Enos Lake Trail in Nanoose Bay

Located within the Fairwinds Community of Nanoose Bay, a network of over 7 km of trails leads around a series of ponds and ultimately Enos Lake itself.

The trails make for easy walking through wetlands, rocky bluffs, arbutus woods, mixed deciduous woods and lakeside travel.

Quick Trail Facts

• Trail Features: Lake views; Waterfall; Ponds; Wildflowers; Variety of trees
• Length: Network of over 7 km of trails
• Hazards: Steeper sections (depending on the trail chosen); Slippery rocks; Can be muddy
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Suitability: Everyone
• Bike Trails: Yes

Highlights of Enos Lake

• The area has a small waterfall – which may dry up in the summer months
• Endangered fish species in Enos Lake. This area is the only place where the limnetic Enos Lake Stickleback is found. (Because of this, there is a no-fishing and no-swimming rule in place).
• Owls love this area too. If you go around dusk and walk quietly, you may be lucky enough to spot one hunting.

Best time to Visit

This park can be visited year-round, however it’s especially beautiful for the various reasons listed below:

Spring offers plenty of wildflowers among the rocky bluffs, meadows and ponds, as well as songbirds by the plenty. Birdwatchers will delight in the possibility of seeing Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Orange-crowned Warblers.

Spring flowers include white fawn lily, Nuttall’s toothwort, and red-flowering currant (among a few others I don’t have names for). Around the ponds, you’ll see aquatic plants including bladderwort, water-plantain and water lilies.

Spring and winter are the best times to view the Enos Lake waterfall.

During the summer you should see the ponds alive with various types of dragonflies and frogs, among other pond life.

The mix of deciduous woods throughout the area make for a beautiful Fall walk.

The Trails

The trail system which intersects at various points can be a bit confusing, especially to first-time visitors. The signage within the park is also not very helpful. It’s not a very large park, however, so you really can’t get lost. Just make sure to leave lots of time to explore.

If you are concerned, and especially if it’s your first time visiting the area, your best bet is using the All Trails app. The app, however, doesn’t make note of all the trails at Enos Lake. For instance, while walking along one trail still within the park boundaries, the app stopped working and told us we were out of bounds.

There is a short loop (of approximately 2.5 km) that takes you around the ponds as well as the waterfall area. While the larger loop (of approximately 7 km) takes you along the backside of the lake.

Please note, there is no trail that goes around the entire lake (that we know of).

Tips and Cautions

This privately owned park has several rules one must abide:

• No smoking or fires
• No camping or hunting
• Due to the endangered fish in Enos Lake, there is no fishing and no swimming allowed.
• Dogs must remain on a leash at all times.

Getting There

Enos Lake is located on Fairwinds Road and is currently owned by the Fairwinds Community.

To access: From the Petro Canada gas station on the Island Highway (Highway 19) turn east onto Northwest Bay Road. Turn right onto Powder Point Road and continue until you reach a four-way stop. Continue straight as Powder Point Road then becomes Fairwinds Road. Look for the trailhead on the left-hand side of the road. (Easy to miss!).

---

Have you been to Enos Lake? Let us know about your time there in the comment section below.

Save this image on Pinterest to use the information provided in this article at a later time.

Other Nanoose Bay Outdoor Attractions

• Moorecroft Regional Park
• Notch Hill
• Bonnell Creek Falls