Galloping Goose Regional Trail
Encyclopedia
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The Galloping Goose Regional Trail is a 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
between Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Leechtown
Leechtown, British Columbia
-Location:The site now is only a clearing in the forest, with little remaining except for some rotting foundations, and is accessible by bike or foot on the Galloping Goose Trail, which follows a portion of the former Canadian National rail line between Victoria and the town of Youbou, on the north...
, north of Sooke
Sooke, British Columbia
Sooke is a district municipality situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada. About a 45 minute drive from the city of Victoria , Sooke is considered the westernmost of the Greater Victoria region's "Western Communities." It is situated to the north and west of the Sooke...
, where it meets the old Sooke Flowline.
The trail is a popular route both for commuting and recreation, including within the urban areas of central Victoria, which it penetrates in part. It is frequented by people walking, running, cycling, skateboarding and (in places) riding horses. It connects up with many other trails and parks in the area.
The trail was created in 1987 on the former right-of-way of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
, and runs through the communities of Sooke, Metchosin
Metchosin, British Columbia
The District of Metchosin is a small, coastal community in the metro Greater Victoria region of British Columbia. It is part of the Western Communities and one of the 13 regional municipalities. Many Metchosinites are small farmers . Most are retired or work outside the community...
, Colwood
Colwood, British Columbia
Colwood is a city located on Vancouver Island to the southwest of Victoria, capital of British Columbia. Colwood was incorporated in 1985 and has a population of approximately 15,000 people. Colwood lies within the boundaries of the Victoria Census Metropolitan area or Capital Regional District,...
, Langford
Langford, British Columbia
Langford is a city of 22,459 residents on southern Vancouver Island, within the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is considered one of Greater Victoria's Western Communities...
, View Royal
View Royal, British Columbia
View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. View Royal has a population of approximately 8000 residents and was incorporated as a municipality in December 1988....
, Saanich
Saanich, British Columbia
The District of Saanich is a municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is located north of the provincial capital, Victoria. It has a population of 108,265 people, making it the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, and the seventh most populous in the province...
, and Victoria as well as the unincorporated community of East Sooke.
The trail surface is largely paved from its beginning at the west side of Johnson Street Bridge
Johnson Street Bridge
The Johnson Street Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the harbour of Victoria, British Columbia. It is commonly referred to as the "Blue Bridge" because of its distinctive blue colour....
up to Wale Road with the exception of a section between Victoria General Hospital
Victoria General Hospital
Victoria General Hospital is an acute care facility located in View Royal, British Columbia, Canada, a western suburb of Victoria. VGH, as it is commonly known, provides emergency, general surgery and medical treatment services...
(just past Erskine Lane) and Burnside Rd. West.
In 1996 two important connecting links were opened.
The rebuilt Selkirk Trestle across the Selkirk Water (which had previously been damaged by fire), and the Switch Bridge over the Trans-Canada Highway.
The trail was named after the local gas-powered passenger car
Galloping Goose
Galloping Goose is the popular name given to a series of seven railcars, built in the 1930s by the Rio Grande Southern Railroad and operated until the end of service on the line in the early 1950s....
(No. 15813) that ran on the line from 1922 to 1931.
It also forms part of the Trans-Canada Trail, and intersects the Lochside Regional Trail. It is maintained by the Capital Regional District.
Although maps show Leechtown as being the end of the trail, this area is now part of the Greater Victoria water supply. In 2010 a warning sign and locked gate greet hikers at the end of the trail.