Community Trails and Tours GUIDE to VANDERHOOF
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Community Trails and Tours GUIDE TO VANDERHOOF www.vanderhoof.cawww.vanderhoof.ca VANDERHOOF COMMUNITY CONTENTS Vanderhoof Community Trail TRAILS Vanderhoof Community Trails . 2 Downtown Core Parks & Green Spaces The Vanderhoof Community Trail Heritage Nature Trail . .4 system is a network of walking trails Stoney Creek Nature Trail . 6 Hospital Motorbike Trail around and through the community . Fire Hall Museum The trail network is an ever expanding Riverside Nature Trail . .8 Police Station Personal Watercraft project . New sections of the trail are WL McLeod Wetland Trail . 10. Airport Picnic Area added each year, so be sure to contact Nechako White Sturgeon . 12. the Vanderhoof Visitor Centre for up- ATV Trail Playground Bird Watching Hot Spots . .14 to-date information . Baseball Post Office Guide to Animal Signs . 16. Biking Trail Public Telephone ABOUT THIS GUIDE Kid-Friendly Stops . 18. Boating Public Washroom This guide is for the enjoyment History & Culture Tour . .20 Camping Recycling Centre of all residents and visitors to the Canoeing Restaurant Nechako Valley . This guide provides suggested tours and trails to enjoy in Community Running Track Garden our community . There are points of RV Camping Cross-country interesting facts along the way to add Skiing Trail Sani-Dump to the experience, by learning about Kenney Dam Float Plane Dock the natural history of our area . Couple Dog Path Sheltered Picnic Area this Tour Guide with the Nature Guide Nature Guide to the Nechako Valley for a complete TO THE NECHAKO VALLEY Shopping Fishing experience . Snowboarding Fitness Equipment For more information on the topics Snowmobiling Trail Garbage Disposal covered in this guide, please contact Snowshoeing Trail Gas Station the Vanderhoof Visitor Centre . Spray Park Golfing Other useful guides for our community Stable Grocery Store and area include: Swimming Hiking Trail Nature Guide of the Nechako Valley Tennis Courts Horse Riding Wilderness Recreation Guide to the Wilderness Recreation Guide Wading Area TO THE NECHAKO VALLEY Ice Fishing Nechako Valley www.vanderhoof.ca Walking Trail Ice Skating Waterskiing Kayaking Wheelchair Access Laundromat Wildlife Viewing Library Lodging Interpretive Kiosk Mechanic Shop Interpretive Trail Sign www.vanderhoof.ca 1 Vanderhoof Community Trails Health Centre Rd Vanderview Dr TRAIL SYSTEM Northside Rd Murray Hospital Rd The Vanderhoof Community Trail system is a complete Creek COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIA Northside Rd loop through Vanderhoof, passing by rivers, parks, Loop Rd Northside Rd wetlands, forests and residential areas . See wildlife big and small — squirrels to swans, deer to butterflies, PETER RODSETH osprey to frogs . Pick up a Nature Guide to learn more MEMORIAL PARK Ave Burrard about the natural history of the Nechako Valley! THE TRAILS RIVERSIDE PARK There are four separate interpretive nature trails along the & CAMPGROUND Vanderhoof Community Trail, each with its own unique part NECHAKO RIVER STURGEON of history . The individual trail cards are on the pages that BIRD SANCTUARY CONSERVATION CENTRE follow . If starting at the Vanderhoof Museum, the trails are: Riverside • Heritage Nature Trail Nature Trail • Stoney Creek Nature Trail Louvain St • Riverside Nature Trail Omineca St Burrard Ave Burrard • WL McLeod Nature Trail Douglas St Douglas St WL MCLEOD WETLAND Vanderhoof OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST Business Centre Victoria St E View St Lampitt Ave Victoria St E Along the way, be sure to visit the Stoney Creek Nature Trail FERLAND larger interpretive signs at the PARK Nechako Valley Connaught St Secondary School • Peter Rodseth Memorial Park Church Ave Gracey Ln Gracey Burrard Ave Burrard Creasy Ave Columbia St W RCMP Rainbow Ave • Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre Bute Ave • Vanderhoof Community Garden Columbia St E Stewart St E SPORTS FIELD & RUNNING TRACK Silversmith Ave Stewart St W • Highway 16 Park Stewart St E Stewart St E HIGHWAY Burrard Ave WHAT TO BRING 16 PARK We want everyone to have a fun time on our trails, and we want you to be safe! Be prepared when you FIRE HALL 16 16 StPine set out for you day, even if it is just a short walk — FRASER AveClark LAKE Second St E conditions can change . Please ensure you have: Recreation Ave VANDERHOOF Third St • a map MUSEUM YELLOWHEAD HWY Fraser Ave • a plan and to let someone know your plan Fourth St Heritage Park & Fourth St • water and food Heritage Nature Trail Fih St • sunscreen, hat, sweater (prepare for the weather) AveClark Nechako Ave • camera, phone etc . Sixth St • ID books and guides RIP’N THE NORTH BIKE PARK Dump Road • Dogs on leash Seventh St Kenney Dam Road PRINCE If you do run into trouble, call 911 . GEORGE To Wilderness Resorts and Saik’uz First Nation Reserve 2 3 Silversmith Ave HERITAGE NATURE TRAIL Heritage Nature Trail @ VanderhoofMuseum POINTS OF INTEREST 1 Vanderhoof Museum, Heritage Park and Trail: The Heritage Park and Trail are situated on the Vanderhoof Museum site . The museum is home to numerous historic buildings and artifacts that tell the story of N Vanderhoof from the early 1900s . 