I hate heights. Suspension bridges scare the crap out of me, I don’t go near cliff edges, and trestles are terrifying... BUT, we just couldn't miss out the Ladner Creek Trestle! Especially since I can stay on stable ground and fly my drone over it. 😏
How to get to Ladner Creek Trestle
The Ladner Creek trestle is about 20 kilometres north of the Orthello Tunnels on the Coquihalla Highway or 30 kilometres from the District of Hope. Although the access is right by the highway, the trestle is actually a bit of a pain to access.
We visited the trestle while driving to Kelowna to attend a wedding. We didn’t know this at the time, but the trail head/ parking lot can only be accessed via southbound traffic. The service road is also super small and not well marked. As such, we ended up doing two loops on the highway because we missed the exit the first time.
Highway Direction to Ladner Trestle Access
To access the trail head and parking area of the trestle, make sure you’re on the southbound traffic. The turn off is on the right side, marked “Ladner Creek”, just before the Ladner Creek Bridge. The trail head starts close to where the highway turn off is and can be identified by the pink markers.
Ladner Trestle Trail Condition
The trail… might say something like “private property” at the start. I suspect that the trail was open to the public at one point, but then was deemed too dangerous, or they didn’t want people accessing the trestle after a cigarette butt caused it to catch fire last year (2018).
The hike to the trestle is really more of a walk. The trail is mostly flat, forested, and well maintained. From the trail head, it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get to a collapsed tunnel that will lead you to the trestle.
Apparently, this portion of the railway closed down due to the tunnel caving in. To get to the trestle, you would follow the path to the left the tunnel that takes you up and around.
NOTE: the trail on the other side of the collapsed tunnel becomes a little sketchy – the path narrows and you will have to traverse a steep section with loose rocks! Make sure to wear shoes with good grip!
After the sketchy little section, you will reach the other end of the tunnel, and THE TRESTLE!
The Trestle
The trestle, as you can see from the pictures, is big and very photogenic. It towers over a creek with vibrant green color and is surrounded by lush forest. It is definitely a gem worth exploring!
Though grand and beautiful, I didn’t dare to walk on it. I’m not just saying that because I am afraid of heights. It caught fire, remember? It is also from the 1950/60s, so who knows what kind of condition the wood is in. While we were there, someone was brave enough and ventured out a little bit onto the trestle. Not my cup of tea, but good for him.
Safety Fence Installation at the Ladner Creek Trestle
Since 2020, a safety fence was installed by Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to prevent adventurers from wandering onto the trestle. The fencing stretches across the path onto the trestle and to the sides. This is unfortunate, as the fencing is not discrete and can obstruct photo opportunities as seen from images on Google. But, the fence is ultimately the best way keep all visitors safe.
