Are Dogs Allowed on the Galloping Goose Trail?

Yes, dogs are allowed on the Galloping Goose Trail, but they must be leashed the entire way. The Capital Regional District requires dogs on leash on all of its regional trails, and that includes every one of the Goose's 55 kilometres from downtown Victoria out to Sooke. No section of the trail is off-leash, not at any hour and not in any season.

I have walked this trail with Ziggy and Sahara more times than I can count, and the leash rule is the one thing people argue with me about most. Somewhere along the line the Goose earned a reputation as a free-range dog trail, and it has not been that for years. The good news is that the trail is still one of the best leashed walks in the region, and the off-leash parks you need are a short walk or drive from almost every end of it.

What exactly are the leash rules on the Galloping Goose?

The rule comes from the CRD Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 1, 2018, which lists the Galloping Goose, the Lochside, and the E&N Rail Trail as on-leash-only routes. The current form of that bylaw is CRD Bylaw No. 4225, and it is what the CRD trail signs are enforcing when you see the leash icon at trailheads.

This was not a casual decision. The CRD ran a three-year public process and its Regional Parks Committee set the on-leash policy for the whole Goose in 2016. The policy simply means the Goose is a shared commuting and recreation corridor, and a loose dog is a hazard on a route where cyclists routinely ride 25 km/h or faster.

Is there any off-leash section I can use?

No. There are no off-leash sections on the Galloping Goose itself. In 2020 the CRD looked at a seasonal "dog-under-command" option for the stretch near kilometre 49 to 55 on the Sooke side, where the trail is at its quietest, and the committee decided against it. If you see a dog running free on the Goose, that owner is breaking the bylaw, not finding a loophole.

If your dog only really relaxes off-leash, do the short detour to a real off-leash area instead of testing the rule on the trail. That is what we do with Ziggy: leashed for the walk, then a proper off-leash session nearby.

Where can I let my dog run near the trail?

Three spots cover most of the trail corridor:

• Portage Park, View Royal. A designated off-leash dog area on the trail itself, with direct Galloping Goose access. It is small and local, and it is the natural place to stop when you are walking the View Royal section.
• Thetis Lake Regional Park. Minutes from the trail through View Royal and Langford, with off-leash areas around the lake and on the forest trails. Expect company on weekends.
• Victoria West Dog Park. A small fenced off-leash park near the downtown end of the trail, useful for a quick session after a walk around the Inner Harbour.

Our full rundown of regional off-leash parks is in the Greater Victoria off-leash park guide, sorted by municipality.

What is the trail actually like for a dog walk?

The Goose follows a retired rail bed, so the surface is mostly smooth compacted gravel with gentle grades, which makes it one of the easiest long walks in the region for dogs and humans. Sections through Langford and the urban core are paved or hard-packed and carry the most bike traffic. The Metchosin stretch near the Sooke end is the quietest: gravel underfoot, open fields, and far fewer bikes.

The trail also crosses real water features. The waterway access locals know at Viaduct Flats, along the Gorge corridor, is a popular place for a leashed drink-and-splash stop during a walk. In CRD regional parks generally, dogs are banned from designated beach and picnic areas from June 1 to September 15, so in summer you pass through those zones on a leash without stopping.

How do I keep my dog safe with bikes and runners?

Short leash, early correction, predictable position. Keep your dog on the right side of the trail, hold the leash short when a rider is approaching, and do not let your dog air-sniff or lunge from your side. Ziggy is a solid 120 pounds of Rottweiler, so I have strong opinions on this: a rider has no time to react, and it is our job to manage the space for them.

There is more trail etiquette detail, signals, and right-of-way notes in our trail etiquette guide. The short version: dogs and bikes share this trail fine when the human half does the thinking.

Does the same rule apply to the Lochside Trail?

Yes. The Lochside Trail runs 29 kilometres from the Switch Bridge to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, and it is under the same on-leash requirement. Same for the E&N Rail Trail on the Sooke side. The on-leash rule is not trail-specific, it is the regional standard for all CRD trails.

If trail access matters, which neighbourhoods should I look at?

These days the Goose is one of the biggest quality-of-life selling points for dog-owning buyers, so Perry and I hear the trail question on almost every tour. View Royal gets you the trail and easy off-leash access at Portage Park and Thetis Lake. Langford and Colwood pair the trail with Colwood Creek Park's off-leash grass area. Metchosin gives you the quietest section and the E&N on your doorstep, at the price of longer commutes. The Saanich corridor near Cuthbert Holmes adds creek walking and off-leash zones.

If you are looking for a home where a daily off-leash run and a long leashed trail walk both live within five minutes of your door, our neighbourhood guides break down each corridor, and a call with the Happy Homes Team can match your dog's walking needs to the right street, not just the right house.