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A Wild Western Pedal into Victoria, B.C.

Saddling Up for Canada's Bicycle Capital

By Rick Millikan

Victoria, British Columbia, located on the southwestern tip of Vancouver Island, offers visitors many enticements.  An inviting, vibrant British heritage resonates in its Tudor architecture, bag pipers, double-decker buses, pubs, prim gardens and proper afternoon teas. But, Victoria has a wild side too. Though less known, a natural wilderness thrives in an extensive park system, beckoning Island hikers and bikers, as well as attracting adventure tourists.  Over 10% of Victorians gear up daily to cycle the wilds into their beautiful city. Now many visitors choose to take a bike on the wild side. They're saddling up for a wild western pedal into Victoria, Canada's Bicycle Capital.

Cycling here is far from a wild idea. It’s quite sensible.  Tourists love to vacation in Victoria, but dislike those round tripping ferry hassles. Bicycle travel is a very manageable, economical, and enjoyable alternative!  Whether you’re embarking at the B.C Tsawwassen or the Washington State Anacortes ferry, there’s no stressful "Can we get on this time?" line up.  Cyclists are assured passage on the first available ferry; as well as board the ferry first. Think of the implications!

After your enjoyable trip across the sparkling Strait of Georgia, pedalers disembark immediately upon Vancouver Island and soon merge onto a well-signed bicycle route to the Lochside trail. Commuter trains once chugged along this Lochside’s 35 kms / 22 miles; passengers were charged 3 cents a mile from Victoria and 5 cents a mile return.  Now it’s a free and easy trail over the graded rail bed. Cyclists can count on two to three spectacular hours of healthy exercise on this former railway and scenic trail-way into historic downtown Victoria.

Should you want to pedal one way only, bus service accommodates both you and your bike to Victoria or back to Swartz Bay. If in a rush, the fast route remains Pat Bay Highway’s wide shoulder. Cycling time to Victoria can average just over an hour on this route. 

Most cyclists choose to enjoy Lochside trail.  The paved miles into and out of Sidney skirt the water’s edge, with a backdrop of islands and the snow capped Olympic Mountains.  Whimsical driftwood sculptures wave you on and into the next community, Saanich.  Soon, Lochside becomes a gravel trail that parallels the main highway, but continues as a country road through coastal farmlands and forests.  As a road, traffic is light to non-existent. As it once more becomes the unmotored “green way”, opportunities abound to hear bird songs, sight deer, and sniff woodsy fragrances. Park interpretive boards offer inquisitive tourists both historical and natural science information.  Rebuilt trestles pass panoramically over lakes. 

Every tourist appreciates a beautiful rest stop.  What could be more refreshing than a quick dip on a hot day?  Take a short northern detour to the right at Royal Oak, over the Pat Highway and soon you arrive at Beaver Lake Park. This is a great place for a swim or picnic. Although the main trail encounters several busy urban intersections, traffic signals make the crossings safe and easy.

At the Island Highway junction, the Trans Canada Trail forks northward.  This Pacific section, better known as the Galloping Goose, extends 64 kms / 40 miles to Leechtown, a ghost mining town.  This manicured trail passes by Thetis Lake Park, which offers camping alternatives to Victoria’s fancier digs as well as idyllic swimming.  Many cyclists travel to  Km 54 to take unforgettable dips in Sooke Potholes.  The forest campsites above the burbling river allows a thorough immersion in super natural B. C.

If you’d like to cycle there first class, Island Adventure Tours offers the gourmet “Goose” guided tour alternative. After a leisurely 4-hour (40-kms/25 miles from Victoria) ride through forests, farmlands, and wilderness parks and over trestle bridges, cyclists arrive at Sooke Harbor for a 6-course feast and a stay at a waterfront Bed & Breakfast. Leechtown, a historic ghost town is explored the next day. There’s also ample time to swim and enjoy the enticing deep clear pools of Sooke Potholes. A second night’s stay at the B&B includes a fabulous dinner at the 17 Mile Pub, noted for its local seafood. After breakfast at Coopers Cove, it’s back to Victoria.

From the “Goose” junction, the trail into Victoria bridges the Island Highway.  Because the trail travels over and tunnels under major traffic arteries, travelers enjoy two car-free carefree miles into Victoria’s heart and soul. In fact, cyclists have a serene, picturesque alternative through parkland, over the Selkirk trestles, and along the Gorge waterway into Victoria’s inner harbor.  Although the trail ends at the Johnson Street Bridge, the adventure continues. 

Bicycles readily access Victoria’s sights and charms.  The Tourist Bureau’s mini-pamphlet “Cycling Victoria, Wheel Fun Loops” recommends four well planned rides starting at the Legislative Buildings.  These quiet scenic routes connect cyclists to Victoria’s primo sites and destinations. Available maps should further inspire vacationers to create the perfect tour de Victoria. What’s your cup of tea?   Would you like to start at the elegant Empress Hotel?  The scenic inner city can be very comfortably cycled. Slowly circle the Parliament Buildings reflecting on its majestic architecture, proceed to China Town, then hit the trail for the historically entertaining Point Elice Home, and conclude your day visiting Esquimalt’s Anne Hathaway House in a reconstructed Elizabethan England.