The Willingdon Beach Trail is a “must-see” if you’re visiting Powell River. The trail starts in Willingdon Beach Park, the flagship park for the city. This huge park is right on the beach and has two great playgrounds, a large grass area to play, an amphitheatre, a waterpark, a huge sandy beach for exploring and more.
The Willingdon Beach Trail can be accessed in the northwest corner of the park by the beach. This 1.2 kilometre trail is ideal for families as it’s a wide, flat surface that kids can run along. The trail runs parallel to the beach so on one side you’ll have a beautiful old growth forest and the other, a large sandy beach. But the scenery isn’t the only thing that makes this trail so special.
Here’s a list of other things that make this one of the top trails to check out:
Interpretive signs
The trail is filled with interpretative signs every 200 or so feet. These signs help educate visitors on the different elements of the trail, featuring everything from plants to animals, trees to historical points of interest.
Forestry Equipment
My kids loved that there was a host of old forestry equipment along the trail that they COULD play on. These pieces were too big to fit into the Forestry Museum so they decided to showcase them here! This trail took us almost two hours to complete as they spent so much time exploring all of the different equipment.
Beach Access
Interested in beachcombing along the sandy shores? Be sure to take one of the side trails down to the beach and enjoy some time next to the water.
Unique Trees
Trees are resilient, but some of these trees are just relentless! Check out this big tree as it keeps working it’s way towards the sunlight!
Is that a tugboat in the forest?
Sure, not your typical sighting but one the kids were excited to see. This tugboat was used to help push logs around into log booms, but now is a perfect place to stop and play along the trail.
A coffee maker
“That’s the biggest coffee maker I’ve ever seen” said my daughter. When I was finished laughing I explained to her that no, it wasn’t a coffee maker but it was actually used for processing lumber.
Geocaches
Are you looking to do some geocaching? There are four along the trail! Want to take hiking to the next level? Check out the Sunshine Coast Trail!
Willingdon Beach and Willingdon Beach Trail are both great places to take the family for the day. Be sure to head over to the Chopping Block for the best local lunch in town (we ate there every day!). Bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes, a towel, and your camera and you’ll be sure to have a great day.
Lovely write up. My uncle, along with a family friend or two, was a part of the team that rescued the ‘coffee pot’ from the bush. Six generations have walked that trail. Some of the younger generations were born and raised in the UK.