Points of Interest

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Hiking

Ridge-Meadows is blessed with an abundance of areas where people can head for light to moderate hikes.

• The UBC Research Forest offers trails varying in length from 2.5 km to 7 km. Hikers can see some of the biggest Cedar and Douglas Fir trees in the area and look out over the Fraser Valley from a number of viewpoints.
• The dyking system is a year-round source of pleasure for walkers. This network of dykes, set up to protect low-lying areas from flooding, also serves a recreational purpose. Most of the dykes meander alongside the Pitt and Alouette Rivers, as well as the Fraser River.
• Kanaka Creek Regional Park, at Lougheed Hwy and River Road, offers walks along the Fraser River and is also excellent for short runs. Further upstream, at 252nd St. and 116th Ave, there are trails that follow Kanaka Creek.
• Some of the most popular trails in Golden Ears Park are the lower and upper waterfall trails in the east canyon. The Park is accessed via Fern Crescent off 232nd Street. The trails are located on the east side of Gold Creek. The lower falls hike is estimated at about three-quarters of an hour each way while the upper falls trip is about 1.25 hours each way.
• Alder Flats in Golden Ears Park is accessed from the west canyon trail parking lot. The trail travels through alder trees, across Evans Creek and to a wilderness campsite. From there, hikers can follow an old logging road towards Panorama Ridge. There is a large open area that provides a magnificent view of Edge Peak and the Golden Ears. The hike is estimated at 2.5 hours each way.

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Wetlands

What you will need:
The six-kilometre triangular route is open year round and is exposed to all degrees of weather. In winter months, dress warmly and take along rain gear. In summer, the sun can be unrelenting on the open dykes. Wear a sun hat and take along a good quality sunscreen. Good walking shoes, binoculars and a camera are also essential. You should take a snack but, in case you forget, there is a concession stand at Grant Narrows.

What you will find:
There are two viewing towers on the trail, one on the main dike, just east of the parking lot and the other at the south end of the secondary dike at the point where it turns east. A mountainside trail also leads from the dike trail along the western slopes of the Malcolm Knapp UBC Research Forest. There are countless opportunities anywhere along the trail system to view wildlife and the wide variety of vegetation and plants in the marsh. The marsh and surrounding wetlands are reportedly home to more than 200 species of birds and waterfowl.

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Whonnock Lake

What you will need:
To properly enjoy Whonnock Lake, plan on taking the entire family and spend the day there. Depending on the time of year, you should bring lawn chairs, beach blankets, towels, Frisbees, a volleyball, other leisure time toys, a good book, a swim suit, a good quality sunscreen. There is a concession stand just in case you forget to pack a picnic lunch.

What you will find:
Local kids say Whonnock Lake boasts the world's largest tadpoles. They can be found in the shallow water around the shores of the lake. Besides an ample grassy playground, there is an excellent small beach and canoe rentals. There is also a gazebo that can be used for barbecues or as an emergency shelter if it rains.

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Cliff Falls

What you will need:
Good walking shoes are recommended but sneakers or other footwear would be sufficient. A small snack or drink should be taken along if you plan to take advantage of some of the more secluded spots around the falls to simply enjoy nature's bounty.

What you will find:
There are intriguing water- sculpted rock and sandstone formations on both branches of the creek. Because of the steep cliffs, it is absolutely essential to follow the directional signs and to not stray beyond marked boundaries on any part of the Cliff Falls trail system. Ferns, Cedars, Hemlock, Douglas Firs and a variety of deciduous trees can be found around Cliff Falls. There are also frogs, fish and several species of birds.

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Bell Irving Fish Hatchery

What you will need:
Normal footwear is fine if you are going directly to the hatchery but hiking boots or good quality walking shoes are a must if you choose the canyon trail. Take along a snack and take time to enjoy the short hike from the park to the hatchery.

What you will find:
Nursery logs, sword ferns, towering Cedar, Hemlock and Douglas Fir trees serve as a backdrop for the tumbling and cascading creek. Unusual tailed frogs and the dipper bird will be found along the creek. The hatchery includes rearing ponds and offers free tours on weekends between 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. Video [WMV, 4.4MB]

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Golden Ears Park Lookout

What you will need:
The type of clothing required will depend on the time of year, but good hiking boots or walking shoes are always essential. A good camera and binoculars will help make any hike to the lookout a memorable experience. You should also have a good quality sunscreen. There are no food facilities in Golden Ears Park, so a light snack and drink would be helpful.

What will you find:
The trail is steeply inclined over some portions and might be more than the average armchair adventurer wants to tackle. A variety of conifers and deciduous trees share the slopes with smaller growth such as ferns and salmon berries. The lookout itself offers a grand vista of the surrounding countryside.

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About Maple Ridge

The Katzie and Whonnock natives that have lived in this favoured land for thousands of years travelled in their cedar dugout canoes on the many rivers and streams that now define our borders. The settlers that began to come here in the mid 1800's also travelled by water, on the paddlewheeler that plied the Fraser River.

Fewer than fifty families had begun the task of building a community here in 1874 when they formed the Municipality of Maple Ridge. This was the fifth area in British Columbia to incorporate, preceded only by Victoria, New Westminster, Langley, and Chilliwack, so we can count ourselves a true pioneer district. Many early settlers had worked at the Hudson's Bay Company trading post at Fort Langley, and some were members of the Royal Engineers who were dispatched to this area in 1858 when British Columbia became a crown Colony.

John McIver took up a land grant on the height of land north of the Fraser River and cleared it for farming. He had the vision to bring the men of the district together on his farm to form this Municipality. The stately western broad leafed maple trees that bordered McIver's property lent their name to both his original farm and in 1874 to the whole district. Story has it that the organizing meeting took place under the shelter of one of these maple trees. People may still visit that tree, on the south end of the first hole on Maple Ridge Golf Course, now occupying McIver's farm property.

Nothing was easy for these early pioneers of Maple Ridge, which then stretched from the Stave River on the east to the Pitt River on the west. The first task was to cut down the heavy forest cover so they could begin farming. Building roads, collecting taxes and lobbying the B.C. government for a bridge occupied early council members. Meanwhile, people formed community groups to build churches, erect schools, and begin the Fall Fairs that have continued here since 1901.

Some of that original community spirit in Maple Ridge lives on today as local groups work to volunteer their time and effort to help make this a viable, human scale district that still respects its natural endowment of water and wild areas.

Excerpts from the 1997 Ridge-Meadows Adventure Guide. Reproduced with permission from the Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows News.

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