Adventure Daily #2: Goldstream Park's Niagara Falls and Hike to Trestle
Finding new places for my daily dose of adventure and outdoor therapy.
It was a mild and misty morning and I felt drawn to the outer hills of Greater Victoria. I loaded the dogs into the car and took off into the mystic. Only a 25 minute drive from home and I was immersed in some of Southern Vancouver Island's wettest and wildest rain forests.
We parked at Goldstream Park's day-use area (which is a turn-off right before you climb the Malahat Highway). The leisure path heading north brought us to a tunnel for passing under the highway. At certain times of the year the water flow is too high to walk through (in which case there are alternate routes), but I must have come at the perfect time.
Through the tunnel and a short walk along the creek brings us to the Niagara Canyon waterfall. The thunderous crash, billowing within the canyon, envelops you in a heavy mist and drowns out the sounds of the highway.
After viewing the falls, the dogs and I skipped across the creek and found a gnarly slick shortcut towards the abandoned railway bridge to clamber up. (Again, at times the creek is too high to cross but we managed fine - there is a longer, easier trail which starts at the tunnel opening).
After a short steep climb we made it to the trestle. The temperature was a mild 14 degrees and the air ultra moist.. which left me wondering if I was damp from sweat or the weather. Sometimes you just gotta embrace the elements!
I've been to the trestle on sunny days and the views are nice, but the thick fog on this particular morning made for an eerily still setting and some fantastically moody pics!
Tip: It isn't recommended to walk out onto the trestle, though almost everyone does.. Just be ultra cautious as one quick slip could result in you plummeting 47 meters to your death on the canyon floor below (there are no guard rails and the gaps between the planks are wide enough for a leg to slip though). Also, I HIGHLY recommend keeping your dog off the bridge.. for obvious reasons.
We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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