This week we head to Malcolm Knapp Research Forest located in Maple Ridge, BC. As you can probably tell by the name, this forest is the research forest for the University of British Columbia department of forestry; as well, it also hosts as research grounds for departments from Simon Fraser University, BC government, and the Canadian federal government. The forest is very very big (5157 hectares to be exact), and we only explored a small portion of the southern trails. The southern trails consist 4 main trails colour coded into Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. The Red, Yellow, and Green trails are relatively flat and short; while the Blue trail is longer and traverses through some elevation. During our hour and a half hike/walk, we stayed mostly on the Red and Yellow trails. We went to the forest in late February back in 2021 during the rainy season, so the forest was cold and wet, but still teeming with life. We saw a lot of different trees, shrubs, ferns, and fungi. This is a great place to get in touch with nature and is accessible year round.
Big sign at the entrance.
Trail leading into the forest from the parking lot. Lots of trees ahead.
Very good info sign.
Fungi and moss.
Shrubs and ferns.
Very tall trees.
Forest trail.
More trails. Very green.
Fallen tree. Look at the area the roots covered compared to the size of the tree trunk.
Even more trees and shrubs.
Small pond next to the trail.
Researching and evaluating the effectiveness of treated wood. The many wood stubs in the background are all test subjects.
Check out my previous hikes:
- The Panoramic Views of Panorama Ridge
- The Golden Larches of Frosty Mountain
- The Winter Snow of Pump Peak at Mount Seymour
- Sapphire Waters and Azure Skies of Battle Bluff
- It Isn't Always Sunshine and Blue Skies
- The Frozen River and Waterfalls of Maligne Canyon
- The Amazing Arches of Arches National Park
- The Bizarre Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park
- The Magnificent Stones of Zion National Park
- The Flowing Walls of Lower Antelope Canyon
- A Glimpse of Hope at the Hope Lookout Trail
- Turquoise Waters viewed from Sea to Summit Trail
- The Three Peaks of Mount Seymour
- The Serene Winter Scene at Dog Mountain
- Murrin Loop and Jurassic Ridge
- Yosemite National Park
- The Bear's Hump at Waterton National Park
- Views of Okanagan from Pincushion Mountain Trail
- The Half Frozen Waterfalls at Franklin Falls
- Hole in the Wall of Vancouver Island
- Sometimes You Just Get Lucky
- Winter Wonderland at Alexander Falls
- Eagle Bluffs
- Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park
- Admiralty Point
- Myra Canyon Trail
- Garabaldi Lake
- Botanical Beach Loop
- Wild Pacific Trail Lighthouse Loop
- Whistler Train Wreck Trail
- Grouse Grind
- Crown Mountain
- Chance Cove Coastal Trail
- Big Four Ice Caves
- Stawamus Chief First Peak
- Four Lakes Trail at Alice Lake Provincial Park
- Four Lakes Trail Winter Revisit
- Lindeman Lake Trail