Shorepine Bog Trail

Shorepine Bog Trail is an 800 m (about 0.5 mile) loop on a raised wooden boardwalk through an open coastal bog of low shore pines, bare gray trunks and mossy shrubs. Allow about 15 minutes. It is a quick change of scenery from the park’s taller rainforest walks; choose it for the bog ecosystem, not for a beach or a big viewpoint.

From the Wickaninnish Road parking area, the boardwalk follows a short shared approach to the loop, circles through the bog, then returns along that connector. It is nearly level, about 1.2 m wide, and has no stairs; benches sit on wider pull-out decks. The floating planks can be uneven, with small gaps between them, so pay attention to your footing. Wet boards can be slippery, and the surface may not feel smooth under wheels or a stroller.

The small parking area is about 300 m south of the Florencia Bay North turnoff. There is a picnic table but no toilet at the trailhead; the nearest washrooms are at Wickaninnish Day Use Area. A Park Use machine is available and accepts credit cards only. This loop does not reach the beach.

Poor drainage, acidic soil and thick Sphagnum moss leave the bog with little nourishment, keeping its shore pines low even when they have survived for many years. The boardwalk lets you look across this open, unusual habitat without stepping into the wet ground. For a photo that shows what makes the place different, frame a bend in the planks with the low pines and bare trunks beyond.