Mt. Tzouhalem Hike (Duncan, BC)
This mountain is one of my favourite hikes on Vancouver Island. I have done it over 10 times because it is only about 10 minutes away from Crofton, the town I grew up in. The summit boasts a large metal cross that has some interesting history, and it gives amazing views of the Cowichan Valley and the surrounding mountains and oceans.
Mt Tzouhalem Hike Stats
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Distance: 6.1km Return
- Elevation Gain: 600m
- Time: 2-3 hours
The summit of Mt. Tzouhalem is pretty spectacular with views of the Coastal Mountains, Saltspring Island, the Cowichan Valley, and Quamichan lake. You will also be able to see Mt. Whymper, Mt. Prevost, the Malahat, and on some clear days you might be lucky enough to see Mt Baker in Washington State.
Mt. Tzouhalem Hike (Duncan, BC) History
The correct pronunciation of Mt. Tzouhalem is “zoo-hay’-lum,” and it is named after Chief Tzouhalem of the Cowichan First Nations. St Ann’s Church at the start of the trail was built in 1890, and after a fire in 1902 was rebuilt a year after. The oldest grave in the cemetary dates back to 1891, and the church is still in service today.
Down the road from St Ann’s church lies an old and abandoned church called the “Old Stone Butter Church.” Father Rondeauld built this church in 1870, but after land title rights were not clear, he was forced to abandon it and build St Ann’s. The church has been vandalized over the years and is since known to be haunted by the people in the area. It was featured in 1931 with a report in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” because supposedly everyone who built it mysteriously died shortly after…
Cross at the Summit
The large Christian Cross on the summit of the mountain was placed in the 1970s by local catholic churches. The wooden version was later replaced with a metal welded cross in the 1980s.
Mt. Tzouhalem Hike (Duncan, BC) Directions:
There are 2 different ways to get to Mt. Tzouhalem, however, I have always parked right beside St. Ann’s Church Google Map Parking. This is right off of Mt. Tzouhalem Rd in the Native Reserve in Duncan, BC.
Genoa Bay Side
Go to the end of Khenipsen Road and proceed up the trail beyond the gate with the chain strung across.
St Ann’s Church Side
To get to the trail from Duncan, you follow Trunk Road east to the start of Tzouhalem Road past the Chevron Station. Take Tzouhalem Road towards Cowichan Bay and look for Providence Farm, then the St. Ann’s Catholic Church. 
Park on the road or in the church parking lot and go down the gravel road on the east side of the church through the yellow gate.
The trail to the summit is not marked, but it is very easy to follow. Before you start the ascent you will cross a small creek and you will have views of Providence Farm, which is a big acreage with a farm house.
You will then start your fairly moderate ascent to the summit. There are no forks in the trail, so you literally just go straight up for about 600 meters. When you get about 3/4’s of the way to the top you will see an old rusted abandoned car on the right side of the trail.
We did our hike in the winter and the trails were pretty slippy, so I would recommend crampons. However, in the summer the route is very dry and easy to hike. There is even an annual trail run through the Vancouver Island Trail Run Series called the Mt. Tzouhalem GutBuster. The mountain also has several mountain biking trails and it is dog friendly.
Parking and Topographical Map Link
