Explore the trails
Easy, 24/7 access to many kilometers of flat-top dyke trails offers amazing opportunities to view a large diversity of wildlife. Year round trail access allows visitors to access the area by hiking, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Self-guided walking trails, covered multi level viewing towers and boardwalk trails provide the ideal means to explore the Area.
There is no vehicle access on the dykes except along sections of the Duck Lake area.
Check out the following maps for more details on the dyke trails and access:
CVWMA Access Map (PDF)
CVWMA Wildlife Centre Trails Map (PDF)
Corn Creek
Corn Creek is the area around the Wildlife Interpretation Centre. This is the most popular and easily accessible area for the public to explore. There are loop trails of various lengths and two multi-level viewing towers for impressive view of the surrounding ponds and mountains. Note: Times are based on leaving from and returning to the Wildlife Interpretation Centre.
Boardwalk Loop – 20 minutes. This trail provides a great overview of the habitat found at the CVWMA, taking you through tall grasses and cattails, ponds and channels, shrubs and cottonwood trees. The 3 story viewing tower is located along this trail.
Songbird Stroll – 40 minutes. This trail is continues on from the Boardwalk Loop, following a meandering channel.
Marsh Trail – 1 hour. The one-hour Marsh Trail Loop is one of the most popular hikes. It takes you out into the wetland for some great wildlife viewing opportunities.
Wildlife Tree Wander – 2 hours. This trail forks off the Marsh Trail to give a longer trek and takes you past some beautiful old cottonwood trees. Wood Duck Walk – 3-4 hours. For those looking for a nice day trek, this trail explores more of the wetland and forest areas, taking you through a variety of habitats.
Elk Amble – 3 hours. This trail also forks off of the Marsh Trail, taking you north of Highway 3. There is a myriad of ponds to view and access to our 2 story viewing tower.
For a trail map of this area, dowload the CVWMA Wildlife Centre Trails Map (PDF)
Duck Lake
The Duck Lake area consists of a 2,000 hectare lake (Duck Lake), the Kootenay River, a series of nesting areas and a variety of ponds and channels.
Duck Lake is known for great large mouth bass fishing as well as amazing bird viewing opportunities. During spring and fall migrations, thousands of waterfowl use the lake as a landing pad, stopping to rest and feed on their long journey.
This area has the only dykes that you can drive a vehicle on – the dyke along the south end of Duck Lake. There are pullouts along the way where one can stop to view wildlife or park so one can walk along the dyke. Please note that there are seasonal closures due to poor road conditions, so please check What’s Happening for up to date information.
For a map of this area, please download the CVWMA Access Map (PDF)
Summit Creek/Leach Lake
Summit Creek brings melted snow from the nearby mountains into the Kootenay River. There are some beautiful old growth cedar trees and access to many ponds and channels.
To access the area, there is a large pullout directly off Highway 3 just west of the West Creston Rd turnoff (this is the road that goes to the Wildlife Interpretation Centre) where one can park their vehicle to access this area.
One can walk over the Izzy Bridge at Summit Creek to gain access to the ponds and channels in the northern part of the area. It is approximately 10 kilometers to get to the northern most part of Leach Lake. There are cottonwoods, open meadows and a series of ponds and channels that are used by a wide diversity of wildlife.
Some interesting sightings in the area include American White Pelicans from May to October, many species of grebes and waterfowl nesting in the summer, and lots of hawks and great blue herons. Elk and deer utilize the fields for foraging.
For a map of this area, please see the CVWMA Access Map (PDF)
Six Mile Slough
The Six Mile Slough area consists of a series on ponds separated by dykes. Access to the ponds can be seasonally limited due to low water levels.
The area can only be accessed by boat along the Kootenay River.
For a map of this area, please see the CVWMA Access Map (PDF)
Dale Marsh
Dale Marsh is a small unit, located close to the US Border. It is a separate unit from the rest of the CVWMA. It consists of some small ponds and is 1,000 acres in size. It is surrounded on all sides by private land.
One can access the dykes but please be respectful of the surrounding private property.
