Getting Outside & Unplugged at Golden Ears Provincial Park 

For the past several years, the BC Parks Foundation has been working with various partners to give vulnerable and marginalized Canadians an opportunity to experience our beautiful parks. This year we partnered with Foundry, an integrated health service organization working with youth ages 12-24. With the help of our friends at ParkBus, who provided transportation, and Sarah Patrick, our volunteer guide, we were able to give young people a chance to spend some days together experiencing Golden Ears Park. Below, Nicole Clarke shares how together we spent more than 90 hours in nature with youth! 


Photo by Nicole Clarke

Photo by Nicole Clarke

August 6, Lower Falls Trail 

Despite waking up to a very unexpected rainy August day, everyone was excited for our first outing with Healthy By Nature to the Lower Falls Trail in Golden Ears Provincial Park. Our group kept high spirits as the summer showers raged, excited to get outside after many months of isolation due to COVID-19. The trail was well maintained with minimal incline and we enjoyed the mixture of mountain, river, and lush forest views, ending with the vibrant turquoise water of the Lower Falls! We ended the day with a quick picnic lunch along the river and a photo op. 

Photo by Nicole Clarke

Photo by Nicole Clarke

August 26, East Canyon Trail 

The East Canyon Trail was gorgeous! Our guide, Sarah, joined us again and led us in some mindfulness activities to truly take in our surroundings. The trail involved a much steeper incline than anticipated and we all celebrated our success in slowly making it to the end. We ended at Viewpoint Beach, aptly named, as you are met with stunning mountain views. We were treated with a helicopter landing for park maintenance work while we ate lunch and cooled off in the icy cold water and skipping rocks. 

Photo by Nicole Clarke

Photo by Nicole Clarke

October 23, Mike Lake Trail 

Who says trails are only for the summer? Not us! We bundled up and headed up to Mike Lake for a short walk and picnic lunch. The trees towered over us and seemed to go on for miles. Intricate root systems were visible as they attempt, once again, to reclaim the terrain. The rain created a mist in the trees and hills that created a mystical feeling. The trail looped back to Mike Lake where we took some photos and had a quick picnic lunch in the rain before returning to the bus to warm up, dry off and head home.  


Nicole Clarke is the Youth and Family Empowerment Coordinator at Foundry Abbotsford, operated by Archway Community Services. Nicole has her degree in Child and Youth Care from the University of the Fraser Valley and has been working with youth in a professional capacity for two years. In her downtime Nicole can be found paddle boarding in our gorgeous province or sipping coffee with a good book.