Just outside of Chemainus, a farm access road follows fields and sloughs out to the wide mudflats and salt marshes of the Chemainus River estuary. It is an easy, relaxing, 4.5 km long walk with many opportunities to make more adventurous choices and explore. Moreover, the end of trail offers great views of Willy Island and the Shoal Islands, the Chemainus River, and expansive salt marshes.
Getting to the Chemainus River Salt Marshes
From the parking area, the journey begins with a leisurely walk along a wide farm access road. The roadside vegetation here is a thick mix of introduced plants and native species. Farm fields are visible on one side of the road. On the other side, dense roadside shrubs and other vegetation partially hide a slough. As a result, this part of the trail is good for birding with a number of warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers and other species being possible. The variety in the edge habitat makes it very productive.
The trail eventually emerges into a more open area overgrown with extensive introduced (and invasive) Himalayan blackberry. At this point the trail splits. The road to the left is more frequently travelled and takes one directly to the Chemainus River. Going to the right, the road passes through hay fields and makes its way to the salt marshes formed by the outflows of the Chemainus River and Bonsall Creek. Because this road ends on the edge of a diked farm field, it requires some intuitive route finding to make it out to the salt marsh. According to the All Trails map, it looks like it is possible to work around the rocky rise at the end of the road. However, this would involve walking through tall grass and there was no obvious path visible.
Chemainus and Bonsall Creek Estuary
With a little backtracking, I found an easier route along the edge a recently mowed hay field. Passing through a gap in the hedge row provided access to a short dike and the salt marsh beyond. The view was spectacular and the salt marsh seemed to go on forever.
Deep tidal channels and extensive mud make exploring the salt marsh challenging. As a result, it is important to navigate slowly and carefully, using areas stabilized by thick mats of salt-resistant grass, Oregon gumweed (Grindelia stricta), common orache (Atriplex patula), and slender glasswort (Salicornia depressa). However, if venturing deeper into the salt marsh, use caution and wear rubber boots. Make sure to check a tide table!
Views of Willy Island and the Shoal Islands
The low dikes and ridges of vegetation provide good viewpoints to look out towards Willy Island and the Shoal Islands which run parallel to the edge of the estuary. In addition, shallow pools and channels of water cut through the marsh, creating areas of thick, sticky mud.
Although the landscape seems expansive it is also bounded by the islands offshore. These islands form a barrier that helped create the extensive estuary wetlands. For landscape photographers, this combination of channels of water, mudflats, and salt marsh plants provides countless interesting compositions.
Returning to the Trail
While retracing your steps is option, it is possible to walk along around the edge of the salt marsh. Keep in mind that the marsh soil is saturated. Make your way to higher ground if needed and be prepared to backtrack. Deep tidal channels run through the salt wetland between the trail and an outer ridge of higher ground. If you want to make better time, it is fairly easy to find rough paths that lead out of the the marsh and into the hay field that borders the main farm access road. However, the further you go towards the Chemainus River the more likely it is that dense blackberry thickets will block your way. If you want to leave the marsh at that point it might be more difficult.
Need to Know
This section of the Chemainus River estuary is truly fascinating. The salt marsh is accessible with caution and the plants growing here will impress botanists. In addition, birders have a range of habitats to explore. The combination of wetland, forest, farm land, and estuary can be very productive. Checking the tide before venturing too far is a good idea.
The Chemainus River estuary trail is approximately 4.5 km in length. It is technically an out and back trail but there are lots of opportunities to choose different routes. Parts of the farm road have little shade. As a consequence, on a hot day, water is definitely recommended. Mosquitos were voracious in this part of the estuary, especially in areas which were sheltered from the breeze. The standing water in the slough and marshes are natural breeding grounds for mosquitos and other insects. A long sleeve shirt and hat are useful. Waterproof boots are recommended, but not required. Running shoes and thoughtful walking in wet areas was OK.
If you’re looking for other walks in the area, consider the nearby Chemainus Lake Loop as an easier walk through second growth forest or Lower Banon Creek Falls as a more adventurous hike. In addition, check out Down a Forgotten River, a fascinating article about the Chemainus River published by The Tyee.
Getting There
From Chemainus, follow Chemainus Road towards Crofton. After crossing the Chemainus River look for Swallowfield Road. Turn left on Swallowfield Road and drive to the parking area at the end of the road. The Chemainus River Estuary Trail begins by following the farm access road on the other side of the gate in the parking area.
From Duncan, follow Highway 1 towards Chemainus/Ladysmith. Watch for the Chemainus Road/Crofton exit and turn right to leave Highway 1. Follow Chemainus Road until you see Swallowfield Road. Turn right onto Swallowfield Road and drive to the parking area at the end of the road.
