Strathcona Provincial Park

Forbidden Plateau Area

School groups planning to hike in Strathcona Park are asked to register with the Vancouver Island Region. Click here to register.

NEW! Paradise Meadows Trailhead and Parking Lot - Visitors wanting to access the
Paradise Meadows area will be happy to learn that Mount Washington Alpine Resort has donated land to BC Parks for a new trailhead and parking lot. The new trailhead and parking lot is located adjacent to the Raven Lodge, 800 metres further along the road from the old trailhead area. As the land has been amalgamated to Strathcona Park, there are now no summer parking restrictions for visitors to worry about (winter restrictions still exist - please refer to information on the following link:

/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/strathcn/winter_parking_restrictions.pdf

The new access trail will provide visitors with a beautiful new experience as it winds its way around the opposite side of the meadows, offering new views of wetlands, ponds and mountain vistas. The new
1 km trail connects into the old trail system at a junction just south of the meadow ponds, where the trail enters the forest enroute to Helen Mackenzie Lake. From the junction, visitors can head south along the existing rougher forested trail towards Helen Mackenzie Lake, or continue their meadows experience along an additional .5 km of new extra wide boardwalk. Unfortunately there is no perimeter/circle trip around the meadows available at this time.

The new access trail has been designed for disabled access with grades averaging approximately 5% (there are some very short steeper sections that have been mitigated with flat landings and side pull-outs). The new trail has been constructed using both extra wide boardwalk in the wetter areas, as well as hard-packed gravel in the drier zones. The trail should be suitable for most types of wheelchairs and battery powered scooters.

Trails from Paradise Meadows Trailhead:

• Paradise Meadows Loop Trail: Length, 4.2 km. (return). Suggested hiking time, 1.5 hours minutes. An easy walk through sub-alpine meadows on a disabled access boardwalk and gravel trail; in season the meadows are lushly carpeted with lupines, heathers, paintbrush, monkey-flowers and violets. The trailhead is located at the parking lot of the Mount Washington Nordic ski area, 25 km from Courtenay.
• Helen McKenzie-Battleship Lake Loop Trail: Length, 8 km. Suggested hiking time, 3 hours. Elevation gain: 70 m. An easy hike on well-developed trails through a mixture of sub-alpine meadows carpeted with pretty flowers and forests of yellow cedar, amabilis fir and mountain hemlock.
• Helen McKenzie-Kwai Lake-Croteau Lake Loop Trail: Length, 14 km. Suggested hiking time, 6 hours. Elevation gain: 185 m. This trail offers hikers access to beautiful sub-alpine lakes and mountain vistas. Designated camping is available at Kwai Lake and represents an easy family destination.
• Helen McKenzie to Circlet Lake: Length, 9.5 km. Suggested hiking time, 4 hours. Elevation gain: 270 m. From Lake Helen McKenzie the trail follows forested slopes over rougher terrain before rising to a rolling sub-alpine area. The Hairtrigger Lake area provides spectacular mountain views. Designated camping available at Circlet Lake.

Other Trails - From Kwai Lake

• Cruikshank Canyon Lookout: Length, 1.5 km. Suggested hiking time, 1 hour. Elevation gain: 60 m. Trail passes Mariwood Lake and Lake Beautiful.

Other Trails and Routes - From Circlet Lake

• Moat Lake: Length, 2.5 km. Suggested hiking time, 1 hour. Elevation gain: 70 m.
• Amphitheatre Lake: Length, 1.6 km. Suggested hiking time, 1 hour. Elevation gain: 80 m.
• Mount Albert Edward: Length, 6.5 km. Suggested hiking time, 5 hours. Elevation gain: 935 m. This route begins as a trail, but after the Moat Lake Trail the route climbs steadily onto the ridge and continues to the summit.

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