A Most Spectacular Forest Hike
WCWC began construction of hiking trails in Carmanah Valley in May 1988. By the end of July, more than 500 people had already hiked the trails to visit this spectacular valley.
Starting near the end of the last logging road west of the mid valley, the Carmanah Trail descends 2 km to Camp Heaven on the valley bottom. From here the trail winds 4 km upstream, combining river views with rambles through the finest Sitka spruce groves in Canada.
The trail south from Camp Heaven is under construction, and WCWC does not recommend that hikers use this portion before it is finished. The trail route is scouted above the canyon which is phenomenally grand and awe inspiring for its size. The trail then will descend down to the 95 metre tall Carmanah Giant, Canada's tallest known tree. WCWC will not build the trail further but eventually hopes that Parks Canada will connect it to the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park, only 1.5 km away.
Details on how to get to the trail head through the maze of public logging roads and drive safely on them are available from the Wilderness Committee's office upon request.
Even if you are unable to visit the valley personally, letters to political leaders and newspaper editors expressing your opinion will help you share in the magical spirit of Carmanah.
Preservation of Whole Valley Essential
Protection of the entire watershed is essential if the forests on the floodplain are to be properly protected from the effects of clear cut logging and road construction. Clear cutting results in increased runoff, stream bank erosion, landslides, altered drainage patterns, and blowdown where trees are exposed to high winds along the edges of logging cuts.
Equally important is the need to maintain naturally functioning ecosystems in the watershed. The spruce groves are a temporary stage in the life cycle of the forest, generally becoming established on old river channels and gravel bars. Over time, they will be replaced with hemlock/amabilis fir climax forests, while new spruce grovers develop on more recently exposed gravel bars as Carmanah Creek meanders. Preservation of the entire watershed is the only way to ensure the continued presence of these magnificent spruce groves in perpetuity.
1988 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of Olympic National Park, where the United States protected its finest Stitka spruce rain forests in an unprecedented act of foresight. It is time for Canada to do the same.
