The Brian and Sarah McLoughlin Park is well worth a visit in the Comox Valley

by Keith and Heather Nicol

We recently decided to revisit a scenic beach access that we had not been to in several years. our last visit was in the fall of 2018 when the park was first opened. The Brian and Sarah McLoughlin Park is actually an artist's retreat but has it has interesting gardens and a scenic beach access. The Park is accessed by driving to the end of Tasman Road (simply put in Brian and Sarah McLoughlin Park) in google maps. It is about a 15 to 20 minute drive from most places in Courtenay - Comox. There is parking for a few cars and you can see the entrance by a finger board that has info about the Park. You basically walk down the road that leads to the cottage for 500 m or so and there are several beach accesses on the grounds. Don't disturb the artist that may be there by using the deck but you can walk around the grounds. If you want a loop path you can take the Fern Bench side trail that is well marked. Although the distance is short, the road is steep in places with slippery gravel so people with mobility issues may find this challenging. Hiking sticks might be handy in this case.Our GPS showed an elevation change of close to 80 meters but the route is mostly shaded which is nice on a hot summer day. Check it out the next time you are in the area. See you on the trail. 

         

                                                             Walking down the access road to the beach accesses.