Creston Valley Wildlife

Centre Trail Map

The biggest problem at the Wildlife Centre is which trail to take. Several trails start at the Wildlife Centre, and branch into other trails that meander throughout the area. The trails are various lengths, with varying degrees of difficulty from easy to moderately hard with the trails closest to the Wildlife Centre being the easiest. Depending on your interest, the target birds you're looking for, and the amount of time you have available, there's at least one trail that will meet your requirements!
 
THE BOARDWALK - starting from the Wildlife Centre, this 1 kilometre trail takes a full circuit of the inner marsh before returning to its starting point. Patches of trees throughout the marsh allow you to alternate waterfowl with warblers and other perchng birds. Benches are provided periodically for you to rest your feet, ot wait for the birds to come out of hiding. The Observation Tower lies at the furthest point from the Wildlife Centre and provides a remarkable outlook across the marsh. If you just walk, you should return to the Wildlife Centre in under half an hour - if you seriously bird the circle, it could take much longer...

THE LEVEE TRAIL - an adjunct to the main Boardwalk trail, the Levee trail starts at the same point at the Wildlife Centre but loops to the rght just after the bridge is crossed. At only .35 kilometers, the Levee trail rejoins the Boardwalk just before reaching the Observation Tower. If your interest is in perching birds and marsh mammals and amphibians, then this is the trail for you. The trail can be walked in about 15 minutes.

THE CORN CREEK CHANNEL TRAIL - this trail continues to the south from the observation Tower through 1.5 kilometers of mixed habitats - riparian, marsh and trees - thereby increasing the variety of species you might observe, including grebes, grosbeaks, muskrat and beaver. The trail follows the channel of Corn Creek to a footbridge. You may see some canoeists following the water trails (talk to the people at the Centre for directions on the best routes). The trail ends at West Creston Road. From this point you have several choices. Cross the road and follow the Lone Pine Hill Trail, turn south and link up with the Birdwatcher's trail, follow the road back to the parking lot, or retrace your steps back to the Boardwalk. You can't go wrong - there's birds everywhere! Turtle and killdeer even nest in the grassy verges of the road in this area, so watch your step and don't park your car in the road edges without surveying the area closely first. If you choose to follow the raod back to the Centre, the entire route will take about an hour.
 
THE LONE PINE HILL TRAIL - and now for something completely different - this trail winds up and down hill through a forest of Douglas Fir and White Pine, a green and shaded home to boreal and mountain bird species. Covering these 2 kilometres is certainly more energetic than the level marsh trails, but your efforts will be rewarded with a totally different variety of creatures. The trail starts on the west side of West Creston Road, opposite the footbridge that marks the beginning/end of the Corn Creek Channel Trail. Breeding records for both Rufous and Calliope hummingbirds centre on this area, as do nesting sites for osprey and woodpeckers. And the forest floor is home to alligator lizards and the endangered Coeur d'Alene salamander. You should be able to complete this loop in about an hour and a half.

 

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