Galloping Goose Regional Trail

A flexible point to point rail-trail ride from the heart of Victoria into the western communities of Greater Victoria, with a wilder finish.

Time to Ride: Most riders do it as a relaxed day ride, or split it into two shorter outings with time for parks and beaches. Commuters often ride only the urban sections.

Best Time to Go: Late spring through early autumn is the easiest for long days and drier surfaces. Shoulder season can be damp and darker, especially in the forested west.

Getting there: Start at the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria and ride west. Many people combine it with the intersecting Lochside Regional Trail for a longer car-free network.

Costs: Free to ride. Your main costs are bike hire, food, and any local transit you use to return.

Difficulty: Easy overall, with rail-trail gradients. Expect mixed surfaces after the paved section, and more remote riding toward the western end.

The Galloping Goose Regional Trail is a 55 kilometre rail trail running between Victoria, British Columbia and the ghost town of Leechtown, north of Sooke. It is maintained by the Capital Regional District and forms part of the Trans-Canada Trail, with an additional overlap on one segment with the Vancouver Island Trail.

Opened as a trail in 1987 on the former right-of-way of the Canadian National Railway, it threads together a long list of communities - Victoria, Saanich, View Royal, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Sooke, and the unincorporated community of East Sooke. Highlights on the built-up end include the rebuilt Selkirk Trestle across the Selkirk Water and the Switch Bridge over the Trans-Canada Highway, both opened as connecting links in 1996.

The name comes from a local gas-powered passenger car (No. 15813) that ran the line from 1922 to 1931. Note that while maps show Leechtown as the end of the trail, access near the end has been restricted since 2007 as part of the Greater Victoria water supply area, and Leechtown itself is not accessible.

• Stage 1: Johnson Street Bridge to Selkirk Trestle (urban section) - An easy roll-out from central Victoria into the harbour-side and neighbourhood greenway riding, with the signature crossing of the Selkirk Water.
• Stage 2: Selkirk Trestle to Harbour Road (Esquimalt) - Multi-use path riding through the inner suburbs, busy with commuters, walkers and runners.
• Stage 3: Harbour Road to Veterans Memorial Parkway (Langford) - A key connecting stretch that is also part of the Vancouver Island Trail, with straightforward riding and multiple access points.
• Stage 4: Veterans Memorial Parkway to Wale Road (Colwood) - This brings you to the end of the main paved portion; the riding is still gentle, but surfaces begin to change beyond here.
• Stage 5: Wale Road to the Switch Bridge - A transition into greener corridors, with the notable overpass of the Trans-Canada Highway.
• Stage 6: Western communities toward Sooke (rural rail-trail) - Longer, quieter riding as you move away from the city, sharing the corridor with a wide mix of trail users.
• Stage 7: Approach to Leechtown (restricted end area) - The most remote-feeling part of the corridor, but the final area is gated and signed due to water-supply restrictions, so you turn around before the mapped endpoint.

The easiest riding is in the drier months (often late spring to early autumn), when the unpaved stretches are firmer and daylight is long enough for a full out-and-back.

In wet weather the west end can be muddier and visibility lower under tree cover, and the urban sections can be crowded at commute times. Start early if you want a quieter ride through Victoria and the inner suburbs.

The classic start is at the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, British Columbia, where the trail connects with a multi-use path over the bridge and bike lanes along Pandora Avenue. Because it is a multi-access regional trail, you can also join from many neighbourhood trailheads in Victoria, Saanich, View Royal, Colwood or Langford.

Most riders go east to west: it is satisfying to leave central Victoria and gradually trade streets for forest and rural stretches. The western end near Leechtown is not fully rideable to the mapped endpoint due to restrictions, so many people plan an out-and-back or arrange a pickup from somewhere before the gate.

No permit is needed to ride the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. The route is signed and heavily used, especially in the urban sections, and it intersects the Lochside Regional Trail for easy navigation if you are building a longer loop.

Surface varies: it is paved from the east terminus at the Johnson Street Bridge to Wale Road in Colwood (about 13 km), then becomes more variable further west. Standard hybrid or touring tyres are a safe choice if you plan to go beyond the paved quarter of the route; e-bikes are common on the commuting stretches. Access near Leechtown is restricted and gated, so do not plan to reach the ghost town itself.

Many riders base themselves in Victoria and treat the trail as a day ride, returning the same way or by local transport. If you want to split it up, staying in the western communities such as Langford or Sooke can shorten the longest day and give you time for side trips.

Along the corridor you will find a mix of conventional hotels and smaller local accommodation in the towns it passes through. In summer and on weekends, book ahead if you want a specific place in Victoria or a convenient stop near Sooke.