The Sooke area is nirvana for hikers, walkers and garden-variety amblers seeking underpopulated forest trails, oceanside strolls and rocky scrambles.
A generous array of regional and provincial parks dot an area that also includes the famed Galloping Goose, Juan de Fuca and West Coast trails.
Far and away the most scenic, relaxing and accessible oceanside stroll in the region. Park at the end of Whiffin Spit Road (three minutes west of Sooke's central stoplight at Otter Point Road) near the Sooke Harbour House, and spend a happy hour exploring the length of the narrow breakwater separating Sooke Habour from the open ocean.
Great for all-ages family excursions. Keep an eye out for swimming otters.
Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
The rugged west coast begins in earnest at China Beach, 39km/24mi west of Sooke's town centre. An easy half-hour hike through the rainforest leads to the hard-packed sand beach via a set of wooden stairs. Nearby Mystic Beach is reached via a more challenging, hour-long path through the forest. Hardcore hikers strap on backpacks here and tackle the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, established in 1995 as part of the legacy from the Victoria-hosted Commonwealth Games.
Sooke Potholes
Saved from development in 2005 by a public campaign led by The Land Conservancy, the Sooke Potholes Regional Park is a dramatic slice of rocky terrain formed during the last Ice Age. Canyons, swimming holes, moss-covered outlooks, frog ponds and the noisy burble of the Sooke River are part of the experience. Leave the car at the park entrance and hike upwards to the upper levels. Drive to the top of the bumpy dirt road and park there. Or get here on foot or bike via the nearby Galloping Goose trail.
Ed Macgregor Park
The village of Sooke is home to a handful of small neighborhood parks, the best known of which is named after Sooke's first mayor. This oceanside green space hosts concerts and special events in the summer. From the top level, take the zig-zagging ramp down to the harbour's edge and walk the wooden boardwalk leading to a new crab-fishing pier at the foot of Murray Road. There's no parking at that end of the trail, so leave the car in the Ed Macgregor lot in the 6700 block of the West Coast Road.
Galloping Goose Trail
A remarkable segment of the Trans Canada Trail, the "Goose" is a hiking, biking and horseback riding route that follows the route of a short-lived passenger train that operated between Victoria and Sooke in the 1920s. Best points of access in the Sooke area are parking lots on Sooke River Road and at Roche Cove and Matheson Lake regional parks. The 55km/34mi route runs from the Johnson St. Bridge in downtown Victoria as far as the goldrush ghost town known as Leechtown due north of the Sooke Basin. For longer adventures, it also links up with the Lochside trail running from Victoria to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal in North Saanich.
East Sooke
Described as "stunning" by an awestruck Los Angeles Times travel writer, East Sooke Regional Park's 10km/6mi coastal trail is a day-long (8-10 hour) test for those who must do a reasonable impression of a mountain goat in navigating the narrow path from Aylard Farm (at the park's eastern edge) to Pike Road (near the entrance to Sooke Harbour). Short rambles here are easier on knees and lung capacity.
The farm is on the edge of seal-happy Becher Bay and offers a nice beach, picnic area and relatively easy access to a set of Coast Salish petroglyphs. The Pike Road parking lot at the opposite end of the park off East Sooke Road is the start point for a pleasant, hour-long walk through forest and craggy shoreline to Iron Mine Bay and Pike Point.
Sooke Hills
Mount Wells Regional Park is a rare opportunity to explore the endangered Garry oak ecosystem in the otherwise off-limits Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park Reserve. A steep trail leads to a panoramic 352m/1150 ft summit. Park next to the reservoir on Humpback Road, accessible from the brief double-lane portion of the West Coast Road (Hwy #14) that separates suburban Victoria from the Metchosin/Sooke area. Off Harbour View Road in Saseenos just east of Sooke is the trailhead winding up Mount Manuel Quimper, another rugged climb that delivers stellar views.
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