Beacon Hill Park, Public park in Victoria, Canada.

Beacon Hill Park covers 75 hectares along the Juan de Fuca Strait in Victoria, British Columbia. It combines woodland and shoreline trails, two playgrounds, a waterpark, playing fields, a children's farm, tennis and pickleball courts, ponds and landscaped gardens. At its southern end rises Beacon Hill, a hill the Songhees call míqәn, from which the park takes its name.

Sir James Douglas designated this land as protected in 1858, and it gained municipal park status in 1882. These two moments secured it as a permanent public green space for the community.

The Songhees people called this land míqәn, meaning 'warmed by the sun', and traditionally gathered camas bulbs along the coast. This name reflects the deep connection between Indigenous peoples and this sunny shoreline.

Plan which activities suit you best, as the park contains many zones with different offerings spread across the grounds. The coastal location means weather can change quickly, so dress in layers and come prepared.

The 38.8 m (127 ft) pole was carved from a single cedar tree by Kwakwaka'wakw carver Chief Mungo Martin with his son David and Henry Hunt. Erected in 1956, it was then the tallest totem pole in the world; it was lowered in 2000-2001 for restoration. Look for the large face at its base, a red and white crosshatch band above, and stacked animal figures in formline style.