This Isn’t Your Average Walk in the Woods
Into the Treetops We Go
Vancouver Island has no shortage of beautiful viewpoints.
Usually, however, reaching them involves hiking up something.
Sometimes considerably more “up” than I was mentally prepared for.
The Malahat SkyWalk has a different idea.
Instead of scrambling up a mountain trail, you begin on a 600-metre elevated TreeWalk that gradually rises through a forest of arbutus and Douglas fir trees. The walkway climbs about 20 metres from the forest floor before reaching the main attraction: the enormous Spiral Tower.
And suddenly our innocent little walk through the trees was heading…
Up.
Way up.
Round and Round We Go
Climbing the Spiral Tower
The Malahat SkyWalk’s centrepiece is its striking 10-storey Spiral Tower.
But here’s the brilliant part.
There aren’t a million stairs waiting to destroy your enthusiasm.
Instead, a gently sloping pathway winds around the tower, gradually carrying you higher and higher while the view changes with every turn. The attraction describes the climb as stair-free, with a gentle incline designed to let visitors take it at their own pace.
This is my preferred relationship with elevation.
No mountain-goat behaviour required.
Just keep walking.
And circling.
And walking.
And wondering how exactly you have become this high above everything without feeling like you’ve climbed a mountain.
And Then You Reach the Top
Vancouver Island From Above
Eventually, you step onto the viewing platform at the summit. And this is where you understand why you came.
The platform provides 360-degree views, with Finlayson Arm, the Saanich Peninsula, surrounding islands and mountains stretching across the horizon. On clear days, even Mount Baker can be visible in the distance.
The summit sits approximately 250 metres above sea level. Photographs are inevitable. Lots of photographs. This isn’t really a “snap one photo and keep moving” situation. Every direction seems to reveal another piece of Vancouver Island demanding its own picture.
Because Apparently the View Wasn’t Exciting Enough
Would You Walk Across the SkyWeb?
Then you notice the net. Suspended high inside the tower is the SkyWeb, an 84-metre mesh adventure net. You can walk out onto it and look down through the centre of the tower. Now, logically, I understand that someone engineered this.
Professionals were involved. Calculations were presumably performed. My brain knows these things. My stomach may have other opinions.
This is one of those travel moments where you stand at the edge debating whether curiosity is stronger than common sense.
And honestly? Curiosity usually wins.
There’s Also a New Way to Test Your Nerves
Step Out Onto The Overhang
As if the SkyWeb wasn’t enough, Malahat SkyWalk has added another reason to question your relationship with heights.
The Overhang is an enclosed glass viewpoint attached to the summit of the tower that extends beyond its edge, creating a view above, below and around you.
For anyone who loves heights, this is going to be spectacular.
For everyone else…
Well.
Look straight ahead.
Not Everything Has to Be an Adventure
One Thing I Really Appreciate About the SkyWalk
One of my favourite things about the Malahat SkyWalk isn’t actually the height.
It’s how the experience was designed.
The elevated TreeWalk has a gentle 5–8% grade, and the attraction identifies it as accessible for wheelchairs, strollers and people with mobility challenges.
The Spiral Tower is also climbed by a smooth pathway rather than stairs.
That means enjoying a spectacular Vancouver Island viewpoint doesn’t necessarily require tackling a rugged hiking trail first.
And I love that.
Nature should have more ways for people to experience it.
Why It’s Worth It
Come for the View, Stay for the Slide
The Malahat SkyWalk takes something Vancouver Island already does exceptionally well, spectacular scenery, and finds a completely different way to experience it.
Instead of seeing the forest from the ground, you walk through its canopy.
Instead of climbing a difficult trail to reach a viewpoint, you gradually spiral towards the sky.
And instead of simply walking back down again… Well. There’s a giant slide. I feel like we’ve established how I feel about that. 😂
It’s scenic enough for people who simply want the view, accessible enough to open that experience to far more visitors, and playful enough that it doesn’t feel like you’ve just visited another observation deck.
Sometimes you don’t need to conquer the mountain. You just need someone to build an enormous spiral walkway above the trees. And yes. It was worth it.
Please note that I have not received these products for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my opinion. There may be links that are affiliate links but at the time of posting this review, I have not received any monetary kickbacks.