Our Big Earth
  • Home
  • About
    • Accolades for Our Big Earth
    • Advertising Policy
    • Contact List
    • Contributors
    • Disclaimers
    • Editorial Policy
    • FAQ
    • Jobs
    • Media Center
    • Privacy Policy
    • Submission Guidelines
  • Community
    • Corporate Team
    • Forum
    • Giving Back
    • Letters
    • Links We Love
    • NeighbourWood Walks
    • Volunteer
    • What’s Happening This Week
  • Multimedia
    • Colouring Pages
    • OBE Widgets
    • Wallpapers
  • The Comox Valley
    • Relocation Guides
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • The Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Challege Calendar of Events
    • The Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge
    • Trail Guides
    • Vacation Guides
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Brambles Market
RSS Feed
You are here: Home -> OUT and ABOUT -> Valley In Sight - MacDonald Wood Nature Park
 
author

Robin is Our Big Earth’s Executive Editor. A journalist with nearly 20 years under her belt, she’s worked for newspapers and magazines across North America. The Comox Valley became her home in 2006 when she and her husband ditched big-city life to be close to family while raising their daughter.

Valley In Sight - MacDonald Wood Nature Park

Posted by Robin Rivers on June 18th, 2008 1 Comment Printer-Friendly

Editor’s Note:

I used to drive by MacDonald Wood Nature Park and wonder what could possibly be behind those trees. Good or bad, I eventually decided we needed to expand our trail repertoire and just pulled over one day to discover one of the most lovely slices of the Valley during any season.

In fact, we spend more time here in the Winter than any other time of the year for one simple reason, the bird watching at this spot is spec-tacular.

In the Summer, this locale is one of the prime spots for collecting buckets of tiny snails (make sure you don’t take them home with you, though) and the occasional score of the magical and giant moon snail.

One of the best things about this spot is that, at low tide, you can walk the tidal flats all the way to The Filberg, stop for lunch at the Tea House, and wander back through Mack Laing Nature Park, up along Brooklyn Creek to the stairs that lead to Balmoral Avenue and, within a block, the MacDonald Wood trail head.

An early fave, MacDonald Wood Nature Park was one of the best flukes we ever stumbled upon.

Here’s my original post:

May 1, 2007

Tucked away above the shores of a quiet Comox neighborhood, there lives a tiny nature park big on beautiful.

We’ve driven by it on the way out to Pt. Holmes or the Goose Spit about a million times and, when we finally stopped to check out MacDonald Wood Nature Park this Spring, we discovered a quiet sliver of friendly birds, roaming deer and groomed trails that make for a leisurely afternoon walk leading right out to the shoreline.

The 9-acre conservation area that begins at the corner of Balmoral and Croteau roads is the site of the remnants of the Great Comox Midden and some of the largest cedars remaining in the Valley grow here. The fawn lily, skunk cabbage and other lush plant life make this remnant of what were once wide-ranging coastal forests peaceful and lovely to wander through.

The flat, well-groomed trails are great for tiny legs and off-road strollers, and they lead to a lovely patch of aspen/cottonwood trees and a meandering boardwalk path which runs through a coastal marsh out to a small beach and some incredible views.

I love this spot for its tranquility, easy access and incredible First Nations heritage. It’s perfect for an afternoon walk, a learning adventure (the Comox library has wonderful resources on the history of this area of Comox), or leisurely hanging out as the boardwalk has several benches located perfectly for sunsets, tides and general creature watching.

There are also a few picnic tables, but no washrooms. So, make a pit stop before hitting the trail and make sure to check out MacDonald Wood the next time a nature walk is on the agenda.

DETAILS:
Where: MacDonald Wood
Directions: Take Comox Road out to Balmoral, make a right and head to Croteau Road (on your right). There’s a large sign marking the park entrance. A small parking area is along Croteau Road.

More from this category

  • 5 Chefs, A Week of Local Family Fun & Food
  • Greening the Places that Children Play
  • NeighbourWoodie Watch - Black-Tailed Deer
  • Sunday Morning Walks - Quinsam River

More from this author

  • Foodie Crafts - Homemade Dyes
  • And The Winner Is…
  • Product Review - Local Cloth Sandwich Bags (giveaway)
  • Getaways - The Mini Comox Valley Wine Tour
rss Subscribe to this author

More Features

  • Bumps
  • Crafts
  • Food and Your Family
  • Getaways
  • Grand-Parents
  • Green-e-ology
  • Homeschooling
  • MOM-P-INC.
  • OUT and ABOUT
  • Product Reviews
  • Rainy Day Book Club
  • Your Healthy Nature

Tagged as: Comox, Comox Valley, Croteau Beach, deer, family, forest, Kids, MacDonald Wood, nature, ocean, Our Big Earth Media Co., tidepooling, trail, walk
  • Comments (0)
  • Trackbacks & Pingbacks (1)

Comments

Trackbacks

  •  
  • Sunday Morning Walk - Time to Tide Pool | Our Big Earth


 
Recent Archives
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
Flickr Photos
  • Fungus Amongus Old Desk Tofino Vacation The Rainbabies Popsicle *hearts* Annie Hoodies
Blog Roll
  • Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
  • Firefly: New Beginnings
  • Ken Henderson Design
  • McKinnon Photography
  • Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders
  • Podlings
  • YANA Comox Valley
  • Zen Zero Juice Bar
© 2009 Our Big Earth Media Co. formerly Comox Valley Kids • Powered by WordPress & Mimbo Pro
Designed by Ken Henderson • Implemented by Tate Lucas
Sitemap   rss Entries (RSS) rss Comments (RSS)