My plans of scaling a few more Vancouver peaks after Panorama Ridge were thwarted by the forecast of a string of rainy days, so instead I headed to the Cedar Tree Trail (aka Big Cedar Trail) in North Vancouver. The trail ends at Kennedy Falls, an impressive waterfall, but the hike itself is just as enjoyable as the destination. Or as another hiker eloquently explained: “Kennedy Falls is different. The forest is the point, as much as the waterfall at the end”. Starting at the busy Mount Fromme Trailhead, the route initially follows one of the many shared hiking and mountain-biking trails.
There are plenty of fall colours as I veer onto the “Roadside Attraction” multi-use trail.
It’s easy walking along the well-maintained trail, which seems to be used more by mountain-bikers than hikers.
After 0.6km (0.4 miles) the official trail ends, and the Cedar Tree Trail starts. It goes by a few different names, including Big Cedar Trail and Mike’s Trail – more about Mike a bit later… The hand-written sign suggests allowing 4-5 hours return for Kennedy Falls, a surprisingly generous estimate that proved to be far longer than necessary.
The Cedar Tree Trail is an unmaintained trail and some reports claim it’s “totally waterlogged” and “a slow-going, relentlessly technical affair” – another slight exaggeration. Near the start, a couple of waterlogged trail sections have giant tree stumps as stepping stones. I’ve been on many maintained trails that are far rougher than this!
Next to the trail is an enormous and ancient moss-covered cedar stump, the remnants of logging in this area. This region in south west British Columbia was known as the “Great Vancouver Forest” with a towering green canopy, until rapid growth in the 1880s resulted in extensive lumbering of the forests. The Lynn Valley was irreversibly changed by logging history, with its old-growth cathedral forests systematically clear-cut in the 1920s.
The Cedar Tree Trail continues through the forest, as the trail passes moss-covered trees along the old logging route.
The trail crosses several creeks, one of them requiring a short scramble down into the eroded gully.
While the trail is distinct (and has regular markers) it does get a bit rough and uneven in places.
A particularly mossy stretch of forest lies just before the giant cedar tree, its dense greenery and damp atmosphere giving it a distinctly rainforest-like feel.
After 3.3km (2 miles) is the first major attraction of the Cedar Tree Trail: Big Cedar, a 600+ year old, four metre wide red cedar, which is one of only a few old-growth trees in the Lynn Valley to have escaped being clear-cut.
There is a sign attached to a tree paying tribute to Mike Dal Santo, who gives the Cedar Tree Trail its alternate name, Mike’s Trail. Mike was a “silent hero” and an active field member of North Shore Rescue for 18 years who passed away in 2018 at the age of 65. The Big Cedar Tree is the lowest point of the Cedar Tree Trail, so from here the rest of the hike is uphill (there is a rough trail down to Lynn Creek, which allows you to return via the Cedar Mill Trail by fording Lynn Creek to form a loop).
After a short but steep ascent, the trail (now called the Kennedy Falls Trail) continues to ascend more gently.
The mostly brown and green colour palette is interrupted by a few more bursts of autumn colours.
Although the trail is now covered by a carpet of roots, in some places you can almost imagine the logging trail that was blazed deep into the forest by Julius Fromme and his logging crew in the early 1900s. On the stumps of the felled cedars you can sometimes still see the holes made by the loggers.
After a last section of ferns and small boulders, the Cedar Tree Trail / Kennedy Falls Trail reaches Kennedy Creek – you can hear the waterfall before you see it.
Above is Kennedy Falls, which drops about 70m (230 feet) over a series of ledges, and below are more small cascades along the creek.
I re-trace my steps back along the Kennedy Falls Trail and Cedar Tree Trail, encountering a few more people along the way. While it’s not a busy trail, it does seem to attract a decent number of hikers looking for an alternative to the many maintained trails in the area. Towards the end, I take an alternative route back along Grouse Mountain Highway (which is closed to traffic), rather than the hiking/mountain-biking trails.
It’s taken me a exactly three hours for the return route. The trail does undulate a little as it crosses several creeks and gullies, but it’s not what I would describe as a challenging walk. It’s been a really enjoyable hike, and a great choice for an overcast and rainy day.
Getting to the Cedar Tree Trail and Kennedy Falls
The Cedar Tree Trail starts along Grouse Mountain Highway, an unsealed road which is closed to vehicles beyond the Mount Fromme Trailhead and car park in North Vancouver (“Mountain Hwy Parking” on Google Maps). It’s about 15km (30min drive) from Vancouver via Lynn Valley Road or Mountain Highway. The large carpark can get very busy and fill up, especially on weekends, as it’s the starting point for multiple hiking and mountain biking trails. If you walk up Grouse Mountain Highway rather than taking the hiking trail, keep an eye out for the start of the Cedar Tree Trail on the right (just before the first hairpin turn).
More information
- Vancouver Big Tree Hiking Guide – Lynn Valley
- Global News – North Shore Rescue’s ‘silent hero’ Mike Dal Santo dies at 65
- bctreehunter – Saving the North Shore’s Big Cedar
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