Ladner Creek Trestle Bridge, British Columbia

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Who doesn’t love a good bridge? Especially the cool older bridges that look like if something tried to go across it, you’d never see it again. There’s something hauntingly beautiful about a disused railroad bridge. A time of simpler travel, and standing ovation worthy feats of engineering. Seriously, who ever looked at a valley of impending doom and thought “Yep, I’m gonna put my hand up to be the bridge builder here”? There are lots of these impressive bridges around the world, and in Western Canada where I live. In fact some, like the 120+ year old Stoney Creek Bridge, are still in use. I’ve even been over that one on the Rocky Mountaineer train to Banff. But on my last road trip to Banff and the Canadian Rockies I went in search of the hidden, disused Ladner Creek Trestle Bridge and got some amazing photos.

At this point I’m going to remind you that if you undertake this hike, please do not attempt to go onto the bridge, walk across it or do anything stupid just for the ‘Gram. It’s a dangerous area. Be smart and keep a distance.

Where is the Ladner Creek trestle bridge?

Short answer: the middle of nowhere. But also kind of hidden in plain sight. Intrigued? I was too. I don’t actually know how I came to hear about this bridge, but I’m more than 50% sure it was in a news article that probably ended with a search and rescue story. The bridge, located about 30km east of Hope BC, has become rather popular of late with some kamikaze photography. But if you stick to the main hike and are sensible enough to settle for some nice photos from a safe distance, you’ll be able to appreciate the bridge without being the next local news story.

Ladner Creek trestle bridge is just off the Coquihalla highway. Sounds easy right? Yeah, no. This is one difficult bridge to find. I tried (and failed) twice before I found the Narnia-like off ramp to start the hike. Follow these instructions carefully if you want to visit.

Finding the Ladner Creek trestle bridge trail

Google maps will not help you. Believe me, I tried. Twice! Google will take you to a closed mining road that is geographically closest to the bridge, but not practical to actually reach it. Although the bridge is 30km east of Hope, you cannot reach it from the eastbound highway and need to double back to find the trailhead. Here’s how:

• Take the BC-1/Trans-Canada Highway towards Hope
• At Hope follow the 5-N (Coquihalla Highway)
• Take Exit #202 towards Portia
• Turn left, looping under the highway so you start heading back in the opposite direction towards Hope again
• Don’t go too fast but a few minutes down the road there will be a gravel road on the right just as you see the sign for Ladner Creek and before you head over the bridge
• Pull off onto the unmarked gravel road and prepare to stop as the road is not long. Park here for the start of the trail

Below is the Google Maps to the slip road on the right just before the green Ladner Creek sign (which if you pass you’ve gone too far)

How long does the trail take?

From the trailhead to the Ladner Creek trestle bridge is approximately 30 minutes of hiking. It’s not a simple stroll through the forest, there are some obstacles you should be aware of. Keep reading for more on the trail. But I would plan to spend about 60-90 minutes for this stop to complete the trail and time for some photos. It’s not a quick photo stop like most other off-highway sights around here.

What is the parking like?

It’s pretty dire. You’ll essentially be parked on a dirt slip road off the main highway with only room for a couple of vehicles and limited space to turn around for returning to the Coquihalla highway. Park as close to the siding as you can once you get off the highway as anyone bombing down the highway who turns off here will be like us and not realize how little runway there really is. Given the fact that not many people can find this bridge though, your chances of getting a parking spot are relatively high.

Safety precautions for visiting the Ladner Creek bridge

After you’ve parked you car, make your way to the visitor center. OK, scratch that, I’m joking. There is no visitor center. There’s barely a road or a parking situation, you’ll definitely find no facilities around here. If you need the bathroom you either stop in Hope on the way, or you make use of the dense tree line along the trail. I would recommend the following essentials for your hike. Just because it’s a short trail, doesn’t mean you should be unprepared.

