WIDGEON CREEK CANOEING & HIKING WIDGEON FALLS

Pitt Meadows, British Columbia
by Susie Lee

Widgeon Creek is one of my favourite destinations for canoeing. It is an incredibly beautiful and scenic area surrounded by snow capped mountains. In the summer time, the waters are calm and shallow, making this location one of the safest destinations for canoeing in the Greater Vancouver Area. Best of all, it is less than a 45 minute drive from Vancouver.

Ayla Canoe Rentals is located in Grant Narrows Regional Park. This is where Widgeon Creek and Pitt River meet Pitt Lake. Ayla canoes has over 100 canoes available for rent. For larger groups you may want to make a reservation before hand. On busy summer days, most of the canoes are gone by 11:00 AM so arrive early. Ayla Canoes is open 7 days a week 8:00 am till 6:00 pm (March 1st through to October 31st).

CANOEING IN WIDGEON CREEK

As featured in the show, it is definitely a good idea to bring a plastic or garbage bag to contain items you don’t want to get wet (ie. hiking boots, camera, lunch). I usually throw this bag in the middle of the canoe before I start paddling. I also like to wear my crocs or aqua shoes while I paddle as I like my hiking boots nice and dry once we start hiking.

Avoid standing when in a canoe, this causes the canoe to become unstable and increases your chances of tipping over. When getting in and out of a canoe always remember to keep your center of gravity low and try have someone on shore to stabilize and secure the canoe.

To get to Widgeon Creek, you’ll have to paddle for about 10 minutes across Pitt River. This is the only part of the canoe trip where the waters might be a bit choppy. Once you cross Pitt River, the rest of your journey should be calm and relaxing as you coast along the tranquil waters of Widgen Creek. Follow the signs to lead you to the picnic area which is the starting point of your hike to Widgeon Falls.

The canoeing portion of this adventure should take you about 1 hour. In the summer time, some areas of the creek might be too shallow causing you to get stuck on some sandbars. This is the fun part as you’ll have to navigate your way through the waters to avoid getting stuck. Once in a while, you may have to get off your canoe and drag yourself out of a sandbar or two. For this reason, I strongly recommend you wear your second pair of shoes while canoeing (ie. aqua shoes, crocs, old pair of runners) There’s nothing worst than starting a hiking excursion with your hiking boots or shoes all wet from the canoe trip.

HIKING TO WIDGEON FALLS

When you arrive at the picnic area at Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, be sure to remember the name of your canoe as often times there will be many other canoes that will look just like yours. You sure don’t want to paddle off with someone’ else’s canoe on the way back. Gently lift and bring your canoe to shore to avoid it from drifting away accidentally.

To get to Widgeon Falls, you have the choice to hike the easier gravel service road or the more scenic and challenging forest trail. Each trail takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to hike to the falls. In the early spring or fall, the forest trail may sometimes be muddy and slippery so you may want to consider the service road.

Once you reach the lower falls, another 5 to 10 minutes of hiking will take you to the upper falls of Widgeon Falls. While tempting, be careful not to hike too close to the edge of the granite boulders. Be sensible! My favourite part of this adventure is to be able to sit and have lunch beside the waterfalls while listening to the soothing sounds of the waterfalls flowing endlessly against the granite boulders.

Give yourself enough time to get back. Due to fatigue reasons, the journey back will often take longer than the journey there. As a courtesy to the Ayla Canoe Rentals, be sure to be back by 5:30 PM.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Ayla Canoes
www.aylacanoes.com
Tel. 604-941-2822

+ Part 1: WIDGEON CREEK CANOEING & HIKING
+ Part 2: MAKING A BEELINE FOR HONEYLAND
+ Part 3: SKYDIVING WITH PACIFIC SKYDIVERS

+ Download PDF One-sheet
+ www.aylacanoes.com