Current Trail Closures and Warnings for the Trans Canada Trail (The Great Trail) in British Columbia

Warning: Trees down 2km East of Lake Cowichan

Posted February 9, 2019 -- Closure affects Cowichan Valley area on Vancouver Island -- Trees have come down on the rail trail which runs between the Kinsol Trestle and Lake Cowichan, the precise location seems to be at the Fairservice Trestle, located 2 km east of Lake Cowichan (see map on the Cowichan page, look for red caution symbol). The trees seem to be blocking the trail but trail users have reported that you can get still get through with no safety issues. We cannot confirm this, please only pass through at your own risk! The Ministry of Transportation is aware of the issue; they are waiting for water levels to subside, then will plan to have the debris removed - this will possibly take place in March/April 2019. If you have photos or updates about this issue, please send them to us using the contact form located at the bottom of this page.

Ward's Ferry Trail is Closed

Posted November 2, 2018 -- Closure Affects the Castlegar Area -- Teck has closed the Ward's Ferry Trail which runs between Glade and South Slocan (between Castlegar and Nelson) due to issues with some of the new infrastructure that was recently built along the trail. To avoid this closure, trail users can connect from Glade to South Slocan via the ferry that crosses the Kootenay River and follow Highway 3A. Generally the Ward's Ferry Trail is considered more of a hiking route (bicycles are allowed however) so this may only affect trail hikers rather than cyclists. For more information and updates, please visit the Castlegar Parks and Trails Society's page about the trail. We expect the trail should be reopening in the near future - please stay tuned.

TCT Open in Regional District of Nanaimo

Ongoing notice -- Last updated Oct 24, 2018 -- Notice affects the Nanaimo area --  The TCT is currently OPEN (as of our latest update, but check the Island Timberlands blog for updates). Full Story: During times of high risk of forest fires, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) closes the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) from the Timberlands Road trailhead by the Haslam Creek Suspension Bridge to the Harewood Mines Road trailhead at the Region's boundary with the City of Nanaimo. This 21 km section of the TCT is situated for the most part on private forest lands. Landowner (Island Timberlands) normally closes all company property in the mid-Island to recreational users due to fire hazard during the dry summer months (roughly July to early September). During a closure, users are advised to detour off the Trans Canada Trail from the Cowichan Valley Regional District boundary in the south all the way to the Nanaimo city limits to the north. Latest updates are posted at http://blog.islandtimberlands.com/

WILDFIRE SEASON IS NOW OVER! But check before you go!

Ongoing Notice -- Last Updated Sept 21, 2018 -- Notice affects all of BC -- The 2018 wildfire season appears to have finished for the year! We are unaware of any wildfire affecting the Trans Canada Trail at this time. Full Story: It's important for all Trans Canada Trail users to check the BC Wildfire Service's map before heading into the backcountry. Check the map often if you are travelling across BC on the Trail. Here is a link to the interactive map. We will try to post Trans Canada Trail closures as they happen, but we can't stress enough that Trail users are responsible for their own safety and should check the government's site often - and "when in doubt, stay out!".

KVR Closed between Crump and Faulder

Posted May 22, 2018 -- Closure affecting the Summerland Area -- Updated Aug 31, the closure is still in effect but repair work may be in progress. No update as of Sept 21. -- Original Post: The RDOS has confirmed that the KVR trail is closed between Crump siding and Faulder due to a huge rock slide - and there may even be an additional rock slide further west as well. We have marked an alternate route on our maps using roadways. Updates may be posted here. Work to remediate the slide(s) is/was delayed due to a lack of funds. If you have photos or updates about the slide(s) please contact us.

Gate near Greenwood Will Be Removed!

Ongoing since 2011 -- Notice affecting the Greenwood Area -- Latest update February 9, 2019 -- Latest Status: GATE IS BEING REMOVED! Due to new ownership of the property, the gates and logs blocking walkers/cyclists on the Columbia & Western (2 km north of Greenwood) will be removed! Please stay ON THE TRAIL and between the fence lines, but enjoy your adventures! On the Greenwood Area page, the map shows a red caution symbol to indicate the exact location of the gate (and a yellow line showing a possible bypass using the highway) - we will remove this from the map once it is confirmed the gates and obstacles have been removed -- For the latest conditions on the ground, contact the "Trails to the Boundary Society" trail coordinator at 250-444-7547 or email trailstotheboundary@gmail.com. Trail users are encouraged to call 1-844-676-8477 (Ministry of Forests) if you want to report an infraction on any section of the trail.

