Reflecting on the Trans Canada Trail in British Columbia

Trans Canada Trail in British Columbia

Over a year ago now, in October and November 2022 we hiked into British Columbia on the Trans Canada Trail.  Owing to a combination and exhaustion over the past year we had yet to release blogs detailing our reflections on the TCT in a number of provinces.  Over the coming few weeks we hope to rectify this oversight and provide a general overview of each region, detail a few thoughts on our experiences in each, and perhaps help future hikers. 

Much like Alberta the Great Trail in British Columbia has two distinct routes.  One of these routes traces along the southern border from Elkford to Vancouver and then across to Vancouver Island.  While the other, ventures north out of Alberta along the Dawson Highway to the Yukon where the trek to the Arctic Ocean begins in earnest. 
 

The southern stretch of the TCT navigates from Alberta to Vancouver Island, is more than 1750 km in length, and includes mountain passes, train tunnels, rail trails, long distance cycling paths, paddling routes, and the TCT Pacific Mile Zero marker.   On BC’s stunning segment of Canada’s Great Trail you can hike in the mountains, follow discovery pathways, traverse engineering marvels, walk in the woods, and explore city parkways and promenades.   The possibilities to get out, connect with nature and explore are boundless.
                                

Coming Full Circle, Approaching the Pacific

 
In many ways so much of British Columbia felt like coming full circle as we neared our Pacific destination. 
 
In 2019 we had begun on the “island” of Newfoundland and in 2022 we would end on Vancouver Island.

 
When we began our #Hike4Birds we set out from Cape Spear with members of Nature Newfoundland while at the conclusion of our trek we would walk to Clover Point with members of the Victoria Natural History Society and BC Nature.
 
When we set out we crossed through the amazing Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and when we reached the end of our hike we would do so on the shores of the Victoria Bird Sanctuary. 

 
Next, we ended our first province with a ferry ride to the mainland, while in BC we would reach the end by taking a ferry off of the mainland.
 
Finally we had also ended our first year of trekking through Atlantic Canada amid the snows of late November – something which we would unfortunately repeat as we approached the Pacific.
 
However, while much felt familiar – perhaps a reflection of having lived in Sechelt BC for many years – it did not stop us from having new experiences.  Our time on the Great Trail in BC would see us cross the Rockies, walk though rail tunnels over a kilometer in length and lead us to undertake our first paddled section on the national trail as well as bringing our Atlantic to Pacific trek to a successful conclusion.
 

The “Other” British Columbia

 
What particularly struck us however is that the Trans Canada Trail would push us to reconsider how we viewed the province of British Columbia.   Over the days and weeks we spent hiking we came to see that the Great Trail spent much of its time taking us through “the other BC” on its way from the Rockies to the Pacific. 

 
The province is widely known as Beautiful BC because of its mountain ranges, epic landscapes, stunning coastlines and amazing vistas.  It does of course have all of these things and a great deal more.  However, it is also what most people see of the province when they drive down Highway 1 or fly over the region.  We forget that in many ways these areas have been carefully cultivated to preserve the perspective that BC is a perfectly conserved and limitless province.   The result, as Bruce Obee the author of the TCT Guidebook for BC observed years ago, is that many have a skewed perspective of the region.    

 
Our reconsideration of BC began within days of trekking into the province when we almost immediately found ourselves amid immense forestry cuts, massive coal mines, pump mills, the Trans Mountain Pipeline and industry of unimaginable scale. 
 

In addition, nature itself would also give way to the unexpected for us as we traversed the Rocky Mountain Trench, the deserts of the Okanagan region and prairie like grasslands.   For those, like us, who hold British Columbia to be a province solely of huge mountain ranges, powerful rivers and expansive forests the realities give way to so much more natural diversity than we had anticipated. 

 

Beyond these unexpected aspects of the province the route the national trail followed took us to communities which fewer tourists explore – providing for a tour of small-town and historical British Columbia different from that experienced along the Trans Canada Highway. From the Elk Valley to the Pacific the TCT would weave from mountain passes along maintained rail trails and to historical frontier forts.   As such, we soon came to realize that the Great Trail despite being a relatively new pathway nonetheless followed along  what one author termed routes that were already “well worn”.   In this regard, our expectations of what we thought British Columbia to be would be like where challenged and transformed by our exploration of the “Other BC”.
 

Elk Valley and Coal Discovery Trails

 
Crossing over the Continental Divide we descended from Alberta into British Columbia our 10^th and final province between the Atlantic and Pacific.  We entered BC by trekking over the Elk Pass and through the Elk Valley marking the first time that we had entered a province over a mountain range. 

