Stanley Park, Vancouver © Images Courtesy of Trans Canada Trail
Spring has sprung! Cue birdsong, blooms, and a splash of colour coming to a trail near you. It’s the perfect time to get outside, rain or shine, and celebrate flora and fauna coming back to life. Here are some suggestions for flower spotting along the Trans Canada Trail in British Columbia.
City of Vancouver Trail: pinks and greens
Come spring, Vancouverites like to brag—ahem…share—about the beauty of cherry blossom season, when the city turns into a sea of soft pink. It’s such a hit that the city now features a cherry blossom festival! Enjoy a jaunt along the City of Vancouver Trail in Stanley Park. You’ll find cherry blossoms near the rose garden and Japanese memorial, just off the Trail within the park.
Great Northern Rail Trail: greens and whites
Set out on the Trail in the spring and prepare for green dotted with white—from lovely thimbleberry flowers! The Great Northern Rail Trail runs from Nelson to Salmo and offers excellent hiking and mountain biking routes. The Trail follows an old railbed with minimal grade changes, making it an excellent choice for families heading out for a walk or a bike ride. Note that a section of the Trail may be closed later in the spring because of grizzly bear activity.
Kettle Valley Rail Trail: vibrant yellows
When in the Okanagan, it won’t be hard to spot beautiful balsamroot, which grows just about everywhere. This relative of the sunflower adds a gorgeous splash of colour to the landscape. Head out on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, a cycling route that takes you from Princeton to Midway via Summerland, Penticton and Naramata. This nearly 500-kilometre-long trail offers stunning views and epic rides through B.C.’s wine country
and beyond.
Cowichan Valley Trail: whites, yellows and greens
We’d be remiss not to mention the Pacific dogwood, B.C.’s national flower, which blooms into beautiful whites on and around the Cowichan Valley Trail. You may also spot Hooker’s fairy bells, beautiful bell-shaped flowers that offer a mix of whites and yellows. And don’t forget the ever-present sword fern along the Trail and pretty much in any
Pacific Coastal temperate rainforest setting, which adds a touch of lush green wherever you find it. The Cowichan Valley Trail runs from the connection with the Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Trail to just north of Ladysmith, offering over 125 kilometres of walking and cycling trails.
This spring, explore the world’s longest recreational Trail
You can’t beat spring in B.C.! With 80 per cent of people across Canada living within 30 minutes of a Trans Canada Trail section, there’s likely to be one near you. Find your local Trail section using our map, then head outside to shake off winter and enjoy the spring blooms.
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As the longest trail network in the world, the Trans Canada Trail connects Canadians and visitors to nature and to one another, from coast to coast to coast, through accessible and inclusive outdoor activities.
