Anderson Cove Park is in the seaside community of Sooke, one of thirteen communities that form the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. This park is part of the East Sooke Regional Park and lies on the western side of the park. The parkland includes the about three hundred meters of the high bank shoreline of Anderson Cove. Anderson Cove is a small bay that is part of the Sooke Basin and the Strait of Juan de Fuca of the Pacific Ocean. This protected cove can be accessed by boat from Sooke Basin when there are medium to higher tides as the sill at the narrow entrance is about a meter deep at lowest low waters. The waters are warm enough to swimming in the summer and are terrific for personal water craft but not easily launched from this access. The shore of the park hosts a picnic table under a tall cedar tree. Access to the small muddy high bank beach is along the roots of the tree. There is a toilet near the parking area as well as sign with a good trail map at the trail head. About a hundred meters further along the road there is a small pullout that allows water access into Anderson Cove.
Hikers can reach Mount Maguire and Babbington Hill and the coastal walks in East Sooke Regional Park from this access point. Mount Maguire is about four kilometer along the trail to its summit at two hundred and seventy two meters. Whereas Babbington Hill has an elevation of two hundred and twenty eight meters and it’s about seven kilometers from Anderson Cove parking lot. Walk up the rough trail, called Babbington Hill Trail to reach a junction about a kilometer up the hill, the right branch leads toward Mt Maguire while the left leads toward Babbington Hill. Enjoy the lush coastal Western hemlock forest with ferns, salal and Oregon grape in the understory. There are grass covered hilltops with wildflower meadows with rare plants like Deltoid balsamroot (Balasamorhiza deltoidea), yellow montane violet (Viola praemorsa), scalepod (Idahoa scapigera), and Dune bentgrass (Agrostis pallens). Eagles, vultures and hawks as well as deer can be seen in the area. This is a great place to walk in your backyard.
Geographical location N48º 21’ 36” W123º 39’ 38”
Anderson Cove Park can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway. Take the Langford Parkway exit and follow along to reach Sooke Road (Hwy 14). Turn right to follow highway 14 westward to Gillispie Road. Turn left onto Gillispie Road to reach East Sooke Road. Turn right onto East Sooke Road to reach the parking area on the left. There are signs indicating the park access. Allow about half an hour of driving time to reach the parking lot. City buses travel along the road during weekdays.
Further information
4,000 Years a History of the Rainforest of Vancouver Island’s Southwest Coast
Walks in Your Backyard 