 
The Elk Valley Trail is the eastern most section of the Trans Canada Trail in southern BC and it is also one of the most remote and exciting routes in the entire Great Trail system.  Continuing off of the amazing High Rockies Trail in Alberta the Elk Valley Trail spans almost 200 km from the Alberta-BC border to the community of Elko.  En route it ventures along the edge of Elk Lakes Provincial Park, and traverses through the towns of Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie and Elko.  Its route begins with a decent from the peak of the Elk Pass and the province of Alberta and follows pathways, hydro cuts and logging roads. 

 
Along the way we camped in BC Recreation Areas, resupplied in local towns, visited the Titan in Sparwood and relaxed in the outdoors community of Fernie.  Throughout the mountain landscapes and forested pathways along this stretch are amazing and allowed us to essentially set up camp along the way without reservations and enjoy the outdoors.
 

Chief Isadore Trail

 
Moving westward we soon came to the Chief Isadore Trail which is one of those quiet routes along the Trans Canada Trail that has been well developed and is locally loved.  The Chief Isadore Trail is 44 km in length stretching from Wardner Community Park into the heart of the beautiful city of Cranbrook.  

This route traces the Isadore Canyon and was historically used by the Ktunaxa peoples.  Along the way regular signage as well as historical plaques have been installed and do a terrific job of acquainting trail users with the region’s Indigenous heritage.  En route we travelled along a mixture of packed gravel surface and well maintained dirt trails as well as enjoying regular picnic areas and incredible scenic views of the nearby Rocky Mountains.
 

North Star Rails 2 Trails

 
Beyond the Chief Isadore Trail is the beginning of a wonderful stretch of pathway – which includes the North Star Rails 2 Trails.  Developed as a multiuse trail in 2010 and built on an abandoned rail line between towns Cranbrook and Kimberley which had previously been used when the region was the center of the provincial mining industry in the 1890s.   

Today the North Star Trail consists of almost 25 km of paved pathways which gives way to easy trekking between the towns of Cranbrook, Marysville and Kimberley.  This well maintained trail navigates regional grasslands and forests providing for a naturally beautiful experience.  As an added bonus the North Star Rails 2 Trail gives users stunning views of the Rocky and Purcell Mountain ranges as well as the opportunity to see hoodoos. 
 

Columbia and Western Rail Trail

 
Most hikers and cyclists looking for great treks in BC head for the Kettle Valley Rail Trail.  As a result however few people take the time to learn about and explore a section the Trans Canada Trail known as the Columbia and Western Rail Trail, a rail trail that extends 160 km from Castlegar to Midway.  This amazing stretch of rail trail rivals the KVR for its amazing amenities, regular shelters, great trail conditions, terrific information plaques, and long distance routes.  In addition to which the C&W Trail includes several train trail tunnels – which hikers and cyclists need to venture through to traverse the route from end to end. 

 

The largest of which is the Bulldog Tunnel which was built in 1899 and is almost 1 kilometer in length and 15 meters tall.  The Bulldog Tunnel – Canada’s longest rail tunnel - is so long that users cannot see the light at the other end, requiring those adventurous at heart to use flashlights and headlamps as they navigate the trail through the dark!  The C&W is not only a terrific rail trail from end to end but it is a wilderness experience that provides users with a wonderful adventure, great scenery, and sightings of elk, moose and bears.

 

Kettle Valley Rail Trail

 
Leaving the tunnels and terrific conditions of the Columbia & Western we continued westward following the popular Kettle Valley Rail Trail with its gravel tract, broad valley views, and vineyards.  The KVR is perhaps British Columbia’s most renowned trail and is consistently featured by tourism sites as well as trail guides – yet there is little publicly shared about it or its conditions.  At almost 500 kilometers in length the Kettle Valley Rail Trail is one of the longest sections of the TCT in both the country and the province.  It spans from the end of the C&W in the town of Midway and crosses to Hope on the edge of the Greater Vancouver region. 

On its own the KVR accounts for almost one third of the TCT in BC, along with the C&W these rail trails comprise exactly one half of the route in southern British Columbia.  The promise of being able to trek such a long distance off busy roadways was enough to impress us.  However the KVR also takes users through the varied landscapes in the region, weaves through a number of historic mining towns along its route and navigates the famed Myra Canyon.

Myra Canyon

 
As noted, at the heart of the KVR and situated amid the unforgettable landscape of Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park is the engineering marvel known as Myra Canyon.  This awe-inspiring stretch of the KVR consists of 20 kilometers of trail taking users over 18 trestle bridges and through 2 tunnels. Trekking Myra Canyon, a National Historic Site of Canada, end to end led us to venture over massive trestles which are improbably perched on the sides of mountains and overlooking stunning valleys.  Its construction was one of the most expensive and impressive parts of the Trans Continental railway – a legacy that continues as part of the Trans Canada Trail.
 

