Approximately 60 kilometers in length, the Galloping Goose snakes outside of several suburbs around Victoria, the capital of British Columbia and the main city on Vancouver Island. The trail was built on an old railbed and features various landscapes, from farmland to steep rocky slopes. The Goose can be accessed at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, which services BC Ferries routes to mainland Vancouver.
The Cowichan Valley is a stretch of Vancouver Island located between Victoria to the south and Nanaimo to the North, and includes small and picturesque communities such as Ladysmith, Chemainus and Duncan. The Cowichan Valley Rail Trail was, like the Galloping Goose, built on an old railbed and is part of the network of Trans Canada Trails. The trail features the Kinsol Trestle, which is the largest wooden rail bridge in the British Commonwealth. The Kinsol Trestle stands 145 feet high and has a length of 614 feet.
This 20-kilometer trail is also part of the Trans Canada network of trails. Sections of the trail are paved and route through forest and some rural residential areas. Other parts of the road are gravel and lead to part of an abandoned railway.
Vancouver Island also features the Seaside Touring Route which follows the water around Victoria. The neighboring Gulf Islands also provide spectacular routes in a rural setting. The Gulf Islands and smaller islands can be accessed via BC Ferries from Swartz Bay and Nanaimo.
