1 | Vancouver Island Nature Viewing Region | ||
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2 | Buttle Lake Area | ||
3 | Strathcona Provincial Park: Shepherd Creek & Wild Ginger Trails | ||
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5 | Shepherd Creek Marsh: photo by Krista Kaptein | Wild Ginger Trail: photo by Krista Kaptein | |
6 | Two trails on either side of Ralph River in Strathcona Park - the Shepherd Creek Trail & Wild Ginger Trail - feature large Douglas-fir and redcedar, as well as unusual plants such as mistletoe and wild ginger. | ||
7 | Photo Gallery | ||
8 | Geographical Description | Along Shepherd Creek at the south end of Buttle Lake. | |
10 | Area/ Trail Length | Strathcona Park is 245,807 ha. Shepherd Creek & Wild Ginger Trails = 2.6 km loop. | |
11 | Seasons to Visit | Year round. Spring for flowers. | |
12 | Habitat | Old-growth Douglas-fir forest; riparian, marsh. | |
13 | Viewing Highlights | Large redcedar & Douglas-fir. Flowers in spring. Unusual plants such as mistletoe. Parasitic plants such as candystick in summer. Wild ginger along Wild Ginger Trail. Butterflies at marsh. | |
14 | Other Features | ||
15 | Main Access | Along Westmin Road, 20.5 km south of Buttle Narrows bridge. | |
16 | Secondary Accesses | ||
17 | Cautions | ||
18 | Jurisdiction | BC Parks. | |
19 | Regulations | No fires. Tributaries to Buttle Lake are closed to angling. | |
20 | Facilities | Parking lot, signage, toilets. Camping adjacent at Ralph River Campground. | |
21 | Other Recreational Activities | Swimming, paddling at campground. | |
22 | Other Connections | River & lakeshore access at Ralph River campsite. Many other trails of varying difficulty in Strathcona Park. | |
23 | History | Strathcona Provincial Park, designated in 1911, is the oldest provincial park in BC. | |
24 | FMI | ||
25 | Links | BC Parks | |
26 | BC Parks iNaturalist Project | ||
27 | Strathcona Wilderness Institute | ||
28 | Friends of Strathcona Park | ||
29 | Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas | ||
30 | Wildlife Viewing on Vancouver Island |