Crews are on site at Ammonite Falls constructing stairs and a viewing platform to vastly improve access to one of the region's most photographed outdoor destinations. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Crews begin building stairs to base of popular Ammonite Falls

Sep 14, 2021 | 5:32 AM

NANAIMO — A timeline is in place to reverse the tradition of having to rely on an unauthorized rope to scale down the embankment to enjoy Ammonite Falls.

Crews are scheduled to start phase two of upgrades to Benson Creek Falls Regional Park (BCFR) on Wednesday Sept. 15., featuring a series of stairs and a large viewing platform.

The Regional District of Nanaimo expects access to the popular falls to re-open late this year.

In July, the RDN board approved a $331,000 contract to Nanaimo-based CMF Construction to build wooden stairs down the steep slope to Benson Creek.

Access to Ammonite Falls were closed for several months in anticipation of phase two.

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A rope system and eroded embankment leading to Ammonite Falls has long been a safety concern for the RDN.

A steep slope and unmaintained rope guided hikers for years to the base of Ammonite Falls. (RDN)

New signage is included with the enhanced infrastructure to Ammonite Falls.

Phase one upgrades completed in early June included stairs leading down both sides of a gorge to a new bridge spanning Benson Creek downstream from Ammonite Falls. A new parking lot, trailhead and access improvements to BCFRP were done early this year.

An RDN staff report showed the entire project budget was increased by $160,000 to $1.2 million due to additional features and unforeseen geotechnical and risk abatement issues during the phase one work at Benson Creek.

The project involved a highly technical installation of a pre-fabricated bridge spanning Benson Creek with the use of a helicopter.

The Island Coastal Economic Trust contributed a little over $100,000 to both phases of upgrades to BCFRP.

BCFRP is an 80-acre forested recreation area just west of Nanaimo city limits featuring flat and steep hiking and mountain biking trails dissected by Benson Creek.

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