The Capital Regional District is reminding everyone using the E&N Rail Trail, Galloping Goose, and Lochside Regional Trails to be safe and courteous this summer, as key sections of the Galloping Goose remain closed for construction.
The CRD released its Share The Trail campaign on July 2, 2026. The push comes as the popular 55-kilometre trail between Victoria and Sooke has two extended closures: one in Victoria between Cecelia Road and Viaduct Park, where a June 1 closure for BC Hydro cable replacement work adds to ongoing slope instability concerns, and another near kilometre 45 at Charters Trestle in Sooke. The Sooke section has been closed since a landslip on December 17, 2025.
The Share The Trail campaign promotes five key safety habits: be informed about the rules, be alert and free of distractions, be visible with bright clothing and lights at dusk, be predictable by keeping right except to pass, and be courteous to others sharing the path. Helmets are required, riders of e-bikes and e-scooters must be 16 or older, and dogs must be kept on a leash.
Regional trail use has grown by 35 percent since 2015, with 4.4 million visits recorded last year. On the Galloping Goose alone, daily numbers reach about 4,800 users north of the Selkirk Trestle and more than 3,300 south of Culduthel Street. This summer, CRD Bylaw officers and a Courtesy Crew will be out on the trails to educate people about safety and responsible behaviour.
The closures have a one-kilometre detour in place around the Victoria work zone, using Waterfront Crescent, Jutland Road, Cecelia Road, Napier Lane, and the path through Cecilia Ravine Bike Park. The detour is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Sooke landslip closure has no set reopening date yet.
While the trail system faces these disruptions, there is also progress. Colwood officially opened a new 38-metre pedestrian and cycling bridge over Sooke Road on April 9, 2026. The $6.3 million project replaced a dangerous at-grade crossing for the roughly 1,000 people who use the trail daily at Wale Road. The $53.5 million Regional Trestles Renewal, Trails Widening and Lighting Project is also moving ahead, with Phase 1 construction between Gorge Road and Culduthel Street set to run from summer 2026 to spring 2027. That work will eventually widen sections of the Galloping Goose and Lochside trails to separate cyclists from people on foot.
Before heading out, residents should check the CRD website for the latest closure and detour details.
