The Trestle is well looked after! A good area to cycle or walk/hike and the people you meet along the way are very friendly. Well maintained trails and lots of history to explore at the Kinsol Trestle and Cowichan Valley area. Take the time to walk down to the river at the Kinsel Trestle!. As the name suggests, this trail crosses Cowichan Valley, in the center-east of Vancouver Island. The last train crossed here in 1979, so you don’t have to work about staring down a locomotive. Fun. At 614 feet in length and standing 145 feet above the salmon bearing Koksilah River. Great trail! It’s also one of the tallest free-standing, timber rail trestles in the world. It seemed most people were choosing this option because we saw lots of walkers but only one bike rider. Lots of parking. The Cowichan Valley Trail is a 108 km (67.4 mile) trail with lots of access points. Great walk! The hard packed gravel is perfect for bike riding, for even the littlest of riders, and would definitely be considered stroller and wheel-chair friendly. A small gathering of people met at the Kinsol Trestle for a major funding announcement of the Island Coastal Economic Trust,under the direction of the Honourable Ida Chong. The Kinsol Trestle is one of eight trestles along the Cowichan Valley Trail route and by far the largest and most spectacular. This hike is perfect for so many occasions. I took pictures from both ends and both sides, then we hiked down to the river. Fine in summer but might be hard to traverse in other seasons when rain occurs often. Always great to support local after a lovely little jaunt! Our children loved it. You need to either arrange for a pick up at the end, or drive your own shuttle, and it’s a long roundabout route by car. Length 2.1 miElevation gain 334 ftRoute type Out & back Wheelchair and pram friendly. The Cowichan Valley Trail is a spectacular multi-use trail that is an integral part of the Trans-Canada Trail route on Southern Vancouver Island. a nice day for a drive and a couple kms of walking...Kinsol Trestle on a nice day, few people out. If you can, we’d recommend trying this trail during the week or in the evenings when the trail is a bit quieter. Kinsol Trestle is Magnificient Review of Cowichan Valley trail Reviewed September 1, 2019 Our group traveled by car to the parking lot just north of the Kinsol Tressle and then walked the short distance to the Trestle. Well worth the trip and fun to take the trails closer to the river as well to adventure and feel like a mountain goat! All the way is marked with information poles and panels. On foot, follow the rail bed (part of the Trans Canada Trail) to the trestle. Great little walk suitable for all ages. The railway was abandoned in 1979 and the bridge fell into disrepair. Gave it a 5 for my highlite completion under 3 hours. I took the log trail and it was VERY rocky and lots of exposed roots. Kinsol Trestle and Kinsol Bypass Trail is a 3.9 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Cowichan Valley Regional, British Columbia, Canada that features a river and is rated as moderate. Super easy to find! Segment of the Cowichan Valley Trail running between the Kinsol Trestle (near Shawnigan Lake) and Lake Cowichan. Biggest complaint would be the amount of dog poop we came across and that people are using it as an off leash area and not cleaning up after their pets. Neat trail, all gravel path but too many people. Hours Open 24/7 Phone 250/746-2620 Prices Free admission Web site Kinsol Trestle Other From Hwy. The bridge is a true marvel. A must-see along the trail, the curved Kinsol Trestle spans 187 metres and is one of the tallest free-standing timber trestles worldwide. Kinsol Trestle Although Cowichan has always been ideally suited for growing timber, its rugged topography has made hauling logs particularly difficult. I don't recommend it for kids or people with balance issues. The Cowichan Valley section runs from the Capital Regional District boundary at the top of the Malahat, north to Shawnigan Lake and the Kinsol Trestle, west to the Town of Lake Cowichan then north to the Nanaimo Regional District. You can go down to the bottom of the trestle and adventure around the river or you can follow the flat trail for hours if you're feeling up to it. We saw pictures of the trestle when doing our research on the trail and knew we wanted to see it. Make sure you have good boots/shoes because there's some real ankle twisters in here. The three of us about to start. I haven’t yet been from one end to the other but it is on my To Do list for sure. Gorgeous views, worth seeing at least once. The portable washrooms were really clean. 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