Pipelines, Floods, Landslides and Wild Fires

 
Now unfortunately, after over 1000 km of hiking in British Columbia and as we got closer and closer to Vancouver the Great Trail presented us with a number of unique challenges including having to navigate reroutes, flooded pathways, destroyed trails, and wide spread wildfires.

Trekking westward, at one point the national pathway was unexpectedly rerouted onto roadways to accommodate the installation of the massive Transmountain Pipeline. 

 
Soon after, we discovered that the stretch of the TCT from Princeton to Hope had been undermined in 2021, a year before our arrival, by landslides and flooding.  The result being that huge sections of the pathway had been washed away necessitating that we follow an alternative route into the Greater Vancouver Region.  Yet even this would not be so straight forward a process.  When we arrived the same region which had already endured floods was experiencing widespread wildfires and local trail builders had closed the area to usage.

 
 As a result, the TCT recommended that trail users walk along local roadways and the busy Coquihalla Highway for almost 150 km – an experience that we navigated amid active wildfires, evacuations, and construction.  All in all it was an experience that we ever wish to repeat again. 

 

Historical Fort Langley

 
After a harrowing time traversing BC’s highways amid wildfires we reconnected with the Trans Canada Trail in Hope.   Here we found ourselves on the edge of the Greater Vancouver Area and followed the national pathway to Agassiz, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, then Mission, though Langley, and into Maple Ridge before joining up with the established trails of Fort Langley and Pitt River.  Combined these two trail systems accounted 27 km of established paths spanning from the community of Fort Langley to the outskirts of Pitt Meadows.  

 
Beginning in the beautiful Fort Langley trail we enjoyed terrific local bakeries, educational historical sites, and the shorelines of the Fraser River. Heading westward the packed gravel trail navigated community forests, Indigenous lands, city green spaces and historic farms at Derby Reach Regional Park.   In the community of Walnut Grove the trails of Fort Langley concluded as the TCT turned northward taking users over the awe-inspiring Golden Ears Bridge spanning the Fraser River.
 

Pitt River Regional Greenway

 
Once on the northern shores of the Fraser we found ourselves on the Pitt River Regional Greenway tracing along the top of the Pitt River dykes system with its wide gravel trails ideal for hiking, biking and bird watching.  Here between the mighty Fraser River and the city of Pitt Meadows we enjoyed expansive views of the regional agricultural lands and surrounding mountain ranges.  The result being that the paths of Fort Langley and Pitt River were a superb off road route to hike amid the hustle and bustle of the Greater Vancouver Area.

 
Beyond being fortunate to traverse the massive urban sprawl of the west coast without really walking along roadways our greatest challenge was the shift from wild camping to now having to stay in hotels and deal with the drastically higher costs than we were used to in the smaller communities of British Columbia.
 

Stanley Park, Vancouver

 
The next section of the Great Trail that really stands out was also one of the last that we trekked on the mainland of Canada.  In fact, it is almost too obvious a choice to say that we really enjoyed the Seawall paths around the amazing Stanley Park. Set in the middle of the City of Vancouver, Stanley Park has a network of pathways well beyond those that comprise the Trans Canada Trail.  This entire peninsula is a dedicated natural space, inland lakes, coastal beaches and dense forests for local residents and visitors to explore.

 
It total Stanley Park spans more than 1000 acres in size and is larger than New York’s Central Park and is a designated a National Historic Site of Canada noted for its huge trees and green space at the centre of one of the nation’s largest cities.   In particular the Vancouver Seawall, the route the TCT follows around this amazing urban parks, is one of the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront walkways.   

Along it we trekked under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, visited Indigenous totem poles, saw the famed 9 o’clock gun and wove around a beautiful marina on the edge of the city. 
 

Salish Sea Marine Trail

Leaving the mainland of Canada behind us to the east we next ventured onto one of the many paddling sections of the Great Trail.  These water routes are scattered across the nation and over the four years of our hike we typically walked around them rather than dealing with the logistics of arranging for a kayak or canoe on the go.  Nearing our goal and having now reached the Pacific (and having access to kayaks from Sechelt) it was time for us to try something new. 

 
On the coastline of Horseshoe Bay is one of the most beautiful TCT water routes in Canada - the SalishSea Marine Trail.  Created in 2017 and 267 km in length, the Salish Sea Marine Trail connects Horseshoe Bay, Squamish, and the Sunshine Coast before weaving throughout the Gulf Islands of the Salish Sea to Vancouver Island.  This water route incorporates access to coastal towns, navigates provincial parks, and has a number of possibilities for camping along the shoreline.

