Explore Kagan Bay via Tarundl Creek

  • Tarundle Creek

ABOUT

Tarundl Creek is part of the bigger Kagan Bay Recreation Site. Located west of Daajing Giids (less than 10 minutes by car), and along the Honna Service road, the Kagan Bay Recreation Site offers a host of activities for all members of the family to enjoy. The site has everything whether you want to go fishing, kayaking, hiking, or camping. Indeed, the rugged recreation area, which has Sleeping Beauty as a backdrop, offers us a reprieve from the hurly-burly of daily life while concomitantly providing an opportunity to better appreciate nature.


As you drive along the Honna Service road, you will come upon the Kagan Bay Day Use Area at about the 2 kilometre mark. The site features a picnic table, fire ring and beach access. At low tide, one could walk quite a distance onto the beach; however, we find it a little too “sinky” for our liking.

For us, the big attraction of the day-use area is the Tarundl Creek Trail. Of the local village trails, this one is by far the easiest – but that’s not to suggest it’s stale by any means. Clocking in at 1.5 kilometres in length, the trail takes you through the lush rainforest and rich floodplain.

In this respect, it allows one to see the unique interplay between forest and ocean and how those two systems depend upon one another. Indeed, it is little wonder higher education societies often use Tarundl as a learning ground in the Fall when salmon are spawning and the bears are gathering nutrients for winter: Gina ‘waadluxan gud ad kwaagid.

That said, the yellow markers along Tarundl Creek Trail can be challenging to find at times. As you start out on the trail, you will follow an old skid road, which will lead onto the floodplain. Once here, keep to the right and you will see the path returning to the forest (of course, at low tide, take some time to explore the plain – it’s lovely).

Once back in the forest, you will see a Y on the trail. We recommend going to the LEFT for a richer and far more rewarding hike; otherwise, if you take the path on the right, your hike will end in short order – less than 10 minutes – and you’ll quickly find yourself back on the Honna Road.

While the Village of Daajing Giids identifies the Tarundl Creek Trail as a loop trail, it is more
appropriately described as an out-and-back route because the start and end points are completely
different points; however, we suppose you could call this a “loop” if you follow the Honna Road back to
the Kagan Bay Day Use Area.

DIFFICULTY: Easy
TOTAL DISTANCE: 1.5 kilometers (one-way)
TIME: 30 minutes
TYPE: Out-and-Back
ELEVATION GAIN: None