A new parking lot and trailhead is now in place at Benson Creek Falls Regional Park. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

park improvement

New parking lot for popular trail opens, highly anticipated stairs to Ammonite Falls delayed

Feb 22, 2021 | 5:48 AM

NANAIMO — While work carries on to improve user infrastructure at Benson Creek Falls Regional Park (BCFRP), easier access to Ammonite Falls will have to wait.

The Regional District of Nanaimo’s manager of parks services Yann Gagnon said a recently opened parking lot off the Weigles Rd. entrance to the park signals an important step in improving safety and access.

“It offers a new 40 stall parking lot, we have a kiosk there with a map for users to consult as well as a new trailhead which links to the park.”

The new gravel-packed parking area replaces an old cramped one nearby.

Gagnon said the new parking lot includes a fresh trail leading to the nearby gorge where a pedestrian bridge will soon be installed at the base of the ravine spanning Benson Creek.

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RDN staff originally anticipated phase one of its BCFRP improvement plan would be finished by last fall, clearing the way for new stairs to the base of Ammonite Falls to be done by early March 2021.

Gagnon’s revised expectation is the Ammonite Falls stairs project won’t be done until August or September.

He expects the project will be tendered in April and work will begin in June.

Gagnon said a geotechnical investigation revealed additional challenges for the pedestrian bridge located downstream from Ammonite Falls.

“This is a really tricky location to install anything, it’s very steep and relatively remote considering where it is,” Gagnon said. “We just needed to ensure we had the proper support in place to have that pedestrian bridge installed safely,” Gagnon said.

He said the pre-fabricated crossing will be flown in by helicopter in the near future leading to a one-day full park closure.

Gagnon said other improvements on the Weigles Rd. side of the park to be done imminently include adding stairs to portions of the the trail on the gorge to Benson Creek.

Gagnon believes the host of improvements at BCFRP will see more people enjoying its tall stands of trees and rushing falls.

“It’s not too long and has some really breathtaking views of the falls…I can see this attracting even more people to the area.”

Gagnon said the budget for the entire project increased to about $1-million, up from $700,000.

The Island Coastal Economic Trust contributed about $100,000 toward the project last year.

BCFRP located just west of Nanaimo city limits is an 80-acre forested regional park featuring a combination of flat and steep trails.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes