Malahat SkyWalk

What Malahat SkyWalk does

Malahat SkyWalk is a privately held, year-round nature-based tourism attraction on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, operated by Malahat SkyWalk Corporation as a partnership between A.Spire by Nature (founded by principals of the Sea to Sky Gondola) and the Malahat Nation, a Coast Salish Indigenous community. The attraction is located in Malahat, approximately 35 minutes north of Victoria, and targets leisure travelers, families, nature enthusiasts, local residents, and school/corporate groups visiting the Vancouver Island and Victoria tourism market (which draws roughly 4.3 million annual visitors).

The core product is a fixed physical experience comprising a 600-metre elevated wooden TreeWalk through Arbutus and Douglas Fir forest canopy at 20 metres height, a 10-storey Spiral Tower rising to 250 metres above sea level with 360-degree panoramic views, Canada's first sky-high glass cube ("The Overhang") extending beyond the tower edge, a 20-metre enclosed spiral slide ("The Sizzler"), an 84-square-metre suspended adventure net ("The SkyWeb"), and Luke's Lane nature trail. The company monetizes through a tiered ticket structure (adult CAD $31.95, senior $28.95, child $18.95, family $86, with prices as of 2021 opening), Annual Membership Pass subscriptions (CAD $52–$225), on-site F&B and retail, gift cards, premium ticketed special events (e.g., Cowichan Valley Wine Festival Kickoff at $70/$115), and partner-distributed wellness programming such as Tower Top Yoga.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, supported by a free shuttle from Downtown Victoria, destination marketing partnerships with Tourism Victoria and Tourism Cowichan, an event-driven seasonal programming calendar (Summer Music Series, Holiday Magic, The Raptors bird-of-prey display, wellness retreats), and broad earned media including Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice, an EcoStar Award for Experiential Tourism (2024), and features on Amazing Race Canada. The company has welcomed 250,000+ guests since opening in July 2021.

Name

Malahat SkyWalk

Legal name

Malahat SkyWalk Corporation

Website

https://malahatskywalk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Malahat SkyWalk is a privately held nature-based tourism attraction on Vancouver Island, BC, operating a 600-metre elevated forest walkway, a 10-storey spiral tower, and Canada's first sky-high glass cube, serving leisure travelers, families, and local residents visiting the Victoria region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure Tourism Attraction

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Treetop Walks & Aerial Trails (THAAACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerial Adventure Parks (Multi-Element Courses) (THAAACAC)

Keywords

• Nature-based tourism
• Elevated treetop walkway
• Observation tower attraction
• Outdoor adventure experiences
• Indigenous cultural tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Malahat

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Day Tickets and Admission: Entry tickets sold to visitors for day admission. One-year validity from purchase date with no reservation or timed entry required. Revenue from individual, senior, child, and family ticket categories.
2. Annual Membership Pass (AMP): Recurring annual pass memberships offering unlimited visits for 365 days. Available in adult, senior, child, and family tiers.
3. Food and Beverage: On-site food and beverage sales through Basecamp Bites cafe, Softys dairy-free ice cream, Happy Camper coffee, and seasonal food pop-ups. Alcohol service during special events like wine festival.
4. Retail Gift Shop: Forest Finds Gift Shop selling West Coast-inspired merchandise, local artisan products, and souvenirs including items from Malahat Nation artisans.
5. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold for day tickets and Annual Membership Passes, redeemable for admission and on-site purchases.
6. Yoga Classes: Tower Top Yoga classes at Spiral Tower summit offered through partnership with Lab Yoga Westshore, including drop-in, 3-class passes, and member rates.
7. Special Event Tickets: Premium ticketed events including Cowichan Valley Wine Festival Kickoff with general admission ($70) and VIP ($115) options including tastings, bites, and membership perks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Malahat SkyWalk operates a nature-based attraction on southern Vancouver Island that combines a 600-metre elevated wooden TreeWalk through coastal Arbutus and Douglas Fir forest with a 10-storey Spiral Tower rising 250 metres above sea level, plus additional thrill elements (The Overhang glass cube, The Sizzler enclosed spiral slide, and The SkyWeb adventure net). The attraction sells day tickets, annual membership passes, food and beverage, gift shop retail, gift cards, and seasonal event tickets (music, yoga, wine festival, raptors, holiday programming) directly to consumers, with an embedded Indigenous cultural partnership with the Malahat Nation.

