The best walks and hikes around Cowichan Valley F

The Greendale Trestle Bridge was once part of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and has now been converted into a pedestrian and cyclist footbridge, part of the Cowichan Valley Trail and Trans Canada Trail. Beneath the bridge is crystal-clear water. In summer, the water is dotted with colourful inner tubes. In the autumn, it's a great vantage point to peer down and watch salmon spawning in the Cowichan River gravels.

The Cowichan Valley Trail, which spans 122 kilometres, is divided into a handful of sections. The Malahat to Shawnigan Lake stretching 19 kilometres, Shawnigan Lake to Duncan spanning 25 kilometres, and the Duncan to Lake Cowichan section coming in the longest, 28 kilometres. There are also the northern extensions of the trail, Duncan to Chemainus, and then Chemainus to Saltair. This is the Duncan to Lake Cowichan segment which follows the 1913 CN railway grade up to the Trans Canada Trail western terminus. It passes through Cowichan River Provincial Park, crosses the Holt Creek and Marie Canyon trestles. The surface of the trail is made up of mostly hard-packed crushed gravel, rather than pavement or loose dirt. The trail is also pretty wide and flat since it's a rail trail.

This is one of two Trans Canada Trail Western Terminus. This one, in the town of Lake Cowichan, is the westernmost physical point of the contiguous Trans Canada Trail network. There is a designated monument and pavilion marking the spot right across from the local visitor centre. The other Western Terminus is in Clover Point. This spot is also a sharp turn on the Cowichan Valley Trail, which spans 122 kilometres. This is about the halfway point and the trail turns from heading east to back west again. The town of Lake Cowichan has restaurants, hotels and is a recreation hub for bikers, walkers, and runners using its trails and boaters and kayakers on the lakes water.

Cribs Creek flows through the middle of this campsite, dividing the sandy beach in two, before reaching a natural breakwater of rocks at the ocean’s edge. There are places to pitch your tent on both sides of the creek, along with little open forested areas behind the beach, though camping closer to the forest is advisable as the lower beach can flood at higher tides. There is an outhouse and two food lockers, but this spot fills up quickly because it sits in the middle of a 17-kilometre stretch with no other designated campsites. If the site is full, or you’re looking for a quieter overnight, Carmanah Creek Campsite is roughly 4 kilometres south along this same beach.

This campsite sits in the middle of one of the most challenging and dramatic sections of the trail, with towering ladder systems in both directions and an impressive cable car crossing spanning the creek above. The creek flows crystal clear just steps from your tent, deep enough for a swim, with small sea caves accessible on the far shore and the Pacific Ocean a short walk away. The campsite has two outhouses, three food caches, and a pebble beach stretching along the ocean with additional forest spots that are ideal if you’re looking for a bit more shelter.

This is a beautiful stretch around Bonilla Point, where you’ll find plenty of tidepools, rock pillars topped with trees, huge mussel patches, and fossils embedded in wave-carved rock all within a short distance of each other. There is a lovely campsite at the edge of the forest, just off the beach, where Bonilla Falls pour into a clear pool at the base of the cliff, and ocean views in both directions, making this a fantastic place to slow down and stay awhile.

Carmanah Creek flows through a wide channel cut deep into the sand beach before reaching the ocean, with a cable car connecting the forest on either side. The view from the cable car is one of the best of any crossing on the West Coast Trail, with the creek cutting across the open beach toward the ocean, and a stunning sunset view on offer if you happen to cross in the evening. At low water levels, the creek can sometimes be forded on foot, though most hikers take the cable car and are glad they did.

Carmanah Point Lighthouse has overlooked the entrance to the Juan de Fuca Strait since 1891, when its first light shone out over the coastline that sailors had long called the Graveyard of the Pacific. The current concrete octagonal tower was built in 1922 to replace the original combined lighthouse and dwelling, and it looks much the same today as it did a century ago. Grey whales pass close by during their spring and fall migrations, and Steller sea lions hang out on the nearby rocks year-round. This spot also marks the northern edge of the critical habitat of the Southern Resident Killer Whales, making it one of the best wildlife viewpoints on the entire trail.