The Vancouver Island Trail (formerly also known as the Vancouver Island Spine Trail) is a near-completed 800 km-long hiking trail stretching the length of
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
, from its southern terminus on Anderson Hill in
Oak Bay
Oak Bay is a municipality incorporated in 1906 that is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is one of thirteen member municipalities of the Capital Regional District, and is bordered ...
, to its northern terminus in
Cape Scott Provincial Park. The trail connects to various communities including
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Lake Cowichan
Lake Cowichan ( Nitinaht: ʕaʔk̓ʷaq c̓uubaʕsaʔtx̣) (pop. 2,974) is a town located on the east end of Cowichan Lake and, by highway, is west of Duncan, British Columbia. The town of Lake Cowichan was incorporated in 1944. The Cowichan R ...
,
Port Alberni and
Cumberland, and connects along existing trails the
Galloping Goose Regional Trail
The Galloping Goose Regional Trail is a rail trail between Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and the ghost town of Leechtown, north of Sooke, where it meets the old Sooke Flowline. Maintained by the Capital Regional District (CRD), the tra ...
, Cowichan Valley Trail, Alberni Inlet Trail, the
Great Trail
The Great Trail (also called the Great Path) was a network of Trail, footpaths created by Algonquian languages, Algonquian and Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking indigenous peoples prior to the arrival of European colonists in North America. ...
and the
North Coast Trail.
The trail is intended to be accessible to hikers five months of the year, with some sections available much longer. The first thru-hiker completed the trail in July 2018.
It is estimated that thru-hiking the trail may take between six weeks to over two months.
As of 2021 the trail is over 90% completed.
Some sections of the trail will be available where it is accessible for non-motorized trail users, including bicycles or horse riders.
The hiking trail project is being built and maintained by the non-profi
Vancouver Island Trail Association(VITA). VITA is a part of 'Hike BC', the
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
wing of the National Hiking Trail (NHT).
References
External links
Vancouver Island Trail Association
Hiking trails in British Columbia
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