Lake Cowichan to Duncan bike trail trail, Directions to great-canada-trail-lake-cowichan-to-duncan trailhead, embed Great Canada Trail. Cowichan River Trail is a 5.2 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Cowichan Valley F, British Columbia, Canada that features a river and is good for all skill levels. Best Duncan, British Columbia parks, trails and places explored, documented, photographed, and published by participating Canadian Travel Influencers. If you want a fantastic ride through the forests, no vehicles about, this ride's for you. Areas: Cowichan Lake & SW Coast. Cowichan Valley Trail (CVT) is the local name for the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), and this ride takes you through the finest extended stretch of the Trail on Vancouver Island. Great Canada Trail. Great Canada Trail. Terrain: Moderate rolling except for steep hills near the Duncan (east) end. I chose Waters & Cavin (~a block riding on each), which get you onto Marshall and Indian Roads (~6kms from Duncan town centre). Cowichan Search and Rescue was called out on Saturday evening, Nov. 21, just after 7 p.m. by the RCMP to help search for a 19-year-old man who has several medical conditions, and rescuers searched for him throughout the night. Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions. Stoltz Pool Provincial Park, a favourite camping spot of mine: nothing special, but it feels like wilderness, there's good trails about, and it's good riding to reach. Caution - the degree of difficulty get pretty tough on the new Sooke Hills segment. There's a segment south from SW Shawnigan Lake through the Mahalat First Nation, which then connects to the Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail, allowing riders to avoid the notorious 'Malahat' riding stretch of the big (busy!) There are a number of road access points off the trail into town. Rome2rio makes travelling from Duncan to Lake Cowichan easy. No description for Great Canada Trail. I'd suggest, though, heading into the village first for food and drinks, or possibly to a nearby campground: Gordon Bay (~14kms, paved), or Lakeview Camp (3kms west). Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.. Sign In This multi-use trail can be used both directions and has a easy overall physical rating with a 125 m green climb. There is a small amount of parking near Mayo Road. . If you want to camp at Stoltz Pool Provincial Park along the way back to Duncan (a favourite campsite - recommended), you need to get off the trail onto Riverbottom Road ~9kms east from Cowichan Lake, just after the junction with Skutz Falls FSR. The new Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail, which extends the Trans Canada Trail south all the way around the 'Malahat' (local name for a troublesome Island Highway hill). Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. What We Stand For. The 2nd map shows the start / finish in Duncan, and the bottom map shows the trail heads up in Cowichan Lake village. You'll be riding up to Cowichan Lake. The 'Western Terminus' of the Trans Canada Trail in the scenic village of Cowichan Lake. The new trail allows cyclists and hikers to dodge the sketchiest section of highway. The left elevation scale only goes up to 250m, so things look hillier than they really are. Then you can either camp near the east end of the lake (see link here to a page with more on nearby camping), or start your return east down the more southerly leg of the Trail, and camp for the night at excellent Stoltz Pool Provincial Park. The Cowichan Valley Trail is a spectacular multi-use trail that is an integral part of The Great Trail (Trans Canada Trail) route on Southern Vancouver Island. Our first night was spent in Lake Cowichan and second night in Shawnigan Lake. Overall, this ride is ~75kms (~90kms if you take the recommended side trip to Stoltz Pool to camp). Cowichan River Footpath and Cowichan Valley Trail from Glenora Trails Head [CLOSED] is a 8.1 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada that features a river and is good for all skill levels. “Holy cow, people want trails. Duncan, BC Parks, Trails and Places British Columbia Things To Do Best Parks & Trails in Canada. Note that new Trail segments have been added at the south, managed by the Malahat First Nation, and then the new Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail (see more below). It's a pretty tough ride in stretches. The south end of the Cowichan Valley Trail now connects to a new trail segment managed by the local Malahat First Nation, SW of Shawnigan Lake, and then the new Sooke Hills Trail. was riding his 36" 'trail wheel'. If you want to return to Duncan by road, I've included several likely route options, in blue (map below). What a beautiful trail and an amazing site at the end of the past we travelled. An obvious side trip is to do the almost 80kms loop of the lake, the western 50kms on dirt road. The track starts at the trailhead off Tansor Road in NW Duncan (~3kms west of the highway), but there are a number of points one can access the trail. … Turn right on Skutz Falls Road and follow the directions given above. ‘We need hiking trails, we need walking trails, we need mountain bike trails, we need urban trails.’” Or - if you want to continue south on the new Sooke Foothills Wilderness Trail, check out the link below. If you have a fishing license consider bringing you rod to test your luck in this well stocked lake. