Kinsol Trestle - Helpful Information for your next visit to Cowichan Valley

The park is located at 2869 Glen Eagles Road, Shawnigan Lake.

There are two parking lots to access Kinsol Trestle. The main parking lot which is larger and offers more services is located on the South Side of the Kensol Trestle just minutes from Shawnigan Lake.

The North Parking lot is at the end of Riverside Rd, a narrow gravel road with access from Cowichan Station. Google Maps

Duncan to Kinsol Bridge Main Parking Lot – Google Maps

• Head South on the Trans Canada Highway.
• Turn West off the Hwy (right) onto Shawnigan Lake/Cobble Hill Road (valley View Centre intersection).
• Travel to the end of the road (the intersection at Shawnigan Lake) and turn RIGHT onto Renfrew Road
• Travel along Renfrew Road, Past West Shawnigan Lake Rd. (which will be on the left) Turn Right onto Glen Egles Rd.
• Travel a short distance down Glen Eagles Road. The Parking lot for the Cowichan Valley Trail to the Kinsol Trestle is on the corner of Glen Eagles Road and Shelby Road.

Victoria to Kinsol Bridge Main Parking Lot – Google Maps

• Head North on the Trans Canada Highway. 
• Turn left off the highway onto Mill Bay/Shawnigan Lake Road.
• Follow this road into Shawnigan Village. Turn Right onto Shawnigan Lake Road that turns into Renfrew Road.
• Stay on Renfrew Road.
• Turn Right onto Glen Eagles Road.
• The Parking lot for the Cowichan Valley Trail to the Kinsol Trestle is on the corner of Glen Eagles Road and Shelby Road.

History of the Trestle

The trestle, an accessible and visible reminder of early mining and logging industries, shows history in a striking way. At the end of the 19th century, different companies raced to build railways so that lumber and minerals could be transported more efficiently.

Construction of the Kinsol Trestle started in 1911 when a more efficient way to transport massive, old-growth timber was needed. Designed by engineers but built by local farmers and loggers, the Kinsol Trestle is one of the tallest and most spectacular free-standing timber rail trestle structures in the world. At 614 feet in length and standing 145 feet above the Koksilah River.

Although there were many trestle bridges built on Vancouver Island. (Such as the Todd Creek Trestle, located on the Galloping Goose Trail), the Kinsol Trestle is notable for both its size and its unique seven-degree curve. At the turn of the 20th century, the construction of the railways drove British Columbia’s economy through the exploitation of seemingly endless resources, especially the extraction of timber from the dense forests of Vancouver Island.

With a high demand for lumber in Europe, the race was on to deliver the goods. The Canadian Northern Pacific Railway began work in February 1911. Its ambitious owners, Sir William Mackenzie and Sir Donald Mann, quickly fell into more debt than they could handle, and the line was taken over in 1917 by the federally-owned Canadian National Railway. The CNR resumed construction in 1918, but the railway had been downgraded to a logging railway.

Also known as the Koksilah River Bridge, the Kinsol Trestle’s official name comes from the former King Solomon copper mine and was completed in February 1920.

• 1920– Construction was completed
• 1922-1925 – Passenger trips started running throughout the Valley.
• 1931-1936 – Winter floods cause damage to the Trestle, and reconstruction and some modifications were needed.
• 1973-1984 – CN completes the last significant repairs, then abandons part of the line. The BC government takes over.
• 1999-2010 – After years of neglect and vandalism, the CVRD is commissioned to restore the Kinsol Trestle for park use. The BC Gov. proposes to remove the Trestle, but it was determined that rehabilitation would take place instead. 
• 2011-2012 – Rehabilitation efforts were completed in 2011, making it safe for visitors and replacing most of the wood except for a small span just above the river, which is visible from the bottom of the Trestle.

*Historic information found from the CVRD fact sheet 

For the history buffs, just 10 minutes away, you will find that the Shawnigan Lake Museum offers more information to enrich your visit to the Kinsol Trestle.