Fern Forest Trail

The Fern Forest Trail is a ‘trail in the middle’ which may be accessed from either the Balancing Rock Trail or the Summit Creek Trail. It is an ‘out and back’ trail unless you leave one vehicle at the Summit Creek parking area and another at the Balancing Rock Parking area.

Option 1) From the Balancing Rock trail side continue downhill from the actual Balancing Rock onto the ‘skunk cabbage boardwalk’ and turn right at the trail sign marked ‘Fern Forest Trail’

Option 2) Follow Summit Creek Trail under the Highway 3 bridge for Summit Creek.  The junction to Fern Forest Trail is a few hundred feet after this.

From the junction with Balancing Rock Trail, this is a shaded trail which continues for 0.5 kms through an amazing growth of skunk cabbage along a deteriorating boardwalk. During bug season, be prepared for lots of hungry ‘followers’. Continue under a power line to an old logging trail, cross the logging trail and hike approximately 1 km along a moderate ridge trail, then downhill to a “Fern Forest Trail” registration box where the trail meets the Summit Creek Trail.