Bishops Gate Park is in the community of Langford, one of thirteen communities that form the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. The park is a second growth forested area in the Bear Mountain neighborhood of Langford, B.C. Its two hectares form a nature area with steep slopes on the eastern shoulder of Mt Finlayson. The rise from Millstream Road to Bear Mountain Parkway is fifty-six meters over a distance of two hundred and thirty meters. The park can be reach from a gravel trail with a staircase that parallels Longspur Drive. This pathway is well traveled to the twenty-five wooden and gravel stairs. The stairs have a wooden handrail on the right side. The stairs lead to a moss and grass meadow that has a lovely display of springtime woodland flowers. It is at this point that this trail becomes indistinct as it heads uphill to eventual reach Bear Mountain Parkway near Stone Gate. There is also service access road along an upper ridge that connects Bishops Gate to Greenhill Rise, with the rows of town houses. This route is a well trodden path for people who walk their dogs between the two streets. This area of the park is terraced up from Longspur Drive and fenced with a chain-link fence.
The view is to the east with the forests in Thetis Lake Park in the foreground and the coastal mountains on the mainland in the distance. This is a great place to explore in your backyard. This nature parkland is to the left past the service area. Douglas fir, cedar and arbutus trees shade the small shrubs found in the park. Bishops Gate Park borders along Chow Nicoll Park in the Highlands District as well as the boundary between the two districts. Mill Stream is seen within Chow Nicoll Park and in the lower area of Bishops Gate Park. Mill Stream, or Millstream Creek as it is often called, is the main waterway in a watershed that starts in the Gowlland Tod range of the Highlands and includes seven lakes and numerous ponds. There is about five kilometers of Mill Stream that lie within the City of Langford. Alton Lane Park, Stone Gate Green Space, Harrow Gate Park, Stone Gate Park, Skyline Park and Bear Mountain Parkway Green Space are nearby.
Geographic location N48° 28’27” W123°30’40”
Bishops Gate Park can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway also called Hwy1. Turn at Millstream Road and turn left onto Bear Mountain Parkway. Continue along BMP to reach Bishop Gate. Turn right onto Bishops Gate and look for the service road access between homes 2094 and 2101. The park can also be access from along Bear Mountain Parkway, Millstream Road and Greenhill Rise which is accessible from Millstream Road via Longspur Drive. There is limited parking along Bishops Gate and no parking along Bear Mountain Parkway or Millstream Road.
Walks in Your Backyard 