Central Park is in the seaside city of Victoria, one of thirteen communities that form the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. The tall Garry oak trees in Central Park provide a complementary setting to the beautiful plant displays. Just over six hectares this park is hidden behind the Crystal Pool building and is a popular place for outdoor activities. The large grass fields are used soccer, baseball and rugby. These ball fields have bleachers for spectators. The two tennis courts are surrounded by chain-linked fences. An excellent Steve Nash basketball court lies right beside the tennis courts. The park has picnic tables, benches and public washrooms in Crystal Pool. The play ground is wonderful for small children and toddlers. The slide is extra long and the climbing platforms are varied. A terrific place for the whole family as there are over three hundred meters of paved pathways throughout the park. An outdoor fitness circuit, located next to the play area, provides a great addition to this park. Try out paired cardio walkers, elliptical trainers, and balance beams designed so that you could work out with a buddy. The circuit is set up on a rubber crumb surface and also includes a push-up station, double hip flexor, double shoulder rotator, sport board, double strider, rowing machine, seated leg press, seated chest press and a warm-up station to provide a complete workout. Sounds uplifting, eh! As the second oldest park in Victoria, Central Park name was originally North Park. The Victoria Heritage Foundation has a walking tour of this area called North Park Community available on their website. Stroll along Vancouver Street to enjoy the London plane and double flower chestnut trees. At the junction of Vancouver Street with Pembroke is a native plant garden.
Geographic coordinates N48° 26′ 2″ W123° 20′ 35″
Central Park can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway. Continue along the highway as the road becomes Douglas Street. Turn east onto Bay Street and turn onto Vancouver Street one block past Quadra Street junction. The park lies between Queens Avenue and Pembroke Avenue where there is some roadside parking. There are parking areas located off of Quadra Street and Queens Avenue. A city bus travels along Quadra Street between downtown and Broadmead/Royal Oak in the Municipality of Saanich.
Walks in Your Backyard 
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