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Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

Songbirds, snakes, ducks, dragonflies! The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area offers easy walking on a network of trails around the Corn Creek Wetlands. With boardwalks, bridges, bird towers, and the Wildlife Centre, there is plenty to do! Bring your binoculars – the bird watching is excellent!

Summary
Trailhead: West Creston Road
Distance, round trip: 7km
Elevation: +97m
Season: late March to early November
Difficulty:  Easy

Trailhead

Parking is available off of West Creston Road and it is a quick 5 minute walk down to the wildlife center. There is an admission fee for visiting.

With a network of looping trails, you can choose how far out you want to explore. Most paths stay in the wetland and are flat, easy hiking.

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The Wildlife Center

Song Bird Stroll

Walking down the Board Walk Loop to Song Bird Stroll will lead you to the first bird tower. Look for lily pads in the water and watch for movement in the bulrushes.

It’s worth climbing up the Bird Tower to enjoy the view at the top – the entire marsh could be seen with the trails winding along below.

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The Bird Tower on Song Bird Stroll
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Panorama from the bird tower

Wood Duck Walk / Wildlife Tree Wander

After finishing Song Bird Stroll, walk along West Creston Road until you can pick up the Wood Duck Walk loop. You can either do the entire loop or turn onto the Wildlife Tree Wander trail.

Both of the Wood Duck Walk and Wildlife Tree Wander trails follow tire ruts and are a little less interest to walk…. but you might start seeing great wildlife! Wood Duck Walk took us between long, muddy ponds where we saw several painted turtles basking. A Great Blue Heron came sailing past on massive wings. And not long after, a surprisingly majestic wild turkey flapped past.

Marsh Trail

Take the Marsh Trail to do a final loop back around to the Wildlife Center. The Marsh Trail is a little more narrow and wild, and takes you through a low line of trees between wetlands. The view of the valley was spectacular looking across the water:

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View across the marsh, Wildlife Center in the center-right

There are many other trails to explore! Check out the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area maps.

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[…] Highway 3, turn onto West Creston Road (signed for the Creston Valley Wildlife Area) and quickly reach the signed trailhead in a pullout on the […]