Photo: Let's Go BikingNorth Cowichan

North Cowichan

A ride described in Let's Go Biking

How we describe routes →

Easy Smooth surfaces and gentle climbing.

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 →

North Cowichan's loops run 3 to 27 km through farmland and along the sea, taking in Maple Bay, Genoa Bay's floating village, Quamichan Lake, and historic Cowichan Bay with its heritage waterfront and bakeries. Breweries and a ferry-hop option round it out; some hills and shared roads keep it honest.

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Where this ride goes#

Approximate lineGet the real route ↗

Map key & layers

Show stops Mute other bike trails

Food & DrinkAttractionsSuppliesAccommodationBike Services

Riding near fast trafficFastest stretches

Dashed line = our rough sketch of where the ride goes. The rideable route lives at get the book from Let's Go Biking.

Fast-road stretches#

We believe these are the fast, unprotected roads on this route. We can tell you which roads and roughly how far, but not the order you will ride them. If you see an error, tell us and we'll fix it.

about 7 km of Herd Road · near Maple Bay
about 6 km of Osborne Bay Road · near Maple Bay
about 5 km of Cowichan Bay Road · near Cowichan Bay
about 3 km of Lakes Road · near Tzouhalem
about 2 km of Chemainus Road · near Osborn Bay

☕Stops worth stopping for102 along this route

BC Forest Discovery Centre: Open-air forestry museum in Duncan; ride the steam train through a 1930s logging camp. · North Cowichan

Chemainus Theatre: Chemainus' professional festival theatre, anchor of the mural town's renaissance. · North Cowichan

Hand of Man Museum: Free cabinet-of-wonders museum of natural history and world artifacts, Maple Bay. · North Cowichan

The Raptors: Daily free-flight raptor shows and hawk walks in the woods near Duncan. · North Cowichan

Westholme Tea Farm: one of Canada's very few commercial tea-growing operations. · North Cowichan

Communities along this route#

North Cowichan 48 Duncan 43 Cowichan Bay 8 Chemainus 2 Crofton 1

North Cowichan (48)

BC Forest Discovery CentreInfo· Museum / Gallery · $$$

Chemainus TheatreInfo

Hand of Man MuseumInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

The RaptorsInfo· Activity / Experience · $$$

Westholme Tea FarmInfo· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Chemainus Valley MuseumInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

Chemainus Visitor CentreInfo· Visitor Centre · Free

Cowichan Aquatic CentreInfo· Community Centre · $

Cowichan Regional Visitor CentreInfo· Visitor Centre · Free

Genoa Bay CaféInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Plus the fast-food chains — Baan-Do's Stir Fry, A&W, Subway +5 more

+30 more in North Cowichan →

Duncan (43)

Cowichan Valley MuseumInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

The DoghouseInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

The Shipyard Restaurant & PubInfo· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Coffee On The MoonInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Corner House CafeInfo· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Cowichan Library BranchInfo· Library · Free

Craig Street Brew PubInfo· Brewery / Pub · $$ · Casual

Cycle TherapyInfo· Repair Shop

Duncan Butcher ShopInfo· Specialty / Health Food

Duncan GarageInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Plus the fast-food chains — Roundabout Pizza, Burger King, Domino's +7 more

+23 more in Duncan →

Cowichan Bay (8)

Cowichan Bay Maritime CentreInfo· Museum / Gallery · $$

Cowichan Estuary Nature CentreInfo· Park / Nature · Free

True GrainInfo· Bakery / Donuts · $ · Cheap eats

True Grain BreadInfo· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan BayInfo· Hotel / Motel · $$$$ · Upscale

Original Udder GuysInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

The VineInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Cowichan Bay PubInfo· Brewery / Pub · $$ · Casual

Chemainus (2)

Best Western Plus Chemainus InnInfo· Hotel / Motel · $$$ · Mid-range

Chemainus Library BranchInfo· Library · Free

Crofton (1)

Croft Inn MotelInfo· Hotel / Motel · $$ · Budget

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 allNorth Cowichan

Getting to this ride, bike and all#

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

Penelakut Islandbest: ferry
Nanaimobest: bus
Vancouverbest: ferry + bus
Victoriabest: bus

Also on the bike-transit map: Duncan

Or pick any two places on To & Fro →

🪶Traditional territories

This route travels through the traditional territories of the Á,LEṈENEȻ ȽTE (W̱SÁNEĆ), Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, Halalt, Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group, Quw’utsun, Semiahmoo, Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus, and Ts’uubaa-asatx.

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

Ready to ride it?

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