Photo: Daniel BaylisShawnigan Lake, BC

Cowichan Valley: Swartz Bay to Stoltz Pool

A ride described at Gravel Buddies

How we describe routes →

Ambitious A real undertaking. Demanding on a couple of fronts, like rough surfaces plus steady climbing, or a long stretch on busier roads.

Difficulty Our overall read of how demanding a route is. We score surface roughness, climbing, singletrack, and how far it runs from services. The route publisher's own rating, a lot of busy road riding, or sheer scale can push the tier up, never down.

Derived from OpenStreetMap. Good data, not perfect. Spot something wrong? Tell us.

How we describe routes →

From the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, this 83 km leg crosses to the Cowichan Valley and follows trail and quiet roads to Stoltz Pool on the Cowichan River, where the provincial park campground and famous swimming holes wait. Nearly half gravel with about 560 m of climbing. Pairs with the Nanaimo leg for a two-day, ferry-to-ferry island crossing.

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Where this ride goes#

Approximate lineGet the real route ↗

Map key & layers

Show stops Mute other bike trails

Food & DrinkAttractionsSuppliesCampingAccommodationBike Services

Dashed line = our rough sketch of where the ride goes. The rideable route lives at get the route from Gravel Buddies.

☕Stops worth stopping for101 along this route

Communities along this route#

Sidney 31 Central Saanich 26 Mill Bay 16 North Saanich 14 Shawnigan Lake 7 Shawnigan 3 Paldi 2 Cobble Hill 1 Sahtlam 1

Sidney (31)

Mary Winspear CentreWelcoming· Community Centre · Free

Sidney Information CentreWelcoming· Visitor Centre · Free

Sidney Museum and ArchivesWelcoming· Museum / Gallery · Free

Russ Hay's The Bicycle ShopAccredited· Repair Shop

900 BistroWelcoming· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Alexander's Coffee BarWelcoming· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Charles Dickens' PubWelcoming· Brewery / Pub · $$ · Casual

Fish on 5thWelcoming· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Fresh Tandoori Flavour Indian Restaurant SidneyWelcoming· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

J Kitchen Korean & Japanese RestaurantWelcoming· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Plus the fast-food chains — Mariner pizza, Panago, Scotty's Dog Shack +5 more

+13 more in Sidney →

Central Saanich (26)

Harvest Rd.Welcoming· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Bicycle PizzaInfo· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Brentwood Bay Resort & SpaInfo· Hotel / Motel · $$$$ · Upscale

Brentwood Bay Village Empourium Café & Gift ShopInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Heritage AcresInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

Michell's Farm MarketInfo· Farmers' Market

Seahorses CaféInfo· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Silver Rill Corn & Produce MarketInfo· Grocery Store

Marigold CafeAccredited· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Brewsky's TaphouseInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Plus the fast-food chains — McDonald's, Tim Hortons, Villages Pizza

+13 more in Central Saanich →

Mill Bay (16)

Blue Dog KayakingInfo· Activity / Experience · $$$$

Bridgemans BistroInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Merridale EateryInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Rusticana CoffeeInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Serious CoffeeInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

South Cowichan Library BranchInfo· Library · Free

Unsworth VineyardsInfo· Winery / Cidery · $$ · Casual

BC Liquor StoreInfo· Liquor Store

Bru-Go's CoffeeInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Mill Bay SushiInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Plus the fast-food chains — A&W, McDonald's, Subway +1 more

+2 more in Mill Bay →

North Saanich (14)

Patricia Bay Visitor CentreWelcoming· Visitor Centre

Red Barn MarketInfo· Grocery Store

Smonećten (McDonald) CampgroundInfo· Public Campground

Stonehouse PubAccredited· Brewery / Pub · $$ · Casual

Lands End CaféWelcoming· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Salish Sea Beach HouseInfo· B&B / Inn · $$$$ · Upscale

Sandown Liquor StoreInfo· Liquor Store

Canadian TireInfo· General merchandise

Co-opInfo· Convenience Store

Plus the fast-food chains — barBURRITO, Domino's, Firehouse Subs +2 more

Shawnigan Lake (7)

Shawnigan Lake Beach ResortInfo· Hotel / Motel · $$$$ · Luxury

Shawnigan Lake MuseumInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

Oma's Bakery & MarketInfo· Bakery / Donuts · $ · Cheap eats

Shawnigan HouseInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Shawnigan Lake Community CentreInfo· Community Centre · Free

Mason'sInfo· Convenience Store

Plus the fast-food chains — Subway

Shawnigan (3)

The Lakehouse at ShawniganInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

BicycleitisInfo· Repair Shop

Black Swan PubInfo· Brewery / Pub · $$ · Casual

Paldi (2)

Stoltz Pool CampgroundInfo· Public Campground

Stoltz Pool Group CampgroundInfo· Public Campground

Cobble Hill (1)

Merridale Cidery & DistilleryInfo· Winery / Cidery · $$ · Casual

Sahtlam (1)

Glenora Trails Head ParkInfo· Park / Nature · Free

Slice and dice these stops in the directory →

These stops come from our directory of welcoming places across BC. Spot something wrong, missing, or closed? Tell us and we'll fix it.

⛴Getting here, bike and allMill Bay

Getting to this ride, bike and all#

Mill Bay is the handiest transit doorway for this ride. Ferries and buses will carry you and your bike there:

Brentwood Baybest: ferry
Victoriabest: bus
Nanaimobest: bus
Vancouverbest: ferry + bus

Or pick any two places on To & Fro →

🪶Traditional territories

This route travels through the traditional territories of the Á,LEṈENEȻ ȽTE (W̱SÁNEĆ), BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group, MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat), Quw’utsun, Semiahmoo, Te’mexw Treaty Association, Ts’uubaa-asatx, and W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip).

Territory data from Native Land Digital, for educational purposes only.

Ready to ride it?

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