Koksilah River Grove Day Hike, Cowichan Tribes Territory

 

Come for a day hike to a small but spectacular old-growth Douglas-fir grove close to Victoria.

The Koksilah River Grove is a small remnant patch of old-growth forest west of Shawnigan Lake in Cowichan Tribes Territory, about an hour and a half north of Victoria. This region is heavily logged, and the Koksilah Grove is a reminder of this rare and critical forest ecosystem.

These day hikes are meant to provide access to old-growth forests via shorter, more accessible trips that don’t require multi-day commitments and work components. If you haven’t spent much time in old-growth forests, and are looking for an easier way to visit one of these ecosystems and learn more about their importance from dedicated Wilderness Committee staff, this trip is for you!

Skip to the end of this page to fill and submit trip's registration form.

The trailhead is about a 90-minute drive from Victoria and the total hiking time into the grove is about 40 minutes over a moderately difficult path.

Please sign up using the registration form for the trips below.

Volunteers will carpool from Victoria, Duncan, Nanaimo or elsewhere and rendezvous in Shawnigan Lake before driving in a convoy to the trailhead.

TRIP DATES: May 9 & August 29

Itinerary and packing

The Wilderness Committee will organize the carpools and cover fuel costs for drivers. Volunteers will be required to bring a backpack with warm clothes with extra layers, sturdy hiking boots or shoes, at least 1.5 litres of water and a hearty snack to eat along the way.

  • 9 a.m. Carpools depart Victoria or Nanaimo (departure time earlier or later if coming from closer or farther away)
  • 10 a.m. Rendezvous in Shawnigan Lake (location TBA)
  • 10:30-10:45 a.m. Begin the hike at trailhead, visit, learn, and spend time in the old-growth grove and along the Koksilah River
  • 1:00-1:45 p.m. Return to the trailhead, then drive back to rendezvous spot in Shawnigan Lake
  • 3:30 p.m. Return to Victoria or elsewhere
A complete list of the necessary gear can be found here.

 

Register below:

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At the Wilderness Committee we value diversity, equity and inclusion. To ensure that these values are reflected in our trail program, we are prioritizing volunteers who apply from underrepresented groups. If you belong to any marginalized communities, including women, Indigenous persons, racialized communities and sexual or gender minority groups, we encourage you to self-identify:
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