The largest park in the region, the Sooke Hills provides a buffer to Greater Victoria Water Supply Catchment and includes Mount Braden which at (471m) is one of the highest peaks in the CRD Regional Parks system. The Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail, which opened in June of 2017, completed trail across the so-called ‘Malahat Gap’ in the Great Trail/Trans Canada Trail and Vancouver Island Trail. The hilltop vistas of the surrounding mountains and Finlayson Arm are spectacular in the northern section. The Galloping Goose Regional Trail serves as a fantastic start to the ride, and a quick escape from the city. In early 2019, news spread that the BC government was considering building a road through the Sooke Hills as an alternative to the Malahat highway. Critics have questioned safety along the Great Trail. These are all up-dated as of July, 2020. This park consists of two separate land areas located on either side of the Goldstream catchment. 23 likes. As you will see in the map legends,the maps indicate completed trail sections in green, sections of the route using roads in yellow, proposed/projected sections of trail in olive green, and sections over water in blue. Location: Langford and Juan de Fuca Electoral Area A mountain biking adventure in the Sooke Wilderness Park, in Victoria, BC, Canada. 40 km of the route is within the Capital Regional District. Size: 151 hectares (373 acres) or 60 km long Location: Sooke, Metchosin, Colwood, Langford, View Royal, Saanich, Victoria Classification: park corridor Activities: cycling, hiking, horse riding, inline skating Facilities: parking, washrooms, trail Acquired: 1987 Visitation: 100,000-150,000/yr est (1993) Features: a rails-to-trails … The island highway becomes Sooke Road. The views are the reward for the effort made to reach the top! The trail lies between the Humpback Reservoir in Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park and the Capital Regional District-Cowichan Valley Regional District boundary. Mount MacDonald - Loop. The CVRD was responsible for going further south to the CVRD-CRD boundary, which is the end of the Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail. I rode the new trail south to north, loaded up with gear, on a hot summer day, and found it a tough go (not for everyone). A VITA volunteer – Alan Philip of Duncan – has compiled a series of 7 topographic maps that cover the entire Trail from Victoria to Cape Scott. The first day, over the Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail … The Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail starts between the two parking areas - it will slip through the closed gate as this area is closed to vehicles. 343 reviews Directions Print/PDF Map; Share; VIEW FULL MAP. If you continue north on the new 9km Malahat 1st Nation segment, you'll gradually descend to ~200m elevation. I want to do. The Sooke Hills provide a buffer between the urbanized areas of the Greater Victoria area and the region’s water supply, while offering back country hiking, cycling, and horseback riding opportunities for users. Turn left onto Irwin Rd, stay left at Humpback Rd. Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail offers outstanding hiking and cycling, and in some sections, horseback riding, that spans rivers, forests and hilltops. Turn right onto Meridian Ave. Dark-eyed Junco on the Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail. 2020 Jul 5 - A mountain biking adventure in the Sooke Wilderness Park, in Victoria, BC, Canada .. Sooke Hills Wilderness Park is the Capital Regional District’s largest regional park at 4100 hectares, with its neighbour Sea to Sea Regional Park being the second largest at 4000 hectares. The Great Trail â â â ââRegional Trail Road Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park Other Regional Park Other Park/Protected Area Drinking Water Protection Zone Greater Victoria Water Supply Area Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail (13 km) (Part of The Great Trail) E&N Rail Trail Humpback Connector The 13km unpaved trail … Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail offers outstanding hiking and cycling… “The park, along with adjacent watershed lands, helps protect Greater Victoria’s water supply, conserves biodiversity, and now provides recreational opportunities. add review. Please read  the FAQs, research further as appropriate, and use your judgement at all times. With an area of 4090 hectares, the Sooke Hills Wilderness Park is the largest park in the Capital region. From either direction, there are many short but very steep (up to 16 degree) hills. Steep little hill (north section). Trail is pretty good shape. The CRD Parks mount wells regional park E & N RAIL Y Mount Wells Regional Park Mount Wells 352m Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park Reserve Humpback Resevoir I R WI N R O A D H U M P B A C K R O … The Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail is now open for exploring. Both parks are in the traditional territory of the T’Sou-ke and Scia’new (Beecher Bay) First Nations. The Capital Regional District (CRD) is the regional government for 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, serving more than 418,000 people. The trail itself is well built, although I could do without some of the loose gravel. Bring lots of water... - 30.3 km, +792 m. Bike ride in Langford, British Columbia As of December 12, this advisory for Beaver Lake has been expanded to include Elk Lake. At the roundabout, continue straight to stay on Westshore Pkwy. As you will see in the map legends, the maps indicate completed trail sections in green, sections of the route using roads in yellow, proposed/projected sections of trail … You should expect to push your bike up a few of the steeper parts. Hours: Sunrise to Sunset. Welcome to OpenStreetMap! Follow me on this rainy day in March, as I test out my new camera. Wilderness (typically no bikes in USA) BLM (public) USFS (Wildlife sanctuaries darker than usfs) ... Trails Mountain Bike 45 Trails E-Bike 34 Trails Hike 38 Trails Trail Running 38 Trails Horse 11. The Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail is now open for exploring. Note the solid, built-up foundation. 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