Othello Tunnels Are CLOSED (from late May to November)

Ongoing Notice -- Affects the Hope / Coquihalla Area -- Status as of February 9, 2019: The Othello Tunnels (at Coquihalla Canyon provincial park just east of Hope) are presumed closed for the season. The Tunnels are normally closed for the winter from November to late May. You may be able to use the alternate trail on our maps which bypass the tunnels. The tunnels are scheduled to reopen by May long weekend but are often delayed due to rock slides that occur over the winter that block the trail and tunnel entrances. For the latest conditions, please visit http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/coquihalla_cyn/.

Great Northern Trail: Annual Closure (April 15 to June 15)

Ongoing, originally posted in 2013 -- Notice affecting the Salmo Area -- Annual closure in effect April 15 to June 15 (approx) -- Due to grizzly bear foraging each spring, the Salmo Great Northern rail trail is normally closed annually for 10 kilometres between Cottonwood Lake and Hall Siding (northern section, about 8 km south of Nelson) from mid April to mid June. The trail operator, the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), is responsible for this closure. Users are asked to use the highway as a bypass route when the closure is in effect. Read more on the Regional District's trail page. Note, the RDCK rarely (if ever) updates this webpage . Signs are posted along the trail when the closure is in effect, but the only other way to know if the closure is in effect is by contacting the RDCK directly; call their main switchboard at (250) 352-6665.

Gray Creek Pass: Closed for the Winter

Ongoing, updated Nov 2, 2018 -- Affecting the Gray Creek Pass Area -- Gray Creek Pass is now CLOSED FOR THE WINTER (according to the Ministry of Forests as well as Gray Creek Store). Check in with the Gray Creek Store for the latest updates, as it may still be passable by foot with snowshoes (there is definitely snow on the ground, but the Store might be able to give you an idea of how much). It is ideal to check in with the Gray Creek Store if you are planning to enter the area at all times of the year. We highly recommend visiting the Gray Creek Store blog or dropping in to the store. Also, check out the Road Works page for the Ministry of Forestry, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations. During the winter, be sure to check out the Ministry of Environment's reported snow depths near the summit (Click the link "Current Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin" and see Station 2D10 Gray Creek Upper - usually found near the top of Page 8).

Warning: KVR between Summerland and Penticton

Originally posted 2013 -- Closure affecting the Summerland Area -- No update as of Sept 21, 2018 -- The portion of the KVR between the Trout Creek Trestle (southern Summerland) and the city of Penticton is in the process of being returned to the Penticton Indian Band. Once the transfer is complete (in 2018?), agreements will be needed to permit future public use of the trail. Although there are no barriers to prevent users from travelling along this section of trail, they are crossing "no man's land" (not yet private property) and do so at their own risk; this segment of the KVR is not maintained or patrolled. Trails BC/Trans Canada Trail does not have permission from the Ministry of Transportation to recommend using Highway 97 as a safe alternate - though cyclists do use this route daily. We hope in the coming months (or years) to invite trail users to use the trail - stay tuned!

Report a Trail Closure

ONLY USE THIS FORM TO REPORT CLOSURES ON THE TRANS CANADA TRAIL / THE GREAT TRAIL.

Trail maintenance issues are the responsibility of the Trail Steward, which is either the trail owner or a group given authorization to perform maintenance work. Trails BC is a trail steward for a very limited number of trail segments on the Trans Canada Trail; unfortunately, if a major trail issue occurs along the Trans Canada Trail, there is often very little we can do about it - but we can try to pass on the information to the trail steward, if one exists.

Information such as a precise location (GPS waypoint), photo, as well as your contact information is extremely helpful to ensure the problem is accurately reported.

AGAIN, DO NOT USE THIS FORM TO SUBMIT NOTICES ABOUT TRAILS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE TRANS CANADA TRAIL. We will simply delete the submission and it will not be posted or passed on to anyone. If you need to report a closure on such a trail, please determine the trail owner or operator and send a notice to them.

Would it be unwise to continue through the closure or blockage? You may add more detail in your report.
Please enter your trail closure report. Include a GPS location or a detailed description of its precise location.
JPG format only, 3 MB max. You must click "upload" after selecting file.
If the blockage/closure can be bypassed, please include your recommended route to do so!