I have started biking the 10k horse bike loop. That is a great way to tire Josie out.

Stay tuned for more posts about my favourite dog walking trails in the Comox Valley. Let me know if you have any trails you’d like me to try out! I’m always looking for more places to go.

I’ll leave you with a few more shots of the park.