Do you feel that?
That restlessness in your heart?
You’re not sure what, but something is pushing you to move. You feel the need to get out of your house. All these months of staying at home and with the weather starting to get colder you want to escape while you can.
Due to the pandemic, we have all been holed up in our houses and our main interactions with the world have been through the internet. Bogged down by schoolwork, and life in general, I was looking to escape and re-energize myself. So, I decided one weekend to go to the Watershed Park.
My trip to Watershed Park
I have a lot of memories associated with these trails. When I was a child, my parents would often take my siblings and I for a walk in Watershed Park. Well, my parents would walk, and we would run back and forth. As I arrived, I took a deep breath facing the tall trees and greenery with the smell of rain from the previous day still in the air. Feeling reminiscent I started my walk on the Upper trail, making my way towards the Water Tower trail. This is the route my family would usually take. Feeling the freedom of nature, I let myself switch trails as I felt. After all, I had this trusty map and my memories to guide me.
The trails at Watershed Park
This forested community park is the largest park in Delta, British Columbia and one of the most popular for hiking. The parkland is over 153 hectares and is heavily covered by Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar trees. There are over 11 kilometers of wilderness trails. The main trails include the Lower, Upper, Canyon, Water Tower, Pinewood, Shed Bike, Gravity Bowl and Briarwood trails. The trails range in difficulty, though most are green or blue on the scale. The main path, the Water Tower trail, has been paved by the City of Delta, replacing the dirt and pine needle path.
Information board at intersecting trails.
There are hiking-only trails as well as shared trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The routes vary from gravel paths and dirt stretches to old logging roads. Some biking routes include ladder bridges, drop offs, gaps, skinnies and jumps. You can find more information about the trail activity here as well where to find the different biking features. Along the trails are information boards, trail signs and trail maps.
The rich history
The Water reservoir that used to hold the water that was exported to Ladner.
Watershed Park is named for the aquifer the parkland sits upon. The aquifer is groundwater in a layer of gravel and sand under pressure, below a 200 ft layer of clay. The park’s artesian springs come from the water filtering through the layers of clay and gravel up to the surface under pressure. Starting in 1910, the artesian springs of Watershed Park had been providing water for the Ladner and Kittson Parkway areas. Today, the water is no longer exported to Ladner, but it still provides about 5% of Delta’s drinking water. There is still a working artesian pump located at the center of the park on Water Tower trail. If you are interested in learning about the history, you can find more information here.
Other things to do
The park has more to offer in addition to biking and hiking. You can go picnicking at the main open area, the Meadow. The park has a viewpoint on the Ladner Trunk Ridge trail. The viewpoint has beautiful views of the Mud Bay. They park holds an annual Watershed Park Fish Release each April.
Location
11600 Kittson Parkway, North Delta
Located on Kittson Parkway, Highway 10 is the southern perimeter, and 64 Avenue is the northern perimeter of the park. To the west of the park is Highway 91 and the Burlington Northern Rail corridor, while to the east is Scott Road. There is parking available at the Kittson Parkway (by the Upper trail), Pinewood and Lower Watershed entrances.
Living in British Columbia, we have access to so many amazing parks, but Watershed Park will always have a special place in my heart. With its vibrant bush and earthy trees, this park is great for afternoon walks. It is very assessable as it is surrounded by many residential dwellings. The park has trails and activities to cater to a wide variety of ages and interests. Unlike the tourist hotspots, like the Stanley Park and the Grouse Grind, the Watershed Park is rich in local flavour and serves a healthy dose of peace and tranquility. Well worth the visit.
