This past week, I walked along the beginning of the Galloping Goose Trail and the Selkirk Tressel Located in downtown Victoria and the Esquimalt area. This portion of the trail is located in the Songhees nation. I also explored this trail walk last year and used it for a beautiful nature photo opportunity in an old photography class. This area is a lovely walk, great for capturing peaceful moments.
This trail was formerly a railway line, it is now a multi-use trail that moves through urban, rural, and wilderness scenery. The trail is a 55-kilometre journey from Victoria to Sooke. The trial is a very beautiful and calming walk, and you could make it as long as you’d like. Both times started right off at the trailhead on the right at the beginning of the east side of the Johnson Street Bridge.
The original name for the galloping goose trail was the “Sooke River Railway”. The trail was originally the site of a railway which connected the two towns (Victoria and Sooke) from 1922 until 1931. In 1987, the Regional government began a rails-to-trails conversion project, and in 1989, the trail was inaugurated for recreational use. The transportation cars were little 6-person carts. The History of the trail is actually very interesting, I have linked a History page below!
I would love to explore longer along the Galloping Goose trail, possibly beginning on the Sooke end next time!