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension. From Lake Cowichan, the end of the trail, there is a B.C. Since I packaged this ride page, several new Trans Canada Trail sections have been built. A north leg runs from Duncan roughly parallel to Hwy18 up to Cowichan Lake, then loops back towards the east coast a little south, roughly following the Cowichan River Valley. Trailforks scans users ridelogs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. Transit bus (Route 7) to Duncan. FLASH! Find all the transport options for your trip from Duncan to Lake Cowichan right here. Lake Cowichan to Duncan yet. The map below shows several locations to get on the trail in and around Duncan. If you need a swim break, you can stop at West Shawnigan Lake Provincial Park. Check out this link for a more info on Cowichan Lake and nearby camping options. This pic is from the CVT trail segment south from Kinsol trestle, set in from the SW shores of Shawnigan Lake. Most people get on their bikes to ride here in the months of July and August. The top map shows the overall route. Some local art along the Cowichan Valley Trail (aka Trans Canada Trail). There are no guarantees with any information provided in this website. Heading south from Maple Bay on Genoa Bay road you will turn left onto the newly built Stoney Hill road. You have the option of cutting back to Duncan at ~km67 if you wish, or continuing to Kinsol Trestle and Shawnigan Lake. Please read  the FAQs, research further as appropriate, and use your judgement at all times, camping options near the town of Cowichan Lake. To reach Stoltz Pool campsite, you'll need to ride about 6.5kms east on Riverbottom Road (a dirt track, with little traffic). Robertson Road/South East Access: Located on Robertson Road in the Glenora area south of Duncan… Map Printable guide Distance: an 8 km loop with a 3.8 km (one way) connector to the Cowichan Valley Trail Estimated Time: about 30 minutes or more. Additional trail segments from Duncan to Ladysmith include vast sections of "Rail with Trail" that runs alongside the … Days for Ride:  Starting & finishing in Duncan, this could be done as a good one day ride, up to Cowichan Lake & back. If this is full park at the Skutz Falls Day Use Area. When North Cowichan was developing its 2017 Parks and Trails Master Plan, the municipality discovered a big public appetite for trails, says Chris Istace, who is on the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society board of directors. Next day, keep following the trail south, branching SW to Kinsol Trestle & the end of the trail. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. Highlights definitely included all the trestle bridges, with Kinsol being the most spectacular; the gorgeous sections of the Cowichan River; and the backcountry forests and farm land views of the valley. Safety: Country roads without bike lanes, sometimes busy. A north leg runs from Duncan roughly parallel to Hwy18 up to Cowichan Lake, then loops back towards the east coast a little south, roughly following the Cowichan River Valley. If you tackle this trip as an overnighter, or part of a longer tour, you'll be carrying gear, so you'll get a workout. You'll then see the turnoff for the Park access road (~1/2km) into the campsite along the Cowichan River. 10-0092-03 Cowichan Valley Trail (Cowichan Lake to Duncan) Distance 27 km Ascent 286 m Descent 175 m Duncan, British Columbia, Canada 1. Cowichan Valley trail: Wonderful leisurely bike ride - See 47 traveler reviews, 41 candid photos, and great deals for Lake Cowichan, Canada, at Tripadvisor. We missed seeing the 70.2 Mile bridge, which the photos I’ve seen does not seem too much. Turn left on Skutz Falls Road, then left on Riverbottom road. Duncan is along the Island highway. Focused around the town of Duncan, the Cowichan Valley is huge, stretching from Cobble Hill to Ladysmith, Maple Bay to Lake Cowichan. Difficulty:  Easy. Then, south to the gorgeous SW coast for some great riding west to Port Renfrew. Follow signs to Riverbottom Road. Then, nearly 4kms further to the NW corner of Shawnigan Lake, then ~9kms south, mostly along the west shores of the lake, to the end of the trail at Sooke Road, where there's parking and toilets. An excellent trail map is offered by the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD). Nature’s. There's lots of camping options, and more side trip options once you're out this way (see link below for more on camping options near the town of Cowichan Lake). Lake Cowichan mountain bike trail map. Follow signs from Skutz Falls Road via Cowichan Lake Road and Mayo Road to Riverbottom Road. Cowichan Valley Trail (CVT) is the local name for the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), and this ride takes you through the finest extended stretch of the Trail on Vancouver Island. Fantastic day, lots of shade on the trail for super hot … Incredible riding on well maintained, bicycle friendly trails, mostly amidst forests, in spots alongside the scenic Cowichan River, Excellent camping at Stoltz Pool Provincial Park, and up on Cowichan Lake (see below), A series of fantastic wooden trestle bridges (see photo below), including Kinsol Trestle near Shawnigan Lake, one of the world's largest and finest. