John MacDonald Nature Loop Trail

Located on the west side of Tolt-MacDonald Park, the John MacDonald Nature Loop Trail is a family-friendly hike that is short and easy, and it is ideal for exploring both the historic and current conditions of Pacific Northwest forest ecology.

Beginning at the Yurt and Family Camping Area in the park, the trail makes a virtually level 2-mile loop through second-growth native forest that is lush with western red cedars, bigleaf maples, skinny Douglas firs, and a forest floor filled with sword ferns. Watch for old-growth cedar stumps, many of which still show little details of the region's logging history. Many of the stumps still have the notches that lumberjacks created to insert planks used as a platform for sawing or chopping the tree.

If you are returning on the loop alongside the river, be sure to pack a few snacks for a picnic at the park's North Shelter.