2 Heritage Park: Climb the hill to the gazebo to overlook the Heritage Park . Displays on the heritage of this area, including a caboose you can 0 mm 100m walk through, are located within this park . 3 Bat Box: Bats eat flying insects such as mosquitoes. These bat boxes 16 StPine FRASER 1 have been placed in and around the community to help increase the LAKE 2 population of bats . 3 4 Mixed Forest: Birch, alder, and spruce trees are the dominant trees 4 species within this mixed stand forest that extends from the low flat VANDERHOOF floodplain and rises up the valley wall. Keep note how the proportion of 5 MUSEUM deciduous to coniferous trees changes as you walk along the trail . 6 5 Stoney Creek: This location on Stoney Creek was traditionally utilized extensively as a fishing camp for Saik’uz First Nation. Heritage Park & 7 Look for evidence, such as scat and tracks, of moose Heritage Nature Trail 6 Moose and Deer: 8 and deer along this trail . Moose are the largest member of the deer 11 12 family in North America, and inhabit forests, rivers and wetlands . 9 10 AveClark 7 Stop, Look and Listen: Stop here and listen for birds and other sounds in the forest. Then look around you at the diversity of wildflowers TRAIL DETAILS and plants in the forest understory . You may be surprised! Trail Distance: 1 .25 km 8 Valley Wall: This hill is the outer southern valley wall of the Nechako River . The valley was formed by glaciers over 10,000 years ago . Trail Rating: Moderate RIP’N THE NORTH Notice the thin layer of soil above this Time Estimate: 45 min 9 Bedrock Outcropping: BIKE PARK bedrock outcropping . This thin soil layer supports the lush understory Wheelchairs: Accessible of this area . For the keen-sighted, look closely at the rock outcropping TRAIL DESCRIPTION to see if you are able to make out the face shapes . This site was once a quarry . This well groomed, wide, moderate elevation, gravel trail runs through the forest behind the Vanderhoof Museum site . The trail is a loop, starting and ending at the 10 Paper Trees: White birch, or paper birch, is known for its peeling parking lot . Along the way visitors will enjoy a look-out spot onto Stoney Creek, bark that has been used over the centuries by First Nations for building wildflowers, mixed deciduous and conifer forest as well as seeing and hearing birds canoes . Look for these trees in this forest . and other wildlife . This trail is appropriate for families and is wheelchair accessible . 11 Mountain Biking Trails: The Rip’N the North Bike Club operates a bike park that is located at the top of the valley wall . Trails leading down HOW TO GET THERE from the bike park to the Heritage Nature Trail are used by mountain Coming from the east, drive on Highway 16 and left onto Pine Street (across from the Kal bikers of all skill levels . Ask at the Visitor Centre for more information . Tire) . From the west, the museum site is on the right at the Welcome to Vanderhoof hillside 12 Understory Vegetation: Shrubs, grasses, berries, and flowers sign . There is ample RV parking in the parking lot behind the Vanderhoof Museum . grow within the understory of the tall deciduous and coniferous trees . Understory plant species provide food for large mammals like bear and moose, habitat for birds and insects, and medicines and food for humans . 4 5 STONEY CREEK NATURE TRAIL Stoney Creek Nature Trail OminecaPOINTS St OF INTEREST 1 Railroad Tracks: This is one of the last stretches of the Grandtrunk Railway to be completed in 1914, just before the grand opening of the trans-Canada line in Fort Fraser . The rail line has trains passing nearly Douglas St every hour transporting lumber, fuels and commercial goods . HABITAT 2 Stop and Look. Fish Habitat!: Stoney Creek is roughly 15km long RESTORATION 9 and flows out of Nulki Lake, Saik’uz First Nation, south of Vanderhoof. Look for boulders and Take a few minutes to gaze over the railing and watch for small fish logs that have been (located near the water’s edge or just under the water’s surface) to large added along the banks 8 trout (in the darker deep areas) below the bridge. Fish use floating and of Stoney Creek . These submerged plants, rocks, and fallen trees as shelter from predators create habitat for fish and Lampitt Ave (birds and larger fish) and from fast flowing water. Stoney Creek stabilize the river banks . 7 3 Duckweed: Aquatic plants are important for fish, birds and Nature Trail FERLANDinvertebrates. Duckweed floats on the water’s surface and is highly Learn more about the PARK history of Stoney Creek efficient at purifying the water, and can act as overhead cover for fish and the work being 6 and a landing pad for dragonflies and other invertebrates.