Valemount’s Cranberry Marsh trail gets an upgrade — and there’s more to come

By Laura Keil

The Cranberry Marsh / Starratt Wildlife Management Area is a popular trail and wildlife viewing area for locals and visitors alike, but in recent years the southern side of the loop has been plagued with flooding that has rendered it a boggy mess.

Recently the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship took on that problem and installed a temporary boardwalk to span the worst areas with a more permanent solution to come. 

The Ministry says they and the Nature Trust of B.C. are engaging with conservation partners and Simpcw First Nation on a management plan and expansion of the Wildlife Management Area (see sign below). Their short-term goal is to build a raised boardwalk but construction requires freezing conditions, so the earliest it could be built is this winter.

The current temporary boardwalk uses fir 2×12 planks on hemlock 6×6 blocks acquired from the local industrial park mill. “We hope to incorporate these materials into the permanent structure design, but this will depend on the designs,” said a Ministry statement.

Why did it take so long?

The trail has been flooded for several years and locals had laid down wooden pallets to try to form a makeshift bridge while the Province and Nature Trust agreed on a plan.

The Province said it’s taken time to find the cause of the flooding and explore solutions. 

“We hoped removing a disintegrating old culvert last year would eliminate blockage contributing to the change in water flow and flooding of the trail,” said a statement from the Ministry. “This helped, but beavers then built a series of dams that have caused the current trail flooding.”

For now, the interim boardwalk provides a good solution to the worst areas, though with all the rain this summer it’s still crucial to have good footwear on this hike!

Other info

Users have also reported nesting hawks dive bombing walkers on the existing raised boardwalk near 17th Ave so beware. As always, bears are frequently sighted along the south side so make lots of noise and carry bear spray. 

For a shorter outing that avoids the south side, park at the Best Western and do an in-and-back hike along the dyke, which provides stunning views of the marsh, Canoe Mountain and the Premier Range. 

For more information visit hikevalemount.com/cranberry-marshstarratt-wildlife-management-area/