February 2023 Vancouver Hike Of The Month: Maplewood Flats

Picture: Rohit D’Silva/Unsplash

Maplewood Flats is a singular oceanside chook sanctuary within the coronary heart of North Vancouver. The community of simple trails is a superb place for a hike to identify many species of overwintering birds.

Path Data: Straightforward; 3.5 km loop; no elevation achieve; 1 hour; canines not allowed in a lot of the path system.

Security First: AdventureSmart recommends bringing a backpack with important security and first support gear on each hike. Examine the forecast and pack further clothes for the climate. Go away a visit plan so somebody is aware of the place you’re going and when you can be again. Take a look at our suggestions for protected winter climbing in Vancouver for extra recommendation.

Getting There By Automobile: From Vancouver, take the Iron Staff’ Memorial Bridge to North Vancouver. Take exit 23B onto Dollarton Freeway and observe it for 1.7 km. Flip proper onto the entry highway for the Wild Fowl Belief of British Columbia. There may be parking alongside the entry highway. On weekends, it’s possible you’ll park within the worker parking space.

Getting There By Bus: There’s a bus cease simply previous the doorway on Dollarton Freeway. You will get there on bus 212 or 215 from Phibbs Change in North Vancouver.

The Path: The path community at Maplewood Flats is small, however there may be tons to see. Use the self-guided tour map to seek out your means round.

The hike begins on the Wild Fowl Belief information hut on the south finish of the car parking zone. On weekends, the hut is staffed by useful volunteers and the washrooms are open. Look to your proper throughout the channel to see a singular artwork set up. Known as From Shangri la to Shangri La, artist Ken Lum created scale fashions of previous squatters’ shacks that have been situated close to right here within the Sixties and 70s.

After you have got loved the artwork, flip left and observe the trail east towards the ocean. After a curve, take two totally different facet trails to the left for a view of the intertidal mud flats. This zone supplies habitat for a lot of sea birds, which feed on crabs, shrimp, and clams. Wood pilings offshore have nest packing containers for swallows.

Again on the primary path, the path curls to the west at Osprey Level and crosses a bridge over Barge Channel. Look ahead to herons fishing within the shallow waters. As a consequence of delicate wildlife, canines should not allowed on the far facet of the bridge.

Picture: Bosancich123/Wikimedia Commons used underneath CC BY-SA 4.0

As soon as throughout the bridge, flip left and observe the trail because it parallels the shoreline. Hold left on the fork, then flip left onto a spur path instantly after to take pleasure in an oceanside viewpoint. Proceed alongside the primary path because it passes a marsh on the precise. Watch and pay attention for Noticed Towhees, Black-capped Chickadees and Kinglets flitting by way of the undergrowth right here.

Noticed Towhee. Picture: Linda Marsh/Unsplash

Previous the marsh, observe one other facet path to the left to Otter Level and one other viewpoint. Return to the primary path and make your subsequent left onto a brief loop path with views of the salt marsh the place salt and contemporary water combine. It’s a great place to observe for waterfowl amongst the grasses and reeds.

Proceed north on the primary path to West Pond, the biggest pond in Maplewood Flats. The viewing platform supplies a vantage level to observe the geese together with interesting-looking species such because the Hooded Merganser.

Hooded Merganser. Picture: Paul Criminal/Unsplash

From the pond, observe the path north by way of the cottonwood and alder forest. Hold an eye fixed out for owls on this space. The path curls round to the south and passes Dragonfly Pond earlier than arriving at East Pond and a junction. Flip left to observe the path previous the pond. A spur path in your left climbs a mild hill to the Maplewood Lookout.

Path by way of the forest. Picture: Rohit D’Silva/Unsplash

Again on the primary path, observe it throughout the bridge, then flip left to go again to the parking space and bus cease.

By Taryn Eyton
Supply Inside Vancouver