Margaret's Bay

Although some may argue with me whether 8 degrees Celsius is too cold to go nude, I refuse! So you might ask yourself, how did I get here? Here being at Margaret's Bay - although I have not yet determined if this is an official name. The trail that leads to the beach access is called Balmacarra Park.

I will start by reposting directions to get to this location. Please note that this bay is located in Saanich, British Columbia. Saanich is a suburb of Victoria. The directions are originally posted at the well known Clothing Optional BC website. This website is the authoritative resource for finding places to skinny dip in British Columbia. It also includes a far less authoritative listings for other places. Check it out now.

VICTORIA: Margaret's Bay . (GPS: N48 29.633 W123 18.698)"Victoria is surrounded by cold(!) water and many beaches. A prime example is at Margaret's Bay, which is backed by a steep, forested hill, making the beach quite private. The south end gets only the morning sun, so get away from the stairs by walking the 200 metres to the north end, which gets sun through the early afternoon. As an extra bonus, if you climb the craggy rocks at the north end, you'll see a concrete-walled salt-water pool, and a set of concrete stairs that seemingly lead to nowhere. (Relics of the past?) While not an 'official' CO beach, its remoteness, its 'hidden/unknown' status, and its availability of logs to build a screening-wall, make it enticing to visit." [A.C., Jun 2010]
Directions: Between Cadboro Bay and Cordova Bay, in Gordon Head, make your way to the intersection of Leyns Road and Balmacarra Road. (The best route there depends on your starting point.) Right at the intersection there is a City of Saanich 'beach access' sign and a trail that leads slightly downhill to the top of 75 metal steps that lead to the beach. Some parts of the street are marked 'no parking', so pay attention. For non-drivers, there's a securely-anchored bicycle-rack at the top of the stairs.

In March, there was absolutely no nude use among the 6 or so people I encountered. The beach is not more than 15 minutes by car from where I live, so if it turns out to be used for nude sunbathing and or skinny dipping in the salt water pool, I will be very pleased.

Here are some pictures of the beach. Except for the first picture, they are from the far end of the beach. Furthest from beach access.