Photo: Let's Go BikingChemainus Rail Trail

Chemainus Rail Trail

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 →

The Chemainus Rail Trail corridor links Ladysmith, Chemainus, and Crofton in flat, family-friendly rides of 7 to 19 km. Chemainus's world-famous outdoor murals are the star attraction, with museums, public art, and Transfer Beach along the way, and the Crofton ferry connects onward to Salt Spring Island.

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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 book from Let's Go Biking.

☕Stops worth stopping for56 along this route

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

Communities along this route#

Ladysmith 31 North Cowichan 20 Chemainus 3 Crofton 1 Saltair 1

Ladysmith (31)

Ladysmith GalleryInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

Ladysmith Maritime Society MuseumInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

Old Town BakeryInfo· Bakery / Donuts · $ · Cheap eats

Bayview Brewing CompanyInfo· Brewery / Pub · $$ · Casual

Dragon CityInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Fox and HoundsInfo· Brewery / Pub · $$ · Casual

Ironworks Café & CrêperieInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Kaede SushiInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Ladysmith Library BranchInfo· Library · Free

Old Town Ice CreamInfo· Ice Cream · $ · Cheap eats

Plus the fast-food chains — KFC, McDonald's, Panago +2 more

+16 more in Ladysmith →

North Cowichan (20)

Chemainus TheatreInfo

Chemainus Valley MuseumInfo· Museum / Gallery · Free

Chemainus Visitor CentreInfo· Visitor Centre · Free

Bonnie Martin RestaurantInfo· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Citrus CyclesInfo· Repair Shop

Country GrocerInfo· Grocery Store

Little Town PizzaInfo· Restaurant · $ · Cheap eats

Osborne Bay ResortInfo· Resort · $$$ · Mid-range

Owl's NestInfo· Café / Coffee · $ · Cheap eats

Pho Triple 7Info· Restaurant · $$ · Casual

Plus the fast-food chains — Subway

+9 more in North Cowichan →

Chemainus (3)

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

Chemainus Library BranchInfo· Library · Free

Eagle Rock Bed and BreakfastInfo· B&B / Inn · $ · Rock-bottom

Crofton (1)

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

Saltair (1)

Campers CornerInfo· Private Campground

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 allLadysmith

Getting to this ride, bike and all#

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

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

Also on the bike-transit map: North Cowichan

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, and Stz’uminus.

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

Ready to ride it?

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