 
In terms of marine life the waters here are one of the west coast’s most diverse ecosystems supporting up to 253 fish species, migratory birds, and marine mammals including orcas, sea lions, seals, otters, starfish, jellyfish and various whale species.  The Salish Sea Marine Trail name also reflects the native heritage of the area, which is populated by the Coast Salish, the indigenous peoples of southwest British Columbia and northwest Washington who traditionally inhabited the lands along the Salish Sea.

 
During our time on “the path of the paddle” we saw seals, whales, and coastal birds all the while struggling against coastal tides, strong currents, unexpected swells and tough winds between the islands.  Perhaps most challenging along this route was having to deal with the regular ferry traffic and stunning number of shipping vessels along the Pacific coast. 
 

Cowichan Valley Trail

 
The end of our time in kayaks brought us to Vancouver Island where the next section we would hike, and first on the island is also the most westerly portion of the Trans Canada Trail between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  Developed on a former CN Railway line the Cowichan Valley Trail is a 129 km long path spanning from the town of Ladysmith to the border of Goldstream Provincial Park to the south.

 
One of the country’s nicest Rail Trails, the Cowichan Valley Trail crosses eight restored trestle bridges, taking hikers to picnic and rest areas along the entire route.  Here we trekked under a canopy of lush trees while enjoying spectacular views of the region. Highlights en route include the opportunity to visit the Western Terminus of the Trans Canada Trail in community of Lake Cowichan, venture over the historical Kinsol Trestle, and being able to reconnect with nature beyond the bustle of the city.   

In addition to which this trail begins near and continues beyond the 49^th Parallel – which is the historical Canadian-American southern border.  As this border does not extend across Vancouver Island it means that south bound hikers will get frequent views of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State!
 

Capital Pathways

 
Now on the edge of Victoria and not far from our final destination of the Pacific Terminus of the Trans Canada Trail we followed a series of pathways including the Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail, Galloping Goose Trail and the urban routes BC’s capital city.

 
The Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail is located just north of the provincial capital and connects the Cowichan Valley Trails to the cities of Langford and Victoria.  It traverses the region’s largest park along a packed gravel surface through dense forests while navigating the borders of the Humpback Reservoir.   When we set out onto this trail the undulating terrain and natural beauty of the region led us though arbutus forests and to owls which meant that we took a great deal longer here than anticipated.

 
Connecting amid the suburb of the City of Langley we joined with the Galloping Goose Trail, a 16.5 km long paved route that would lead us into the heart of Victoria.  Named after a historic local rail line, the Galloping Goose kept us off the busy city roadways and led us to explore the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, as well as Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites.  Ultimately it would take us to a point only 5 km from our final goal.

 

British Columbia Deeply Connected with Nature

 
Taken as a whole, there is no denying that the Trans Canada Trail in British Columbia is a monumental challenge – not just to hike or cycle but for those who have built and continue to maintain the national pathway.  From urban walkways, to weaving through the interior grasslands, to long stretches of extensive rail trails, trestles and trail tunnels to mountain passes in the Rockies, southern BC’s potion of the TCT is one of the most varied in the nation.   In crossing the entire southern run of the Great Trail one gets the opportunity to explore the “other” British Columbia, visit frontier towns, discover the history of the province’s development and railways, and to access nature.  

 
Yet the cost of being able to do and see so much in a single province is reflected in the staggering effort required to maintain it and keep it open.   With long stretches of this system being along logging roads and including rail trails that are actively used by lumber companies to access the backwoods the trail could easily degrade.  That it does not is a testament to provincial trail builders such as those amazing people we met on the Columbia and Western.   Similarly, several areas along the route have been repeatedly subject to floods, avalanches, and landslides and have to therefore be continually restored and reopened as a result.  While yet other regions such as the KVR’s Myra Canyon have been rebuilt several times after being destroyed by wildfires.  When taken as a whole the amount of effort required to keep British Columbia’s portion of the Trans Canada Trail running is reflective of the dedication of trail builders across the country.

 
For our part, throughout it all, we were constantly amazed by the province’s natural splendors, beautiful landscapes and its huge variety of wildlife and birds.  There is no denying that the Trans Canada Trail in southern BC provides people with the means to explore, discover, and enjoy the best of the nation’s outdoors.   A route which enables all who are adventurous to climb the Rocky Mountains, trek the continental trench, traverse historic dykes and paddle the Salish Sea is stunning to behold.