Log Train Trail

A perfect family day trip from The Hummingbird would be spending a day at the Log Train Trail.  Whether it's by horse, bike, or foot this 25 kilometer stretch is located just off Highway 4 with several easy access points, making it suitable for short nature walks as well. In season, there's blackberries to munch on along the way and many native plant species. And the occassional bench made out of log on which to ponder the silence and natural beauty.

The Log Train Trail epitomizes the "work and play" nature of today's Albenri Valley forests, and is a vibrant example of the cultural, natural and transportation heritage of British Columbia. running along the base of the Beaufort Range and right into the city of Port Alberni, the trail follows the grade of the old Bainbridge Mill logging train, which enjoyed a heyday in the 1920's (when John D Rockefeller held timber rights in the Ash River Valley).

The Bainbridge Mill was famous for the quality and size of the lumber it produced, with timbers up to 37 metres long being sent across the country to projects such as the Welland Canal. The logging railroad, including a 286 metre trestle over Rogers Creek, stopped operating in 1953. Follow the footsteps of history through second growth forest, past rural, residential and farming areas, the historic steam-powered McLean Mill, the site of Bainbridge Mill logging camp and the Rogers Creek Ravine.  When the mill closed in 1927, the railroad was abandoned.

Nearly 60 years later the Port Alberni Equine Society and the Friends of the Log Train Trail decided to work on redeveloping this old right-of-way into a multipurpose trail. Today, this gentle-sloping path gives cyclists and hikers a scenic fresh-air tour of the Alberni Valley. Pick up a Trail Guide Book at the Vistor's Info Centre in Port Alberni.