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Free Things to Do
The West Shore is the perfect example of how to have fun without breaking your wallet. Here is a list of free things to do as a couple, with your kids, or for a group of young people to get out and just play!
- Take a walk around Thetis Lake
- Do some hiking on the West Coast Trail
- Explore Goldstream Park
- Bike ride or stroll on the Galloping Goose Trail
- Feed the swans at the Lagoon
- Enjoy the local art galleries
- Take in Music in the Park in Veterans Memorial Park
Galloping Goose Trail
A part of the Trans Canada Trail which traverses the country, the Galloping Goose and Peninsula Trails form one of the most picturesque trail systems in Canada.
Dedicated in 1989, the Galloping Goose Trail is named for a gawky and noisy gas rail-car which carried passengers between Victoria and Sooke in the 1920's.
The first rail tracks were laid on Island soil in 1893, with the opening of the Victoria and Sidney line. That was followed by the Vancouver Island section of the Canadian National Railway dedicated in 1911, and by the B.C. Electric in 1913.
Built upon the abandoned rail beds and trestles of that railway legacy, the Galloping Goose and Peninsula Trails connect our transportation past with our transportation future. You can travel for nearly 60 kilometers on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. You can cycle, walk, or ride a horse along this former rail line past some of B.C.’s finest scenery. Come and enjoy!
