Image Credit: Kent Simmonds
TRAIL ETIQUETTE

Nature park users reminded to avoid muddy sections on trails

Apr 17, 2024 | 7:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — As the saying goes, ‘April showers bring May flowers’ — but they can also bring muddy trails. And in anticipation of typical spring rainfall, the city is reminding park users of potential impacts to trail conditions.

Nature parks in Kamloops are filled with trails for hikers and bikers alike. But when people use muddy trails before they’re dry, it can leave the trail in a poor state for the next person who comes along and potentially the rest of the season.

City Natural Resources Crew Lead Kirsten Wourms says it’s best to use dirt trails, not mud trails.

“If you start to walk in the muddy trails, you get big dips, you get bikes tracks and all of that in there,” Wourms told CFJC Today, “and then we have to go in and try to smooth things out, which doesn’t work so well once it solidifies out.”

If someone comes upon particularly slippery or muddy conditions on a path, Wourms says it’s a good idea to turn around and try another route, or section of the park.

“The other great thing is on Facebook most people are very happy to talk about the parks they’ve been in, which trails are muddy, which are dry,” she said. “Get out there, talk to people and explore our parks.”

Updates on parks and trail maps can be accessed here.