Kinsol Trestle

The Kinsol Trestle crosses the Koksilah River at about forty-four metres high and one hundred and eighty-seven long, built for the Canadian National Railway and finished in 1920 to serve the King Solomon mine, which is where the name comes from. Trains stopped in 1979 and the structure rotted; by 2006 it was condemned and demolition was proposed. The Cowichan Valley Regional District chose restoration instead, and a rebuild completed in 2011 replaced most of the timber while keeping the original design, including the unusual seven-degree curve where it crosses the river. It now carries the Cowichan Valley Trail, part of the Trans Canada Trail.

What you actually see

• The timber structure - one of the tallest free-standing wooden trestles anywhere.
• The curved crossing - the deck curving across the river at seven degrees.
• The river below - the Koksilah in a gorge forty-four metres down.
• The trail deck - a walking and cycling route across and beyond.

When to go

April to October for dry decking and river access; the trestle is open year-round. Autumn colour in the valley is good. Salmon run in the Koksilah in late autumn.

Honest expectations

Access is a walk of several hundred metres from the car park. The structure is largely new timber rather than original fabric. There are no facilities on site.

Nearby

Cowichan Bay lies east; Duncan is northeast.