Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
Mt Benson looms over Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
Though folks make this climb year round, I waited for great weather in May. 😇
Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.
There are several routes to the summit, but quickest and most straightforward begins at Witchcraft Lake.
Knowing that the summit is busy on a nice day, I camped on Crown Land the night before. Was first starting up the trail in the morning.
I used AllTrails for navigation and only managed to detour on to a side trail one time. 😀
It’s a steady climb. Interesting terrain with a number of viewpoints on the way up.
From the summit most cameras take in the panorama over Nanaimo. Here’s the OTHER vista — looking inland.
Watch a LIVE STREAM of the Benson summit on YouTube.
related trip report – sea2peak
- 8km round trip
- 730 meter elevation gain
- 3-5 hours
- difficult
- dogs allowed on leash
besthike.com 
Can you tell me or drop a pin where on Crown Land you parked for the Mt Benson hike? The link takes me to Ontario…
Sorry for that, Lynne. I added this link with a map to Witchcraft Lake trailhead. … https://www.rdn.bc.ca/witchcraft-lake-regional-trail