Genoa Bay to Mt. Tzouhalem Summit (Duncan) - Retreads
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 5.74 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,929 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Very difficult
- Elevation loss
- 1,073 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,803 ft
- TrailRank
- 59
- Min elevation
- 95 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Moving time
- 2 hours 13 minutes
- Time
- 4 hours 40 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1543
- Uploaded
- January 24, 2022
- Recorded
- January 2022
near Genoa Bay, British Columbia (Canada)
Viewed 186 times, downloaded 6 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
This very challenging hike takes you from sea level at Genoa Bay to the top of Mt. Tzouhalem travelling along the southern flank of the mountain. Climbing through a Gary Oak, Arbutus and Fir forest there are excellent views down into Cowichan Bay. At about the mid point there is a lookout over Genoa Bay & Samsun Narrows to Saltspring Island and beyond.
There is a bench at about 3 km from the start with a fine view down into Cowichan Bay and south to the Saanich Peninsula. You can also see the mainland (USA) in the distance.
The bench is a good point to turn back. But you can continue on to the summit and be rewarded with more great views. Rather than going back the way we came, we went to the parking lot off of Kaspa Road so the stats recorded here reflect that added travel. Be warned, the trail system on Tzouhalem is like spaghetti on a plate and it’s easy to get lost. We did. Twice!
It was very foggy on the day of this hike so the pictures do not do justice to the views.
Retreads Hiking Club gives the section of this hike an AVA rating of 4D.
Looking for a hike in the Cowichan Valley? Or, looking for hiking companions? Google "Retreads Hiking Club CVRD"
There is a bench at about 3 km from the start with a fine view down into Cowichan Bay and south to the Saanich Peninsula. You can also see the mainland (USA) in the distance.
The bench is a good point to turn back. But you can continue on to the summit and be rewarded with more great views. Rather than going back the way we came, we went to the parking lot off of Kaspa Road so the stats recorded here reflect that added travel. Be warned, the trail system on Tzouhalem is like spaghetti on a plate and it’s easy to get lost. We did. Twice!
It was very foggy on the day of this hike so the pictures do not do justice to the views.
Retreads Hiking Club gives the section of this hike an AVA rating of 4D.
Looking for a hike in the Cowichan Valley? Or, looking for hiking companions? Google "Retreads Hiking Club CVRD"
Waypoints
Panorama
Car park
Information point
Photo
Flora
Intersection
Fauna
Tree
Picnic
1,263 ft
Views from “the bench”
On this day, it was a sea of fog over the ocean, as far as the eye could see with the tops of the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island poking through.
Lake
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