Download the Regional Trails brochure - Galloping Goose Trail

Maps and trail highlights insideGALLOPINGGOOSE ANDLOCHSIDEREGIONAL TRAILSxperience

welcome toBe alert! The Gallopingthe Galloping Goose andLochside regional trailscome and experience the best of the Capital Region —from urban back streets to farmland and ruggedwilderness, all within a day’s travel of Victoria. TheGalloping Goose and Lochside regional trails covermore than 80 kilometres, connecting downtown withSooke and the Saanich Peninsula. No matter whichdirection you choose, these day-use trails offerspectacular West Coast scenery.You can cycle, stroll, run or even ride a horse throughthe rural sections. Whether you’re commuting to work,meandering on a weekend afternoon or pacingyourself from Sidney to Sooke, the trails are yours toenjoy and yours to protect.Trail etiquette• Share the trail and keep right except to pass.• When passing, alert other trail visitors and usecaution, particularly around horses.• Respect the trail environment and neighbouringlands.• Yield to farm equipment.• Cyclists, control your speed and yield to pedestriansand horse riders.• Lochside Trail: Keep your dog on a leash at all times.• Galloping Goose Trail: Keep your dog under controland on the trail.• Pick up your dog’s droppings.Goose and Lochside regional trailstraverse urban landscapes and workingagricultural areas. Some sections follow or cross publicroadways. Use caution and obey traffic rules on roadsand at road crossings. Give way to farm equipmentusing the trails.Part of something bigger TheGalloping Goose Regional Trail is part of the TransCanada Trail, a national trail linking every province andterritory. The Trans Canada Trail will eventually link theGalloping Goose Trail north to the Cowichan Valley andbeyond.Tales of the trails The trails travel overpicturesque former railway lines. The Galloping GooseTrail was named for the gas-powered passenger carthat carried mail and 30 passengers twice dailybetween Victoria and Sooke during the 1920s.Beginning in 1917, the Lochside Trail hosted a daily74-passenger General Electric gas car that transportedpassengers and freight between Victoria and asteamship dock at Patricia Bay.The heritage of the past —The trails of the futureTHE ORIGINAL “GALLOPING GOOSE”

SW ARTZ BAYGALLOPINGGOOSE ANDLOCHSIDEREGIONAL TRAILSPLEGENDGalloping GooseRegional TrailLochsideRegional TrailRegional ParkOther ParklandParkingToiletsSAAN IC H IN LETNORTHSAANICHVictoriaInternationalAirport33SidneyBC Ferries toTsawwassenand Gulf IslandsPsee map3Washington StateFerries to AnacortesBAZAN BAYPInformation1525Distance fromJohnson StreetBridge (km)BrentwoodBayCENTRALSAANICHTO DUNCANPC O RDO V ABAY55HIGHLANDSSAANICHPPLANGFORDPPCOLWOODVIEWROYALESQUIMALT0SwitchBridgeVICTORIAPSOOKEsee map1Johnson StBridgeOAK BAYTO PORT RENFREWSO O K EBASINPMETCHOSINSTRAIT O FJUAN DE FUC APsee map2

LAN G FO RDLAK ELANGFORDGlen Lake RdMarwood Ave20TO SOOKEFLO REN C ELAK EWitty‘s LagoonRegional ParkG LEN LAK EPHappy Valley RdLatoria RdJacklin RdMETCHOSINMillstream RdTHETIS LAK ETrans-Canada Hwy 1Duke RdSooke RdWishart RdMill HillRegional ParkAtkins AveGoldstreamAldeane Ave15COLWOODMetchosin RdSix Mile RdAvePLagoon RdRoyal Roads UniversityESQ UIM ALTLAG O O NAlbert Head LagoonRegional ParkFrancis/KingThetis Lake Regional ParkRegional ParkPOld Island Hwy10Ocean BlvdVIEWROYAL1ESQ UIM ALTHARBO URFort Rodd HillNationalHistoric SiteGALLOPINGGOOSEREGIONALVictoria General HospitalTRAILSTRAIT O F JUAN DE FUC AHPO RTAG EIN LETHelmcken RdBurnside Rd WP25SAANICHG O RG EAdmirals RdIN LETCraigflower RdESQUIMALTLEGENDGalloping GooseRegional TrailLochsideRegional TrailRegional ParkOther ParklandParkingToiletsInformationDistance fromJohnson StreetBridge (km)Tillicum RdCarey RdPatricia Bay Hwy 17Burnside Rd EGorge RdSelkirkTrestle5Esquimalt RdIN N ERHARBO URQuadra StMcKenzie AveSwan LakeNature Sanctuary0Douglas StJohnson StBridgeDallas RdSaanich RdSwitchBridgeBlanshard StPandora AveJohnson StVICTORIABay StBeacon Hill Park-TO SIDNEYRIDING “THE GOOSE” NEAR MATHESON LAKEIN METCHOSINCYCLE DAY TRIPFrom Victoria, follow the Galloping GooseTrail, then Atkins Avenue, to Mill Hill RegionalPark. 12 km one wayCYCLE DAY TRIPFrom Victoria, follow the Galloping GooseTrail, then Six Mile Road, to Thetis LakeRegional Park. 11 km one wayVIEW OF SOOKE BASIN FROM THE GALLOPING GOOSE TRAIL

