Devonian Regional Park

Devonian Regional Park in Metchosin is a 16-hectare coastal sanctuary blending rich wildlife habitats and sweeping Juan de Fuca views into a peaceful natural escape.

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Location

Metchosin
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About

Devonian Regional Park, established in 1980, is a 16-hectare conservation area.
Nestled among the farmlands of Metchosin, this peaceful nature sanctuary feels like a hidden escape.
The conservation area protects a rich mix of habitats waiting to be explored.
Follow the main beach trail as it winds through quiet woodlands and alongside Sherwood Creek, leading you all the way to the open shoreline.
Stroll the cobble beach for sweeping views across the Juan de Fuca Strait, Race Rocks, and the Olympic Mountains, or pause for birdwatching at tranquil Sherwood Pond.
Visiting on horseback? Take the equestrian trail and enjoy scenic views over the surrounding meadows (source).

History

The park was once part of Dr. Hans Helgesen’s Sherwood farm.
Hans Lars Helgesen (1831 – 1918) was a Norwegian-born pioneer, farmer, and politician who helped shape early British Columbia.
Born in Asker, Norway, he journeyed to California for the gold rush in 1849 at just 18 years old.
In 1858, hearing of the gold rush in B.C., he made his way to Victoria.
In 1862, he purchased 180 acres of land in Metchosin for $2,000. There, he built a thriving farm he called “Sherwood.”
In 1877, Helgesen constructed a large family home and planted a striking row of Lombardy poplar trees along the driveway. This iconic feature still lives on today as historic Lombard Drive, even though the original house was lost to fire in 1933.
Known locally as the “Hardy Norseman,” Helgesen was more than a farmer. He was also a seafarer, prospector, fisherman and an enduring figure of resilience who established one of the region’s earliest homesteads.
From 1878 to 1886, he served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Esquimalt, contributing to the young province’s political foundation (source).
In 1979, the Devonian Group of Charitable Foundations of Calgary bought 100 acres of land in Sherwood, the area below William Head Road, from the Helgesen family.
A year later, they contributed two-thirds of the cost to purchase the 28-acre parcel now known as Devonian Park, with the provincial government covering the remaining third.
In 1983, the CRD added another 2.2 hectares to the park to create access along the bridle trail.

Rising from Parry Bay to William Head Road, the park is rich in diverse habitats.
Sherwood Creek flows from Ali Pond through a shallow valley, supporting Coastal cutthroat trout and Threespine stickleback before reaching Sherwood Pond.
The pond is a haven for migrating waterfowl, red-winged blackbirds, and even the occasional river otter.
While beautiful, the creek remains fragile and in need of ongoing care.
Along Taylor Beach, a stable berm lined with driftwood and dune grass frames sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains. Seals are often spotted just offshore, and marine life thrives in these waters.
In the forest, towering fire-scarred Douglas-firs shelter owls, wildflowers, and dense riparian growth of salmonberry and sword fern.
On the southern side of the park, gentle hills blanketed in moss reveal traces of ancient volcanic activity.
Rare Garry oak ecosystems support some of the region’s rarest plants, which are now the focus of dedicated restoration work. Thousands of volunteer hours have gone into removing invasive broom, helping native wildflowers return each spring (source: Milne, M., 2008).
Devonian Regional Park is more than a scenic escape, it’s a landscape shaped by history, sustained by community, and carefully protected for the future.

Lands

Metchosin is on the ancestral territory of the Sc'ianew (Beecher Bay) First Nation. It also shares this territory with the neighbouring communities of the Ts'ouke (Sooke) and the Lekwungen peoples.

Amenities