Maps and trail highlights inside GALLOING GOOSE AND LOCHSIDE REGIONAL TRAILS xperience
welcome to Be alert! The Galloping the and Lochside regional trails come and experience the best of the Capital Region from urban back streets to farmland and rugged wilderness, all within a day s travel of Victoria. The and Lochside regional trails cover more than 80 kilometres, connecting downtown with Sooke and the Saanich eninsula. No matter which direction you choose, these day-use trails offer spectacular West Coast scenery. You can cycle, stroll, run or even ride a horse through the rural sections. Whether you re commuting to work, meandering on a weekend afternoon or pacing yourself from Sidney to Sooke, the trails are yours to enjoy and yours to protect. Trail etiquette Share the trail and keep right except to pass. When passing, alert other trail visitors and use caution, particularly around horses. Respect the trail environment and neighbouring lands. Yield to farm equipment. Cyclists, control your speed and yield to pedestrians and horse riders. Lochside Trail: Keep your dog on a leash at all times. Trail: Keep your dog under control and on the trail. ick up your dog s droppings. Goose and Lochside regional trails traverse urban landscapes and working agricultural areas. Some sections follow or cross public roadways. Use caution and obey traffic rules on roads and at road crossings. Give way to farm equipment using the trails. art of something bigger The is part of the Trans Canada Trail, a national trail linking every province and territory. The Trans Canada Trail will eventually link the Trail north to the Cowichan Valley and beyond. Tales of the trails The trails travel over picturesque former railway lines. The Trail was named for the gas-powered passenger car that carried mail and 30 passengers twice daily between Victoria and Sooke during the 1920s. Beginning in 1917, the Lochside Trail hosted a daily 74-passenger General Electric gas car that transported passengers and freight between Victoria and a steamship dock at atricia Bay. The heritage of the past The trails of the future THE ORIGINAL GALLOING GOOSE
SW ARTZ BAY GALLOING GOOSE AND LOCHSIDE REGIONAL TRAILS Lochside Regional ark Other arkland arking SAAN IC H IN LET NORTH Victoria International Airport 33 Sidney BC Ferries to Tsawwassen and Gulf Islands see map 3 Washington State Ferries to Anacortes BAZAN BAY (km) Brentwood Bay CENTRAL TO DUNCAN C O RDO V A BAY 55 HIGHLANDS LANGFORD COLWOOD VIEW ROYAL ESQUIMALT 0 Switch VICTORIA SOOKE see map 1 Johnson St OAK BAY TO ORT RENFREW SO O K E BASIN METCHOSIN STRAIT O F JUAN DE FUC A see map 2
LAN G FO RD LANGFORD Glen Lake Rd Marwood Ave 20 TO SOOKE FLO REN C E Witty s Lagoon Regional ark G LEN Happy Valley Rd Latoria Rd Jacklin Rd METCHOSIN Millstream Rd THETIS Trans-Canada Hwy 1 Duke Rd Sooke Rd Wishart Rd Mill Hill Regional ark Atkins Ave Goldstream Aldeane Ave COLWOOD Metchosin Rd Six Mile Rd Ave Lagoon Rd Royal Roads University ESQ UIM ALT LAG O O N Albert Head Lagoon Regional ark Francis/King Thetis Lake Regional ark Regional ark Old Island Hwy 10 Ocean Blvd VIEW ROYAL 1 ESQ UIM ALT HARBO UR Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site GALLOING GOOSE REGIONAL Victoria General Hospital TRAIL STRAIT O F JUAN DE FUC A H O RTAG E IN LET Helmcken Rd Burnside Rd W G O RG E Admirals Rd IN LET Craigflower Rd ESQUIMALT Lochside Regional ark Other arkland arking (km) Tillicum Rd Carey Rd atricia Bay Hwy 17 Burnside Rd E Gorge Rd Selkirk Trestle 5 Esquimalt Rd IN N ER HARBO UR Quadra St McKenzie Ave Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary 0 Douglas St Johnson St Dallas Rd Saanich Rd Switch Blanshard St andora Ave Johnson St VICTORIA Bay St Beacon Hill ark - TO SIDNEY RIDING THE GOOSE NEAR MATHESON LAKE IN METCHOSIN CYCLE DAY TRI From Victoria, follow the Trail, then Atkins Avenue, to Mill Hill Regional ark. 12 km one way CYCLE DAY TRI From Victoria, follow the Trail, then Six Mile Road, to Thetis Lake Regional ark. 11 km one way VIEW OF SOOKE BASIN FROM THE GALLOING GOOSE TRAIL
