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Day Hike from Victoria, BC (Vancouver Island)

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Stroll along a Coastal Trail

A gentle and flat 55 km former railway line meanders from downtown Victoria, BC to the Sooke Hills. This wide, well-groomed trail carves its way through urban, suburban and rural areas of southern Vancouver Island and turns into a coastal gem around Sooke, BC. Its gentle curves hug the rocky shores as it makes its way through a thick, temperate rainforest. Sitting benches are appropriately placed at open, ocean vantage points.

The trail is broken up by numerous parks so you don't have to complete the entire trail in one day. You can make a round trip starting at any park along the way.

Take Yourself on a Spectacular Coastal Day-Hike

Like a string of pearls, the 'Goose' connects the many parks of southern Vancouver Island. The scenery varies from the concrete jungle to the natural wilds of a second-growth, temperate rainforest. As the trail approaches the coastal areas, you'll see wide ocean views, gorgeous sunsets and, as shown above, the golden canopy of a coastal rain forest.

Near the 36 kilometer mark, the forest opens to huge views of the Sooke Basin, a protected natural harbour completely surrounded by the coastal mountains of the Sooke Hills (we call 800' hills mountains here). Maple, hemlock and arbutus trees blanket the slopes down to the rocky shores.

These autumn photos, taken in October, show the solitude of the thick forest and the spectacular sunsets from the many vantage points. When these photos were taken, the evening air was still, the forest was silent and the trail was all to ourselves. Fallen maple leaves, some as big as a dinner plate, softened every step.

Click here for other day-hikes around Victoria and Sooke.

Click here for romantic things to do around Sooke and other locations on Vancouver Island.

How to Get here

From downtown Victoria, it takes about 40 minutes to get to this part of the Galloping Goose trail. Follow the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy #1) and turn south at Exit #14 (Millstream Road/Veterans Memorial Parkway) to Langford. Turn right on Highway #14 (Sooke Road) towards Colwood. After about 10 km, turn left onto Gillespie Road (at 17 Mile Pub) and park at Roche Cove Provincial Park. On foot, cross Gillespie road and follow the path towards the ocean where you'll come across spectacular, natural tunnels through the autumn foliage.

Click here for a Google map.

Some History

The Galloping Goose trail was named after a gas-powered passenger car that rode along the rail line in the 1920s. It was a former commuter train that carried passengers and mail between Victoria and Sooke. Today, it's a flat multi-purpose trail that's shared between walkers, hikers, cyclists, equestrians, bird-watchers & nature-lovers.