Alder Flats via West Canyon Trail

Alder Flats via West Canyon Trail in Maple Ridge is the classic Golden Ears warm-up: 11.4 km out-and-back, moderate on paper, but with enough rocks and roots to keep you honest. You’re mostly in the trees, gaining about 445 m to around 483 m, so it’s more about steady grind than huge views, unless you push a bit past the flats. Most hikers knock it off in 3.5 hours return, but it’s easy to stretch into a longer day if you wander toward the Golden Ears summit route.

The West Canyon Trail starts wide and straightforward, then slowly turns more rugged with rocky sections, creek beds, and slick roots, especially after rain. Alder Flats itself is a forested camping zone, but if you follow the trail past the outhouse and keep climbing, a lookout opens up with big views down the valley and over to Golden Ears on a clear day. The whole route feels classic coastal BC: damp, green, and a bit rough around the edges, with side options to loop back via West Canyon to catch upper and lower falls if you have extra gas in the tank.

Right now, conditions on Alder Flats via West Canyon Trail are mixed. Several bridges are washed out, including the one over Evans Creek and an early stream crossing around 2 km in, so expect rock hopping or sketchy log crossings, and know that high rain can make the creeks raging and impassable. The trail is still being used despite some closures and rough sections, so bring a GPS track, solid waterproof footwear, and ideally a friend; in shoulder season you can hit snow higher up toward Panorama Ridge and Golden Ears, where route markers may be buried. Best window is generally April to November, but always check Golden Ears Provincial Park advisories before you go and turn back if water levels or snow conditions don’t feel right.