TO END OF TRAIL 55 Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt Regional ark Reserve Goldstream rovincial ark FLO REN C E 50 Todd Trestle Charters Trestle SO O K E RIV ER Sooke otholes Regional ark 45 Sooke otholes rovincial ark Sooke River Rd CYCLE WEEKEND From downtown Victoria, take the Galloping Goose Trail and overnight in the Sooke area. The next day, explore beyond Sooke or return after a detour to East Sooke Regional ark. 40 km one way Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt Regional ark Reserve 2 GALLOING GOOSE REGIONAL TRAIL Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional ark Reserve Sooke Rd Mount Wells Regional ark METCHOSIN Trans-Canada Hwy 1 LAN G FO RD LANGFORD Glen Lake Rd Marwood Ave 20 G LEN TO VICTORIA Jacklin Rd Happy Valley Rd SOOKE SO O K E HARBO UR Ayum Creek Regional ark Reserve East Sooke Rd ike Rd CYCLE DAY TRI ark at Roche Cove Regional ark, and follow the Trail to the Sooke River Road parking area. From there, follow Sooke River Road to Sooke otholes Regional ark. 12 km one way Harbourview Rd East Sooke Regional ark STRAIT O F JUAN DE FUC A 40 SO O K E BASIN Becher Bay Rd Regional ark Other arkland arking (km) 35 Gillespie Rd Sooke Rd Gillespie Rd Roche Cove Regional ark Matheson Lake Regional ark Matheson Lake ark Rd East Sooke Rd BEC HER BAY 30 Lindholm Rd Kangaroo Rd Rocky oint Rd Lombard Dr Happy Valley Rd CYCLE DAY TRI ark at the Luxton parking area, near the corner of Sooke Road and Glen Lake Road. Follow the Trail, then Lombard Drive and William Head Road, to Devonian Regional ark in Metchosin. 9 km one way Witty s Lagoon Regional ark William Head Rd Devonian Regional ark EDDER BAY Taylor Rd
INFORMATION KIOSK CYCLIST ON THE SWITCH BRIDGE Horth Hill Regional ark Wain Rd SW ARTZ BAY 33 BC Ferries to Tsawwassen and Gulf Islands Coal Island CYCLE DAY TRI From the Switch, take the Lochside Trail past Swan Lake and over the Blenkinsop Trestle to nearby Elk/Beaver Lake Regional ark or Cordova Bay beach. 12 km one way 3 Lochside Regional ark Other arkland arking (may be seasonal) (km) McDonald Campground NORTH McTavish Rd To Mill Bay Ferry Mt Newton X Rd CENTRAL West Saanich Rd 30 Victoria International Airport atricia Bay Hwy 17 Keating X Rd Central Saanich Rd Bear Hill Regional ark Elk/Beaver Lake Regional ark McDonald ark Rd Brookleigh Rd Resthaven Dr SIDNEY Beacon Ave Washington State Ferries to Anacortes Tulista ark BAZAN BAY Cy Hampson ark 20 Saanichton Bay Sayward Rd Island View Rd Martindale Rd James Island Island View Beach Regional ark Lochside ark C O RDO V A BAY Cordova Bay Road Doris age ark CYCLE DAY TRI From the Switch, follow the Lochside Trail through the farmland of the Saanich eninsula to Sidney. Stop to explore Island View Beach Regional ark on the way. 24 km one way Royal Oak Dr 10 Rithet's Bog Conservation Area Blenkinsop Trestle McMinn ark Mount Douglas ark Blenkinsop Rd CYCLING ON THE LOCHSIDE TRAIL IN CENTRAL O RTAG E IN LET TO SOOKE Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary Trans-Canada Hwy 1 McKenzie Ave Saanich Rd Switch 4
How to get there From downtown Victoria, start at the corner of Wharf Street and andora Avenue. Cross the bridge, then turn right on the paved path that connects to Harbour Road and the Trail. From the BC Ferries Terminal at Swartz Bay, follow the signs to the Lochside Trail. Cyclists: after passing under the Landsend Road overpass, turn right at the bicycle lane, right at the overpass, then right onto the Trail. Foot passengers: turn left at the Landsend Road overpass, then right onto the Trail. From Victoria International Airport, follow the signs to Victoria. Turn left on McTavish Road, cross the atricia Bay Highway, then turn right onto the Lochside Trail, which follows ive. Transit and the trails BC Transit buses can carry you to or from the trails on several routes. Low floor buses on route 70 between Victoria and Swartz Bay, and route 61 between Victoria and Sooke are equipped with bike racks and wheelchair lifts. For details and schedules, phone BC Transit at (0) 382-6161 or visit www.bctransit.com. Need more info? CRD arks coordinates the management and operations of your regional trails. To find out more about CRD arks, and for information about trail closures or detours, visit www.crd.bc.ca/parks. Dial 9-1-1 in case of emergency or fire, or if you observe unlawful activities. This booklet is printed on New Leaf Reincarnation Matte, made with 100% recycled fibres, 50% post-consumer waste, and processed chlorine-free. By using this environmentally friendly paper, we saved the following resources: 2 trees, 8 pounds of solid waste, 173 gallons of water, 226 kilowatt hours of electricity and 287 pounds of greenhouse gases. e