Kinsol Trestle

Location

About

Stretching across the Koksilah River, the Kinsol Trestle stands as one of the tallest and most impressive timber rail trestles globally
The Kinsol Trestle is one of eight trestles along the Cowichan Valley Trail route and is 187 metres (614 feet) in length and stands 44 metres (145 feet) above the river
The trestle is unique for its seven-degree curve and its dramatic size, making it a rare example of timber railway bridges
The Kinsol Trestle is a key reminder of early mining and logging industries, symbolizing the economic development of Vancouver Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
The trestle was designed by engineers and was built by 55 local farmers and loggers starting in 1911 to transport timber more efficiently by rail and it was completed in February 1920
It was partially rebuilt a few times over the years and as trucks began to haul logs starting in the 1950s, the trestle was abandoned when the rail line closed in 1979.
The trestle sat unused for almost 30 years until it was carefully restored for recreational trail use beginning in 2008 and it reopened in July 2011
The trestle represents the optimism of a new nation and the role of railways in driving British Columbia’s economy

Lands

Ancestral and unceded territory of the Quw’utsun, Malahat, Ts’uubaa-asatx, Halalt, Penelakut, Stz’uminus, Lyackson, Pauquachin, Ditidaht & Pacheedaht Peoples

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