Product overview

Malahat SkyWalk is a nature-based adventure tourism attraction on Vancouver Island offering an integrated multi-attraction experience. The core experience consists of the TreeWalk (600m elevated walkway through coastal forest), Spiral Tower (10-storey observation tower at 250m elevation), The Overhang (Canada's first sky-high glass cube), The Sizzler Slide (20m spiral slide), Adventure Net (suspended mesh platform), and The SkyWeb. Additional offerings include food & beverage services (Basecamp Bites, Softys), Forest Finds Gift Shop, Annual Membership Pass, Free Shuttle Service, and seasonal programs such as Coastal Forest Bathing, Yoga At New Heights, Summer Music Series, The Raptors bird display, Wine Festival events, and Holiday Magic. The attraction also offers educational programs for schools, performer opportunities, and accessibility accommodations including electric scooters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• EcoStar Award for Experiential Tourism recognition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cowichan Valley Wineries (11 Wineries)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026Partnership with 11 Cowichan Valley wineries for Wine Festival Kickoff event including Alderlea Vineyards, Averill Creek Vineyard, Blue Grouse Estate Winery, Cherry Point Estate Wines, Cobble Hill Winery, Deol Estate Winery, Divino Estate Winery, Telegraph Estate Winery, Telltale Winery, Unsworth Vineyards, and Zanatta Winery. Plus Cowichan Wine Society sparkling table.
• Cowichan Wine SocietycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 July 2026Produces Cowichan Valley Wine Festival and Wine Fest Passport. Partner for annual Wine Festival Kickoff event at Malahat SkyWalk.
• Two Five O ToursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 July 2026Shuttle operator providing free return transportation from Cowichan area to Malahat SkyWalk for Wine Festival Kickoff. Pickup from Visitor Centre and Valley View.
• Queen Bee FarmsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Provides complimentary hot tea at Coastal Forest Bathing Welcome experience. Mention 'Queen Bee' on arrival to receive complimentary beverage.
• Lab Yoga WestshorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2025Partnership with Lab Yoga Westshore for Tower Top Yoga classes at Spiral Tower summit. Saturdays (ROOTS) and Sundays (ROOTS + RESTORE) 60-minute sessions, 15 spots per class. Lab members receive $8 drop-in rate.
• The RaptorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2025Partnership with The Raptors for interactive bird of prey display running June-August. Features eagles, owls, hawks and educational programming about BC's 30+ bird of prey species. Included with admission, free for Annual Passholders. Supports education and conservation mission.
• 89.7 Sun FMminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2025Radio partner supporting Cowichan Valley Wine Festival Kickoff event at Malahat SkyWalk.
• Tourism VictoriacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 November 2024Destination marketing organization and sponsor of EcoStar Award Experiential Tourism category. Works with Malahat SkyWalk to promote Pacific Marine Circle Route and Victoria tourism experiences.
• Tourism CowichancoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 November 2024Regional destination marketing organization for Cowichan Valley. Supports Cowichan Valley Wine Festival and promotes Malahat SkyWalk as key Cowichan attraction.
• Synergy FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2024Co-sponsor of EcoStar Awards recognizing sustainable and experiential tourism organizations.
• BC Bird TrailminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2024Participant in Central Vancouver Island Bird Trail connecting birding hotspots across Cowichan, Nanaimo, and Parksville-Qualicum Beach regions along the Salish Sea.
• SoftysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 May 2024Dairy-free soft serve ice cream vendor with location at Malahat SkyWalk Tower Plaza. Island original brand offering frozen treats with comfortable seating and dedicated kids play area.
• Ann NightingaleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2022Award-winning local birding expert visits regularly to share expertise with guests. Licensed bird bander and volunteer for Rocky Point Bird Observatory. Has spotted Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcon, Stellar's Jay, and more at the site.
• Malahat NationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2021Indigenous partnership with Malahat Nation (Coast Salish, one of five Wsanec Nations) for cultural storytelling integration throughout the experience. Located on their traditional and ancestral territory. Malahat SkyWalk is a partnership between A.Spire by Nature and the Malahat Nation, combining nature-based tourism with cultural tourism experience. Stories of the Malahat people are embedded throughout the attraction.
• A.Spire by NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2019Founding company led by two founding partners of the successful Sea to Sky Gondola. Created Malahat SkyWalk concept and partnered with Malahat Nation for development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Kicking Horse Mountain Resort: BC mountain resort featuring the Eagle's Eye sky-high restaurant and gondola-access viewing; comparable as a BC operator monetizing mountain-top elevation experiences for tourists, though primarily seasonal.
• Butchart Gardens: Vancouver Island/Brentwood Bay botanical attraction that is a primary bucket-list destination for the same Victoria tourist demographic; competing for limited vacation-time tourist attention on Vancouver Island.

Direct peers

• Columbia Icefield Skywalk (Pursuit): Jasper, AB glass-floored skywalk over the Sunwapta Valley operated by Pursuit; directly comparable as a Canadian nature-based elevated observation experience charging admission for panoramic views.
• Sea to Sky Gondola: Squamish, BC-based gondola attraction combining summit access with elevated walkways and viewing platforms; directly comparable as it was founded by the same A.Spire by Nature team that created Malahat SkyWalk.
• Capilano Suspension Bridge Park: North Vancouver attraction featuring suspension bridges, a cliffwalk cantilevered structure, and a Treetops Adventure through canopy — overlapping nature-based elevated walkways serving the same BC tourist market.
• Grand Canyon West Skywalk: Hualapai Tribe-operated horseshoe-shaped glass skywalk extending over the Grand Canyon; comparable as a ticketed glass-deck observation experience built on Indigenous partnership and unique architecture.

Broad incumbents

• Whistler Blackcomb: Premier BC mountain resort with extensive sightseeing, suspension bridges (Peak Suspension Bridge), and year-round visitor programming; comparable as a much larger BC nature/adventure tourism incumbent in the same feeder market.
• Banff Gondola / Sulphur Mountain (Pursuit): Banff, AB summit experience operated by Pursuit combining a gondola ride, observation deck, and boardwalk at mountain elevation; comparable as a mountain-top observation product from the same operator family as Columbia Icefield Skywalk.
• Grouse Mountain Resort: Vancouver-area mountain resort combining the Skyride gondola, wildlife refuge, and seasonal activities; comparable as a broader BC mountain-adventure destination competing for similar Lower Mainland and tourist discretionary days.

Emerging players

• WildPlay Element Parks: BC-based chain of aerial adventure and zipline parks with multi-element courses; overlapping on adventure-aerial attraction product and BC market, though focused on physical-activity participation rather than sightseeing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/malahatskywalk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/malahat-skywalk
• Instagraminstagram.com/malahatskywalk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Malahat SkyWalk