When I asked my Christmas dinner hosts for ideas on day excursions from Campbell River, the first thing they mentioned was the Canyon View Trail, just outside of Campbell River. Today I awoke to a day off and good hiking conditions (overcast with sunny patches and plus four) so I decided I would go check out this trail.
The Canyon View Trail is very easy to access. Follow highway 28 towards Gold River for about ten minutes (a mere 3km from downtown) to the John Hart power plant. That’s the official trailhead, but I saw two other places to park and access the trail before that. The power plant is on BC Hydro property, but much of the trail is actually in Elk Falls Provincial Park.
One of the things that appealed to me about this trail is that it is a loop. It is about six kilometres long and relatively easy; most of the hike is along established pathways. There is one sudden elevation change that I will discuss below, but, otherwise, it’s a very easy walk.
From the power plant and facing the river, you can either go left or right. I went right and feel that this is the way to best experience the Canyon View Trail as the trail starts off in a rather boring fashion and then, just near the end of the loop, suddenly climbs high above a canyon for stunning views. What a great reward for all those kilometres already hiked!
One thing spoiled the mood in the woods today; an atrocious stench along some stretches of the trail. The riverbank was littered with the rotting carcasses of hundreds of huge salmon. There has been a lot of flooding in that area, so I am assuming the fish all died of natural causes from being caught on dry land after the water receded. I’ve included a picture of dead fish, the least icky one I took, in the following picture gallery; viewer discretion is advised.
From the trailhead, if you go right the trail will pretty much follow the highway and you will need to walk on asphalt for a bit to get to a bridge to cross the river. The trail is definitely a lot more woodsy on the other side and you will have the chance to walk by some old growth Douglas firs. You will circle a BC Hydro installation and continue until you see the power plant ahead of you, on the other side of the river. Shortly thereafter, the trail will climb dramatically until it takes you to a narrow steel walkway spanning an impressive canyon. The walkway covers a natural gas pipeline.
I was surprised by how well I did on that bridge as it was surprisingly bouncy. I did keep an elbow on the railing most of the time, but I wasn’t clinging to anything and I took the time for plenty of shots. Might our intrepid author have actually conquered her height phobia?
After the bridge you will head down towards the power plant and will actually have to cross it to get back to the parking lot. The noise coming from it was deafening and two hours later my ears are still ringing! I’d suggest moving along rather than stopping to take photographs.
My only complaint about the trail is that it isn’t very well marked. I recommend stopping at the parking lot at the entrance to Elk Falls, which you will pass if you starting hiking from the power plant. There is a map there of the extensive trail network in the area which will help guide you along the correct route. Had I not done this, I would have had no idea where to go from this parking lot. As it turns out, it’s where you need to leave the woods for the short walk along the highway. The intuitive thing to do is to keep following the woodsy trail, which ends in a very sudden drop.
I very much enjoyed the Canyon View Trail and look forward to exploring other trails in the vicinity of Campbell River.
Look out for this sign on the right side of the highway if you want to park at the power plant. It’s easy to spot if you’re driving at the speed limit.
This is pretty much what I imagined ‘wild’ Vancouver Island would look like.
fly fisherman
There were all kind of things marked in this sandy cove.
a retaining wall
close up of the a shallow, clear-as-a-mirror river just before a small fall
The flat calm made it hard to believe this is a river.
Mushrooms
map of the trail network
Fishermen
Fighting the current
Campbell River takes fishing seriously; this is a wheelchair accessible fishing platform. Impressive!
this was a shrine to a young boy
bamboo
the not-so-nice part of the trail
this gull fought the current for a bit…
then decided to just go with the flow until he finally flew off
lovely beach
the least gruesome dead fish picture
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…”
Dead bamboo that I mistook for a nanosecond for tarantula legs. *shudders*
some cool fungus
close-up of the jewel-like fungus
all the yummy varieties of salmon found in the campbell river
what a lovely place for a picnic, right next to a noisy power installation
having grown up near a hydro-electric dam I know that this sort of flat calm right next to active water spells danger
ducks not caring about the warning signs
one of the very rare trail markers
Douglas fir
the passage of eons, immortalized in layers of stone
part of the way up the canyon…
with this ahead of you
keep your eye out for this brief flash of blue hidden within the emerald foliage
one heck of a drop….
worth the climb and, especially, the whole stopping over thin air on a flimsy bridge thing
this sign amused me
cute little staircase
this part of the trail reminded me of wandering around Alcatraz Island!
