KUMDIS RIVER TRAIL FEATURES:
Environmental research
Barge remnants
Duck hunting grounds
ABOUT
The Kumdis River Trail is a short out-and-back route located approximately 2 kilometers outside the village of Port Clements. Like most trails on Haida Gwaii, the Kumdis River Trail lacks a formal trailhead; however, it is easy enough to find. As you drive along Yellowhead 16 towards Masset, you’ll come upon a small pullout to the immediate left of the Kumdis River Bridge. This short dirt road essentially represents the trailhead.
At the very beginning of the hike, you’re treated to lovely views of the Kumdis River and promised a flat trail to complete. The Kumdis River often acts like a mirror on a clear and calm day. The trees on the opposite side of the riverbank flawlessly reflect on the water. The end result is almost dream-like – quiet reflections hinting at what’s to come.
Walking the rest of this short trail is fairly uneventful and straightforward. For the first few minutes, you walk through a nice pocket of old growth filled with towering red cedar and thick Sitka spruce. You then pass through a grassy clearing before re-entering the forest. Finally, just before entering the grasslands and sedge at Kumdis Bay, you come upon what, in our view, is a highlight of this trail: Stunted and twisted trees covered in long, wispy old man’s beard lichen. It’s quite a sight and unlike most anything, you’ll see on Graham Island.
Once you enter the grassy lowlands of Kumdis Bay, you can take a few moments to explore and appreciate this unique environment. Part of the Kumdis River conservation area, it’s not uncommon to see the Council of the Haida Nation, in partnership with NCC, conducting necessary fieldwork. As an estuary, this area is home to a plethora of fish, invertebrates, and waterfowl, giving Kumdis high ecological importance.
It’s most curious (and even a little ironic), then, when you spot an old barge once used to transport logs resting on the river. It has been here so long – close to 100 years – that it’s now become part of the landscape. Moss, shrubs, and trees now dominate the structure. Nature is taking over!
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TOTAL DISTANCE: 820 meters (return)
TIME: 20 minutes
TYPE: Out-and-Back
ELEVATION GAIN: None