Ridge Trail Hike

Vancouver Island, Victoria & Gulf Islands Backroad Mapbook (9th edition) Trailhead Coordinates: Page 4 (Sooke) E2.

Gowlland Tod Provincial Park is located on Vancouver Island, Saanich Peninsula, about 20 km Northwest of the City of Victoria. This park is situated on the bank of Saanich Inlet, and has a trail which goes South-North from Caleb Pike access point to McKenzie Bight access point. If you have two cars, it is possible to make it a one way hike via a car shuttle. Otherwise, it's a rather long-ish round trip hike of about 19 km long.

Today, we started at the Caleb Pike access point, hiked to Jocelyn Hill lookout for just over 4.2 km one way, and went back. The next day, we began at the McKenzie Bight access point, hiked to Malahat viewpoint and Squally Reach viewpoint, and returned to McKenzie Bight. We thus did not hike a few kilometers between Jocelyn Hill and Squally Reach viewpoints, but, from what we understand, there isn't much to see there.

While this is, technically, one trail all the way from Caleb Pike to McKenzie Bight (with several parallel/loop trails), it is broken into several trails for naming purposes. Thus, at the beginning of Caleb Pike access the trail is called Holmes Peak Trail, then it becomes Ridge Trail, then Jocelyn Hill Trail, then Timberman Trail, and then Cascade Trail which ends at McKenzie Bight. For the sake of simplicity, we named the whole thing "Ridge Trail Hike" from Caleb Pike access point to Jocelyn Hill, and the next trip report (where we hiked from McKenzie Bight to Squally Reach and Malahat Viewpoint) is called "Timberman Trail Hike", which takes 3.3 km to Malahat Viewpoint (it's a spur trail), and 3.5 km to Squally Reach.

If you can do only one of these two hikes, definitely go with the Caleb Pike access point hike, as it has much better views.

*All trail distances are based on a GPS odometer and are approximate.

1. Here is a Google Maps location of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park - Caleb Pike access point.

2. We are on Caleb Pike Road, as the entrance to Gowlland Tod Provincial Park - Caleb Pike access point.

3. There is a very large and long parking lot.

Here is our video of driving on Caleb Pike Road and arriving to this parking lot.

4. An information board is located at the far end of the parking lot.

5. Just behind it is a trail sign. Coordinates: N 48⁰30.529' W 123⁰31.962'. Elevation: 230 meters. If you want to do a Roundtree Loop, head straight ahead. But we turned right to hike Ridge Trail.

6. Here is a trail map under the sign. Ridge Trail goes North (via Homes Peak Trail).

7. The hike begins. As mentioned at the beginning of the trip report, even thought it's one trail, it has different names for its parts. At first, it's Holmes Peak Trail, then Ridge Trail, then Jocelyn Hill Trail, but we will count it as one Ridge Trail. At 15 meters here.

8-9. At 105 meters, another Roundtree Loop intersection. We are heading to Holmes Peak.

10. At 185 meters now. It's a fairly easy trail, with a few moderately challenging short stretches.

11. Now at 390 meters from the trailhead.

12. At 780 meters of the trail.

13. At the 1.00 km mark, Holmes Peak bypass is on the right side. We kept left.

14. At 1.28 km, we are getting close to Holmes Peak.

15. Here it is. The view is much obstructed, but it appeared most hikers (we've met about twenty people in 5-6 different groups) stopped here and went back, while the best view is still ahead.

16. Looking the other way.

17. Here is Gowlland Tod Park trail map showing our current location at Holmes Peak. This is where the actual Ridge Trail begins.

18. Ridge Trail in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park - 2.68 km from the trailhead.

19. At 2.91 km, we are almost at the best view of the hike.

20. And here is the best view of Ridge Trail in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, at 2.94 km of the hike. Finlayson Arm of Saanich Inlet is below us. Coordinates: N 48⁰31.688' W 123⁰31.767'. Elevation: 335 meters.

Here is our video of the views from from this location.

21. So neat. At 3.01 km of Ridge Trail.

22. 30 meters later.

23. At 3.14 km of Ridge Trail.

24. Saanich Inlet view 20 meters later.

25. Hiking through a forest again at the 3.54 km mark.

26. Hiking in the open at 3.61 km.

27. Just a bit further, another Saanich Inlet view.

28. A tree by the trail at 3.65 km.

29. Looking back at the 3.68 km mark of the hike.

30. Ridge Trail has many arbutus trees.

31. A fine view at the 3.82 km mark.

32. At 4.20 km of Ridge Trail, which is, technically, Jocelyn Hill Trail at this point.

33. At 4.22 km, we have reached the end of today's hike at Jocelyn Hill. The trail continues for another 5 km or so to McKenzie Bight access point of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park.

34. Looking back from Jocelyn Hill, here is another look at Finlayson Arm of Saanich Inlet. Coordinates: N 48⁰32.224' W 123⁰31.824'. Elevation: 420 meters (190 meters elevation gain from the trailhead for an average grade of 4.5%).

Here is our video of the views from this location.

More ihikebc videos are on our YouTube Channel.

Ridge Trail of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park is fairly easy and leads to several very fine views. Highly recommended.

    

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