Mosquito repellant – The bugs are out in full force in the summer. Make sure to lather up with your favorite “Deet perfume” before you start the trail

Water – Pack enough water and then some. The hike can be challenging in places and in the summer it gets really hot and dusty. Better too much water than not enough

Good hiking shoes – Don’t attempt this trail in flip-flops or anything less than a sturdy shoe with a good grip. I recommend ditching the sneakers and wearing proper hiking shoes as part of the trail involves climbing

Bear spray – That’s right, you’re in bear country. British Columbia has its fair share of wildlife – bears, wolves, cougars – and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Especially considering this is a less than popular trail so you likely won’t see anyone else while you’re on it

Backpack – A part of this trail involves a bit of a climb so you’ll need your hands free. Bring a small backpack for your water, camera, snacks and my other hiking essentials

Parts of the trail have loose rocks and scree, remember to test your footing before committing and if in doubt, don’t proceed. There’s no cell reception for a lot of the trail so let someone know where you’re going.

The trail to the Ladner Creek bridge

To reach the main trail, you’ll need to start with a bit of a climb along a particularly steep dirt path. The path you should take is identified only by a pink ribbon flag.

Use the trees to steady yourself and take your time, watching your footing. Once you get to the main path the route is pretty easy going until you get up to the bridge area. Having been so close to the busy highway just a few minutes ago you’ll soon lose the sound of the traffic and realize how quiet it can be around here. Other than a couple of fallen tree logs the path is wide enough and easy enough to follow. Along the way, breaks in the trees will make way for some seriously awesome views of the Fraser Valley. Trees, rolling hills, farmland and bigger mountains all around make a wonderful vista worth the hike alone.

When you see a disused concrete tunnel, that’s when you’ll know you’re near the bridge. The tunnel has been the canvas of more than a few rookie artists with spray paint, but what you have to do at this point is climb around the side of it.

To the left of this tunnel you’ll see a steeper-than-you’d-like path that leads up and around the back of it. This is where you’re going to go hands free as you’ll need them for climbing. There’s a metal cable attached to trees along the left hand side. Use it to pull yourself up the steep incline. The hard part is done. Look for a break in the trees and you’ll finally spot the trestle bridge.

The Ladner Creek trestle bridge

At the top of the tunnel ascent is the best view of the bridge without actually reaching the bridge (which I do not recommend as safety is a big issue). Stop and admire the view and get some incredible pictures. I planned to have my really good camera with me and unfortunately got all the way to the bridge to find that the battery was pretty much dead. As such my photos might not be as good as I would have hoped. Don’t be like me, check your battery before you go.

To the right of the “viewing area” around the back of the tunnel is a steep trail down towards the bridge. A thick piece of wire is attached to the trees to help guide you if you choose to keep going. Originally my plan was to get closer to the bridge to get better photos. But after descending the steep trail, we were met with a recent rockfall and lots of loose rocks that didn’t seem safe enough to walk on. Not wanting to slide 100 feet into the abyss below, and since I lost the advantage of height for better bridge pictures, I retraced my steps to the top of the tunnel and back along the same trail to the car.

Here is where I would recommend being very careful and only going as far as you are comfortable with and you feel is safe. Personally I wouldn’t go any further than the top of the tunnel where the view of the tunnel is best. The rest of the area is too unstable. Safety first!

Is this hike worth the stop?

It all depends on what you’re looking for. Personally I would say yes. I liked that it was much less touristy than many of the trails and hikes in the area. Plus it was interesting to see such a historical architectural site, albeit at a distance. If you think you’re going to be able to sit on the bridge or walk on it and get really close up, then you might be disappointed. But there’s no doubt that even from a distance this is an impressive sight and worth an hour of your time on your British Columbia road trip. I was driving from Vancouver to the interior BC town of Kamloops, so this was the perfect half way stop to stretch the legs. My best piece of advice though: don’t forget to put the battery in your camera!

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you ever visited the Ladner Creek trestle bridge, or any other beautiful bridges like this?