The Naa’Waya’Sum Botanical Gardens (formerly called the Tofino Botanical Gardens) welcome well-behaved on-leash dogs to explore the gardens with their humans.
The Gardens are beautifully designed featuring both natural and landscaped sections where you can learn and be part of nature. The trail system is designed to help you navigate the forest and the waterfront, taking in all that the 10-acre site has to offer. You will also find sections with medicinal plants, sculptures and water features.
If you are visiting Tofino with your dog I would add the gardens to your list as a must-see dog-friendly experience. You will likely come away feeling rejuvenated having connected and learned from all that this beautiful location has to offer.
NOTE: As of Spring 2024, the Naa’Waya’Sum Botanical Gardens are currently undergoing construction and renovation and are currently closed. We will update this post once they are ready to welcome visitors to the site again!
Our Visit to the Botanical Gardens:
Avy and I visited the gardens in August, 2021, before they became the Naa’Waya’Sum Gardens. I’m not sure how much may have changed since we were there, but I imagine that many of the features are the same. When we travel we love to explore the local dog-friendly tourist destinations and this was one of the best! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit – wandering the peaceful trails, enjoying the features and the beauty of the plants and sculptures that we came across around each corner. There were also lots of opportunities for photo ops – something Avy loves as she has perfected her “photo bomb” face.
A lot of thought and care has gone into the design and maintenance of the gardens making it a unique and enjoyable experience. I also loved that the trail led out to the ocean for a short time, so we could explore the shore and Avy could dip her paws and cool down. The smile on her face in the pictures tells you all you need to know about how much she enjoyed her visit!
My favourite part of the visit was exploring the trails that run through the forest. There were so many interesting features to discover as we explored and I always feel happy surrounded by trees. My mother loved the more structured gardens near the entrance – proving that there is indeed something for everyone to enjoy!
The pictures I have shared are from the day we visited. If anyone has updated pictures please share in the comments – we would love to see them!