TO END OF TRAIL55Sea to Sea Green BlueBelt Regional Park ReserveGoldstreamProvincial ParkFLO REN C ELAK E50PTodd TrestleChartersTrestleSO O K E RIV ERSooke PotholesRegional Park45SookePotholesProvincialParkPSooke River RdCYCLE WEEKENDFrom downtown Victoria, take the GallopingGoose Trail and overnight in the Sooke area.The next day, explore beyond Sooke or returnafter a detour to East Sooke Regional Park.40 km one waySea to SeaGreen Blue BeltRegional ParkReserve2GALLOPINGGOOSEREGIONALTRAILSooke HillsWildernessRegional ParkReserveSooke RdMount WellsRegional ParkMETCHOSINTrans-Canada Hwy 1LAN G FO RDLAK ELANGFORDGlen Lake RdMarwood Ave20G LENLAK EPTO VICTORIAJacklin RdHappy Valley RdSOOKESO O K E HARBO URAyum Creek RegionalPark ReserveEast Sooke RdPike RdCYCLE DAY TRIPPark at Roche Cove Regional Park, and followthe Galloping Goose Trail to the Sooke RiverRoad parking area. From there, follow SookeRiver Road to Sooke Potholes RegionalPark. 12 km one wayHarbourview RdEast SookeRegional ParkSTRAIT O F JUAN DE FUC A40SO O K E BASINP25Becher Bay RdLEGENDGalloping GooseRegional TrailRegional ParkOther ParklandParkingToiletsInformationDistance fromJohnson StreetBridge (km)35Gillespie RdPSooke RdGillespie RdRoche CoveRegional ParkMatheson LakeRegional ParkMatheson LakePark RdEast Sooke RdBEC HERBAY30PLindholm RdKangaroo RdRocky Point RdLombard DrHappy Valley Rd25CYCLE DAY TRIPPark at the Luxton parking area, near thecorner of Sooke Road and Glen Lake Road.Follow the Galloping Goose Trail, then LombardDrive and William Head Road, to DevonianRegional Park in Metchosin. 9 km one wayWitty‘s LagoonRegional ParkWilliam Head RdDevonianRegional ParkPEDDER BAYTaylor Rd

INFORMATION KIOSKCYCLIST ON THE SWITCH BRIDGEHorth HillRegional ParkWain RdSW ARTZ BAY33BC Ferries toTsawwassenand Gulf IslandsCoalIslandCYCLE DAY TRIPFrom the Switch Bridge, take the Lochside Trailpast Swan Lake and over the Blenkinsop Trestleto nearby Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park orCordova Bay beach. 12 km one way3P15LEGENDGalloping GooseRegional TrailLochsideRegional TrailRegional ParkOther ParklandParkingToilets(may be seasonal)InformationDistance fromJohnson StreetBridge (km)McDonaldCampgroundNORTHSAANICHMcTavish RdTo Mill BayFerryMt Newton X RdCENTRALSAANICHWest Saanich Rd30VictoriaInternationalAirportPatricia Bay Hwy 17Keating X Rd25Central Saanich RdBear HillRegional ParkElk/Beaver LakeRegional ParkMcDonald Park RdBrookleigh RdResthaven DrSIDNEYBeacon AvePWashington StateFerries to AnacortesTulista ParkLochside DrBAZAN BAYCy Hampson Park20PLochside DrSaanichtonBaySayward RdIsland View RdMartindale RdLochside Dr15James IslandIsland View BeachRegional ParkLochside ParkPC O RDO V ABAYCordovaBay RoadDoris Page ParkLochside DrCYCLE DAY TRIPFrom the Switch Bridge, follow the LochsideTrail through the farmland of the SaanichPeninsula to Sidney. Stop to explore IslandView Beach Regional Park on the way.24 km one wayRoyal Oak DrSAANICH10Rithet's BogConservation AreaBlenkinsopTrestleMcMinn ParkMountDouglasParkBlenkinsop RdCYCLING ON THE LOCHSIDE TRAIL IN CENTRAL SAANICHPO RTAG EIN LETTO SOOKESwan LakeNature SanctuaryTrans-Canada Hwy 1McKenzie AveSaanich RdSwitchBridge4

How to get there From downtown Victoria,start at the corner of Wharf Street and Pandora Avenue. Cross theJohnson Street bridge, then turn right on the paved path thatconnects to Harbour Road and the Galloping Goose Trail.From the BC Ferries Terminal at Swartz Bay, follow thesigns to the Lochside Trail. Cyclists: after passing under theLandsend Road overpass, turn right at the bicycle lane, right at theoverpass, then right onto the Trail. Foot passengers: turn left at theLandsend Road overpass, then right onto the Trail.From Victoria International Airport, follow the signs toVictoria. Turn left on McTavish Road, cross the Patricia Bay Highway,then turn right onto the Lochside Trail, which follows Lochside Drive.Transit and the trails BC Transit buses can carryyou to or from the trails on several routes. Low floor buses onroute 70 between Victoria and Swartz Bay, and route 61 betweenVictoria and Sooke are equipped with bike racks and wheelchairlifts. For details and schedules, phone BC Transit at(250) 382-6161 or visit www.bctransit.com.Need more info? CRD Parks coordinates themanagement and operations of your regional trails. To find outmore about CRD Parks, and for information about trail closures ordetours, visit www.crd.bc.ca/parks.Dial 9-1-1 in case of emergency or fire, or if you observeunlawful activities.This booklet is printed on New Leaf Reincarnation Matte, made with 100% recycled fibres, 50% post-consumer waste, andprocessed chlorine-free. By using this environmentally friendly paper, we saved the following resources: 2 trees, 158pounds of solid waste, 173 gallons of water, 226 kilowatt hours of electricity and 287 pounds of greenhouse gases.e