Until July 16, I’d never cycled any of the Circle Route, but on this slightly overcast summer day, my girlfriend Kim and I decide to give it a go. Although neither of us cycle much, we opt to start at Swartz Bay and ride all the way to Sooke to get the full experience.

During the 1920s, visitors wanting to make this trip could reach Patricia Bay by steamer, then hop a Canadian Northern Pacific Railway (CNPR) train to Victoria where they could then catch the gas-powered Galloping Goose to Sooke. Neither of these runs lasted more than a decade due to the emergence of motor vehicles and buses, but while the trains have long since disappeared, their legacies live on. Both railways have since been developed into multi-use trails; the roughly 35km Lochside Regional Trail, which replaced the CNPR track, begins at Swartz Bay and ends in Victoria at the aptly named Galloping Goose Trail, a 55km path that concludes north of Sooke. Today, those visiting Vancouver Island via BC Ferries (Swartz Bay Terminal) can connect with the Lochside Trail just off of the ferry, where it’s only 15 minutes along the trail to reach Sidney.

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