Big plans for Campbell Valley Regional Park

Campbell Valley Regional Park is getting a makeover.

The 1,300-acre expanse of fallow fields and forests is criss-crossed by kilometres of hiking and horseback riding trails.

But the park is actually even bigger than many visitors realize. Plans to redesign Campbell Valley Regional Park’s northeastern corner (on the north side of 16th Avenue) will open up several new acres of trails and activities in the area—including a new canoe dock and a new summer camp.

Plans for a park

Campbell Valley Regional Park was once six separate farmsteads. Today, it’s home to two heritage sites (the Annand/ Rowlatt Farmstead and Lochiel Schoolhouse), the remains of the Langley Speedway, a densely wooded river valley, and a few endangered turtles.

The park is one of the largest in Langley and its extensive trails are popular with hikers and horseback riders alike. 

The McLean Pond area is not currently well-used. It sits east of the Campbell River, backing up onto 208th Street. It’s easily mistaken for private farmland: currently, the land that is not forest is a series of hayfields. It’s also difficult to access on foot from the main portion of the park—the closest crosswalks on the busy 16th Avenue are several blocks away from the area’s gates.

Now, Metro Vancouver Regional District, the governing body in charge of the park, is planning to add activities and new trails to the McLean Pond area. While the plans still require various municipal and environmental permits and approvals, they’re starting to take shape. The project is expected to cost $8 million. Construction could start in 2027.

Metro hopes to create new trails for walking and cycling along the west edge of the pond and preserve existing equestrian trails. (Currently, cycling is fairly restricted on Campbell Valley trails. It scares the horses.) A new parking lot off 208th street would funnel cars into a new entrance, complete with washrooms and picnic shelters. The district is also looking at adding trail connections and crossings to improve accessibility from the existing north parking lot of the park.

The improvements will also include another summer camp and a canoe dock for paddling classes. There are two such camps (large group campsites with amenities for different organizations, like youth groups or field trips) in the area already. Camp Coyote is on public park land on the other side of the river and Scouts Canada’s Camp McLean is on private land next door. 

The regional district also says it wants to enhance surrounding habitats and add new wetland areas. McLean pond is a habitat for the endangered Western Painted Turtle and currently has a fenced-off turtle hatching area. Adding more wetlands (and more trails around them), the district hopes, will add more space for the turtles and more opportunities for visitors to learn about the endangered creatures.

The park is located entirely within the Agricultural Land Reserve, and plans to develop it (or even restore it to its pre-farmland state) will require the approval of the ALR commission. Langley Township Council sent the project to the commission with its endorsement.