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Cameron Lake trestle (Port Alberni, BC)

On the last weekend of summer, we decided to check out the trestles that run alongside Cameron Lake. Cameron lake and its tresle lies in between Coombs and Port Alberni, right before Cathedral Grove when you are heading west. You will drive by the lake on your way to the start of the trail and the train tracks are on the opposite side of the lake.

Cameron Lake

Cameron Lake Trestle Info

  • Easy
  • ~6.2km
  • ~100m elevation
The train tracks are no longer in use, so they are safe to walk along! The tracks were in operation from 1909 to 2001, and there is some speculation that they may open again one day as a passenger route. The entirety of  the route has 5 trestles, but we only went to one on our hike.
 
Cabins on Cameron Lake
 
The trail to the trestle ran along the lake and it was very well kept. There are several small cute cabins along the lake that you will pass and they are all  grandfathered in. Please be quite and respectful here, people do still live in these cabins.
 
Start of the Cameron Lake Trestle hike
 
There is only one trail to follow so you will not get lost. Once you pass all of the cabins the trail gets narrower and you will soon see the trestle on the right side. You will have to hike up a pretty steep embankment to get to the top.

Cameron Lake Trestle hike

 

Cameron Lake Trestle Directions

 

There are several entry points for this trail, but we drove to the far end of Cameron Lake and parked on the right hand side in front of the yellow gate. This location is about 100m west of the main Cathedral Grove parking lot. parking coordinates- googlemap 
 
Cameron Lake Access Road
Where to start the hike
 
You follow the lakeside trail for approximately 3km and then you will spot the trestle above the trail. There is a steep 100m incline to the trestle equipped with a rope for stability. We went back the same way we came from, making the trip about 6kms.

Cameron Lake Trestle hikeSteep Section behind cameron lakeSteep section Cameron Lake Trestle hike

 
 
You can also keep following the tracks to the other trestles and to the end of the lake if you have more time. It would be smart to park two vehicles on each end of the lake of you do it this way. Parking lot at the east end of Cameron Lake
Cameron Lake Trestle trail
Beginning of the trail

 

Cameron Lake Trestle
too scared to sit on

 

Old railway at Cameron lake trestle
tracks from 1904

 

Rotten boards on the Cameron Lake Trestle
don’t fall through 

 

Cameron Lake Trestle views
power of the lotus

If you want to keep hiking from there this is the same start of trail for the Mt Wesley traverse and or summit hike. It is a great day out and highly recommend if you are in the area.

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4 Comments

  1. I never mentioned that the trestle was abandoned… I said that there is speculation that it will be opened again one day as a passenger route. Matt/Daves comments are incorrect…..There are no railway police or cameras…The alberni pacific railway has a small passenger train that runs in port alberni to the Mclean Mill, which is not along Cameron Lake. Otherwise the use of these tracks was shut down in 2006. The odd use of speeder cars are used along the tracks during events. The tracks were vandalized in 2014 in some sections, so I know they were looking for people who stole sections of the tracks a couple years ago..

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