Hiway16 Magazine... about people and places in north-central British Columbia, Canada

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Loch Lomond in Burns Lake

by Diana Roberts

For those outdoor adventurers among our readers, I want to tell you about a new trail in Burns Lake. It's called the Rod Reid Nature Trail.

The word must be out about the trail, because it is already well used. I walked it for the first time last week. The weather wasn't real great and there was some snow on the ground, but I had a great walk and noticed 5 other people on the trail. It's technically an extension of the Eveneshen Nature Trail, but it does have it's own name and can be walked separately, or, for a longer trek, you can start at the Burns Lake and District Chamber of Commerce and do the full circle.

(The Chamber of Commerce is on Highway16 at the west end of Burns Lake across from the College of New Caledonia and next to the Burns Lake Museum. For visitors who are not familiar with Burns Lake, the Chamber has ample parking and is not far from the start of the Envenshen and Loch Lomond Trail network)

The start of the trail

The Rod Reid Nature Trail is located at the top of 9th Ave. (where the Eveneshen trail ends) in Burns Lake. If you go straight up 8th Ave. and continue along the curve at the top, it will bring you out, almost at the start of the trail. When you get to the stop sign, turn right, then look to your left after you pass the last house and you will see the parking spot for the trail. The trail itself circles around Loch Lomond, which is a wetland area, drained by Saul Creek.

A viewing platform

For those of you who live up on the avenues, you probably know where the beaver dam is. When I lived up there, it was a favorite place of mine and many others, to go for a walk. At that time, you could only walk along Gowan Road to enjoy the life in the marsh.

The planning for the trail started a couple of years ago when Dr. George and Bernice Magee came up with the idea. They are one of the property owners along the trail. Rod Reid was engaged to the Magee's daughter, before he was tragically killed, so the trail was named in his honour.






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