emailGalloping Goose Regional Trail
Learning Centre
Natural History
Selkirk Trestle to Atkins Avenue
Lush poplars, willows and maples push to the shoreline near the trestle and soften the urban landscape. Closer to View Royal you'll catch a glimpse of Portage Inlet to the south, glass-like on a quiet day, the terminus of a saltwater inlet that began in Victoria Harbour.
Atkins Avenue to Metchosin
In this area the Goose rides over top of the Colwood Delta — an immense pile of gravel, up to 100 metres thick, underlying much of Langford and Colwood. It was built nearly 13,000 years ago by streams flowing to the sea from glacial ice west of Langford Lake. You can't see the delta as such (it's under foot), but you can see some of the leftover meltwater channels and ponds.
Roche Cove to Sooke Basin and beyond
Here, the trail crosses into semi-wilderness, and the scenery gets wilder and greener. Pockets of western red cedar, low lying skunk cabbage swamp, glimpses of Matheson Lake and Roche Cove, and creeks emerging from fern forests reward the traveler. Savour the spectacular ocean views as the trail skirts Sooke Basin.
Cultural History
Ridin' the Goose
The Galloping Goose Regional Trail was named for the rickety gas-powered passenger car that carried mail and 30 passengers twice daily between Victoria and Sooke, beginning in 1922. The Canadian National Railway (CNR) dropped the Goose after a brief nine-year run. Heavier freights worked the Cowichan line for another 40 years, hauling logs and supplies between towns west of Victoria.
