Chilliwack River Ecological Reserve Trail

A lovely trail meandering south through old growth cedar, fir and hemlock.

Statistics

Directions

From Highway #1 (Trans-Canada Highway) in Chilliwack, take Exit #119 heading South. Follow Vedder Road through Sardis until a 3-way stop immediately before the Vedder River Bridge. Turn left onto Chilliwack Lake road at the stop sign.

Follow Chilliwack Lake Road to the end of the pavement where the main entrance to Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park is. Instead of turning right and past the park gates, continue straight onto a dirt forestry road. The road is in fairly rough shape with large potholes but small cars can still make it at a slow pase. Follow the forestry road until you reach a barricaded gate on the Depot Creek Bridge, near the south end of the lake. Park here.

Details

The trail is unmaintained and a bit rough with some deadfall and bushy sections, but overall it is fairly easy to follow. Old growth cedar, fir and hemlock trees can be found along this trail, with many of them being quite impressive in stature. The trail continues along the Upper Chilliwack River leading south to the American border, but most people only hike to the section of old growth forest.

To reach the trail, walk across the gated bridge and past a sign marking the start of the Chilliwack River Ecological Reserve. An ecological reserve is a special type of park designed to preserve special natural ecosystems. Please tread lightly– it is against the law to camp, start fires, hunt, fish, or establish new trails here. Once across the bridge, continue down the old road for approximately one kilometer before reaching a pleasant sandy beach on the south end of Chilliwack Lake.

Beyond this point, the road quickly becomes overgrown. Approximately 100-200 meters past the beach, watch for a faint trail on your left that may be marked with an old ecological reserve sign. This is the original trailhead for the Chilliwack River Ecological Reserve Trail. A marsh has expanded over the trail here, and all that remains of the original bridge is broken and fallen to one side. By whatever means you can, make your way around the watery terrain to the forest on the other side.

The unmaintained Canadian side of the trail is locally known as the "Chilliwack River Ecological Reserve Trail". On the US side of the border the route is better maintained and is known as the "Chilliwack River Trail". Hiking the entire route from the Depot Creek bridge to Hannegan Road in Washington State is a total distance of approximately 48 km. Make sure to check into the legalities of hiking across the border before heading across the line. (As of 2010 it is not Legal to hike across the border. You must cross at a border checkpoint now)

Photographs

GPS Waypoints

Depot Creek bridge (gated)	N49.02574 W121.38832	10U 617819 5431568
Sandy beach	N49.01583 W121.40186	10U 616853 5430446
Start of original Ecological Reserve trail	N49.01516 W121.40303	10U 616769 5430370
South edge of marsh	N49.01253 W121.40374	10U 616723 5430076
Trail reaches edge of Chilliwack River	N49.01153 W121.40615	10U 616549 5429961
Directly across river from Hanging Lake trailhead	N49.00999 W121.40558	10U 616594 5429791
Small bridge	N49.00756 W121.40857	10U 616382 5429516
Old 2.0km marker (based on original trailhead)	N49.00298 W121.41274	10U 616087 5429001
Trail washed out / undermined	N49.00185 W121.41172	10U 616164 5428877
Trail overgrown	N49.00168 W121.41095	10U 616221 5428859
Canada / United States border	N49.00000 W121.40664	10U 616540 5428679