Snowshoe Trail D7

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors · Views

A fully serviced chalet is open in the winter and snowshoe trail passes are required. During off season, there is no fee for trail use but donations are appreciated. There's lots of parking space.

When the trail begins off Snowshoe Trail D3, there is a very short extent through spruce forest before a bit of a steep climb over a large rock. After that, the narrow trail meanders through birch and aspen saplings that have grown up nicely after the big burn, and then the trail comes out about midway up Melville Lookout hill.

Take a short detour to the summit to enjoy the view, then head down the hill to cross Birches Run. The trail continues over a previously burnt area that is still rather bare. Look closely for flagging tape as there aren't many trees. The trail curves through another grove of birch and aspen saplings, crosses Upper Deck, and then joins Snowshoe Trail D6. The trail is also excellent starting at D6 and finishing at D3. The scenery is spectacular.

When hiking to Melville Lookout during off season, the upper part of D7 is an attractive detour around a rather wet portion of Birches Run.

Apart from older growth forest at the beginning (spruce) and end (birch) of the trail, the remaining portion is still undergoing recovery from a forest fire thirty years ago. It is interesting to note how tree species and rate of regrowth vary from one site to another in close proximity.