Goldstream Train Trestle (Victoria, BC)

Some of the best hikes in Victoria are in Goldstream National Park, which includes a hike up to an old train trestle. This railway line is no longer in use, so it is safe to go up and explore the trestle. It has great views of the Niagara Creek Canyon and Mount Finlayson. It can be hiked any time of year, but be careful it can get quite muddy during rainy season.

INFO

• Difficulty: moderate
• Elevation: 145m
• Distance: 3.5km
• Duration: 1.5 hours

Goldstream Park is a great day area with picnic tables, washroom facilities, camping spots, fire pits, and tons of different trail routes. Dogs on leash are allowed on the trail.

Goldstream also boasts one of the best places on Vancouver Island to witness the salmon spawning season in late fall. It definitely smells bad because of all of the dead salmon, but it brings in a lot of bald eagles that feed off of the salmon. It is actually one of the most concentrated spots that inhabits bald eagles in Canada.

Driving Directions

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Goldstream Park is located just 20 minutes north of Victoria at the beginning of the Malahat. You can find the driving directions by clicking on this link Google map directions. Once you get to the park, you will drive to the Finlayson Arm Road day use parking area to start the hike.

Note: During the months that have heavy rainfall you will need to park on the opposite side of the highway. There is a small parking lot on the left if you are driving from Victoria, about 1km north of the main parking lot. However, you are not allowed to cross the highway, so you will have to drive about 5km past the day parking area to do a U turn in order to park on the opposite side.

Hiking Directions

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To begin the hike, you will follow the trail from the day use area in the direction of the visitor centre. Before you reach the visitor centre, you will head towards your left to cross the highway via tunnel. This tunnel is pretty cool because it has graffiti on all sides, but it can get pretty dark so walk carefully. You will then walk through the tunnel, which leads you over a dry creek bed.  Directly on the right of the tunnel is the trail that leads you to the Goldstream Trestle. However, I would definitely say to take a quick detour by going straight along the creek bed about 100 meters to see a waterfall called Niagara Falls.

After visiting the waterfall, head back to the trail that goes up to the Goldstream Trestle. This trail is called the Gold Mine trail, and you will follow it all the way to the top. You will even be able to see the top of the waterfall, which is pretty neat. The trail is pretty steep and has a steady incline. It follows a chain link fence with a couple sets of stairs along the way.

Keep following the trail for about 15 minutes and you will see the trestle on the right. There will be a blue sign with directions to the gold mine trail on the left, so you can do this trail as well if you have time. The trestle hike took us about 1 hour to climb up and down, but give yourself extra time to view all of the spots and take pictures.

NOTE: If the water levels are too high and you cannot go under the tunnel, you will have to drive to the other parking lot on the other side of the highway. The trail is really easy, you just walk to your right about 50 meters, where you will then see the waterfall and creek bed.