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is best used from March until November. Lake Cowichan to Duncan is a 28 km green dirt/gravel road family friendly trail located near Lake Cowichan British Columbia. The link here is to the Blog page, where you'll find the post on this fabulous new Trail opened in summer 2017. ... TCT No. Cowichan Valley trail, Lake Cowichan Photo : photo2.jpg - Découvrez les 632 photos et vidéos de Cowichan Valley trail prises par des membres de Tripadvisor. Our first night was spent in Lake Cowichan and second night in Shawnigan Lake. Find the right bike route for you through Duncan, where we've got 113 cycle routes to explore. From the Water Road junction, it's ~11kms SE along the trail to Kinsol Trestle. Note that when you do the side trip to Stoltz Pool Provincial Camp (included), there's a descent, then climb back as you return to the Trail. There's a 2nd section on the Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay ferry connector that allows riders coming down the Island to take a shortcut over to the Saanich Peninsula (and the Lochside Trail) and avoid the very busy south stretches of the Island highway into Victoria. Turns out the rides around Cowichan Lake are very popular, so I thought I'd best link in a little more local info on the town of Cowichan Lake as well as nearby camping options I like. You can easily head to nearby Crofton to take a ferry over to Saltspring Island and Ruckle Provincial Park (see favourite ride). I'm recommending this, though, as an overnighter: up to Cowichan Lake on the segment paralleling the highway. Other notable trails include the 20 km Cowichan River Footpath, which winds west from Duncan to spectacular Skutz Falls, and the Trans Canada Trail, which skirts Shawnigan Lake and crosses over the 144-foot-high, knee-knocking Kinsol Trestle to Cowichan Lake, North Cowichan and Ladysmith. When you reach Cowichan Lake village, there are signs with maps to guide you from one trail head to the other (~1/2 km), so you can loop back east. Great riding. There are no guarantees with any information provided in this website. 14 trails on an interactive map of the trail network. Cowichan Trails Stewardship Society Building. From Lake Cowichan Follow Highway 18 towards Duncan. The map zooming in to Duncan also shows a track (blue) that can get you back into Duncan if you choose not to go south to Shawnigan Lake. From Duncan Follow Highway 18 towards Lake Cowichan. Cowichan Valley trail: The best peaceful bike ride - See 47 traveller reviews, 41 candid photos, and great deals for Lake Cowichan, Canada, at Tripadvisor. The next morning, backtrack along this 7kms stretch, including an initial nasty little climb. No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question. Lake Cowichan to Duncan trail has been added yet! The full trail is much longer but we were on a short visit so only manage a part of it. Lake Cowichan to Duncan trail on your website. Please read  the FAQs, research further as appropriate, and use your judgement at all times. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Island highway. Become a Member Today. Search teams were successful last weekend in locating a lost Duncan man. Here's the distance & direction guide. On average it takes 2 hours17 minutes to complete this trail. Cycled from Duncan to the Kinsol Trestle and back. Lake Cowichan to Duncan is a 28 km green dirt/gravel road family friendly trail located near Lake Cowichan British Columbia. You may want to skip this part unless you're planning to tackle the ride, as it gets pretty detailed. Note that this new trail is more challenging, with steep sections. A new rail track link was recently established by the CVRD from Cowichan Lake to Duncan in the spring of 2011. no reports have been added for Great Canada Trail. Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors. From the end of this stretch you can now connect new trail segments south around the Malahat highway. This extraordinary loop features more than 60 km of rail trail that takes in the Kinsol Trestle, the Marie Trestle and Canyon, Skutz Falls, the Cowichan River, spectacular forests as well as Duncan, and the touristy fishing village of Cowichan Bay. Making it look easy .... Just when I was feeling pretty rugged along the Cowichan Valley Trail, this unicyclist (no hands, no less!) Networks. Glenora loop and Trans Canada Trail connector. Lake Cowichan to Duncan, Great Canada Trail. Side trip options from Cowichan Lake or the SW hinterlands, or ...... Can't recall whether this was Holt Creek or Km66 Trestle along the segment of the Cowichan Valley Trail running to the SW of the Cowichan River. Modest climbs and gradients. no videos have been added for Great Canada Trail. ​This page gives details on the Lochside Regional trail (and other trail connections like the Galloping Goose) to get cyclists from Victoria to Swartz Bay ferry terminal. You see the gradual starting climb up to Cowichan lake, over 200m, but over a 15km stretch. This news comes in response to the announcement today by BC Parks of the immediate closure of all provincial parks in Finally we turned north and connected with the Trail in its area north of the river, without reaching Lake Cowichan, since we did not have time to get there and be in Duncan at 17:30 to return the bicycles, and at that price, we could not risk having to pay another day. DUNCAN, BC – The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) and its member municipalities are keeping parks and trails open to the public to provide outdoor spaces for residents to recreate responsibly. This ride starts in Duncan, heading south on the wonderful Cowichan Valley Trail (CVT, aka Trans Canada Trail), including Kinsol Trestle, one of the world's largest wooden trestle bridges. The trail is mostly converted rail trail, however some sections early on are on side roads - all sections are truly beautiful and well worth the visit. Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail. Sustainability – Our network of low-impact recreational infrastructure supports the region’s sustainable recreational tourism goals. no photos have been added for Great Canada Trail. Highway 18 Connector/Middle Access: Located off Highway 18, the Highway 18 Connector provides access to the Stoltz Pool campground, group campsite and day-use areas. Continue below pic for more directions.... Kinsol Trestle, high above the Koksilah River, reminiscent of days of old. Grand riding in a very neat historical area, complete with some info kiosks, picnic tables and more. 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