Scenic Views · British Columbia
A northbound pull-off on the Malahat section of Highway 1 near Victoria, BC, with a wide view over Saanich Inlet, Brentwood Bay, the Gulf Islands and, on clear days, Mount Baker. Small lot and no washrooms.
Split Rock Lookout sits high on the Malahat, looking down over Saanich Inlet and Brentwood Bay and out toward Swartz Bay, the Gulf Islands, the San Juan Islands and sometimes Mount Baker. An interpretive panel helps you name what you're seeing. Regular travellers call it their favourite first stop heading up-island.
It's a simple highway turnout, reached only when driving north on Malahat Drive, just past the Malahat SkyWalk. Reviewers say it's easy to pull into and easy to merge back onto the highway. The parking and entrance are listed as wheelchair accessible, but there are only a few spaces and no washroom.
People stop to break up the drive, watch the sun set, or see sailboats out on the inlet on a windy day. One local comes back at different times of day for the changing light, and suggested it as a good place to watch for northern lights within half an hour of Victoria. A second lookout a little to the south has a totem pole, though reviewers say this one has the wider view.
There are almost no complaints. If you fly a drone, be careful: one visitor lost theirs in the water below. Southbound drivers can't reach it, so plan it for the trip north.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 558 Google reviews. Conditions and rules change — check current park, access and fishing regulations before you go.
