Vancouver Island’s Galloping Goose: Get on Your Bike!

The Galloping Goose: Sounds like fun, eh?
 
Well it is! This picturesque multi-use trail runs for 55 kilometres from Victoria to Sooke, providing cyclists and hikers with a winning blend of urban and rural scenery.
 
Conditions on the trail are rated from ‘accessible’ to ‘easy’, so there’s stretches that everyone can enjoy, from quiet coves and hidden lakes to rocky outcrops and Douglas-fir forests. And along the way you can make pit stops for a break in Saanich, View Royal, Langford, Colwood and Metchosin.
 
This historic route originally served as a freight railway line during the First World War – but today it’s all about relaxation and pleasure. In fact, the Galloping Goose is part of The Great Trail, a national multi-use trail system that links trails across the country.
 
The ‘Goose’, as it’s known, intersects with the Lochside Regional Trail, a 29-kilometre former railway line that ran from Saanich to Sidney. It also intersects with the E&N Rail Trail – Humpback Connector, a new 17-kilometre cycling and walking trail being constructed largely within the E&N rail corridor that will link Victoria and the Western communities when it is complete.
 
From Victoria, there are some fantastic day trips available along the Galloping Goose. For example, you can follow the trail to Six Mile Road and then find yourself at Thetis Lake Regional Park (11 kilometres one way); or follow the trail to Atkins Avenue to find yourself at Mill Hilll Regional Park (12 kilometres one way).
 
Located just steps away from Victoria’s Galloping Goose Trail, the Days Inn Victoria Uptown offers bicycle rentals for a minimal charge through Isleshare Cycle. From the hotel, the trail follows a beautiful waterfront pathway for 2.5 kilometres into downtown Victoria.
 

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