Cycling along the Tsolum River

By Keith and Heather Nicol

Along the Tsolum River at Tsolum Spirit Park

     The Tsolum River runs through the heart of the Comox Valley and there are various small parks that allow you to cycle along sections of it. On August 6 we decided to check out some trails that we hadn’t been on for several years. We started at Tsolum Spirit Park where we parked our car and cycled down a gravel path to the Tsolum River (525 meters) where there are a couple of picnic tables and a great swimming hole which on this day were full of a couple of families enjoying the water. The river flows very slowly here and so the deep pool is ideal for cooling off on a warm summer day. From there we headed back on our bikes to the parking lot and cycled on the One Spot Trail which parallels the river for a short time before heading past farmer fields for 1 km to Fitzgerald Road.  This trail is composed of smooth compacted gravel and dirt and is fine for many types of bikes. 

The old mill is worth a visit

 We then headed down S. Farnham Road to the Tsolum River where we turned down on another trail that parallels the river. There is an old concrete building that has lots of spray paint art applied over the years and it turns out that this mill was built in 1912-13.  The gravel cycling trail was once the road that served Headquarters townsite which at one time housed many people and included a store, tennis court, dance hall, post office and many other buildings which were occupied from 1911 to the late 1950’s. The only building still standing is the old mill and it is worth spending some time looking around it before cycling down the trail. This short trail is about 600 meters long and provides access to another swimming hole which had several people enjoying the water when were there.  This access is steeper and slippery than the one at Tsolum Spirit Park and so is less suited to young children or people with mobility issues. From there we cycled east on Headquarters Road and picked up the One Spot trail which connects back to Fitzgerald Road (600 meters) and then back to Tsolum Spirit Park. Check out this area for a picnic or a swim if you are looking for someplace different. For more information see: https://www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/parks-recreation/parks-trails-beach-accesses  

Cycling along the One Spot Trail