Before anyone can build a trail or save a tree, someone’s got to go out there and explore. It’s arguably the funnest and hardest part of any new trail. You’ll find everything you need on this page to start getting out yourself and finding beautiful, untouched old growth stands. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send us a message!

NOTE: Off trail exploration includes challenges, risks and exposure well beyond and above what you would find on 99% of hiking trails. Do not attempt to go off exploring without prior advanced hiking experience. There’s lots of resources online to help you stay safe in the backcountry so make sure you get thoroughly informed before leaving your house.

Always leave a trip plan with someone, carry the appropriate gear, and bring a communication device with you.

Map Building w/ iMapBC

The British Columbian government provides a huge amount of land use data to the public through an easy to use online mapping app. iMapBC gives you the ability to built maps and overlay them with thousands of different data layers; a crucial first step when looking for potential stands of undisturbed old growth trees. We’ve put together three tutorial videos to help you navigate this very powerful tool.

Navigation 101

Once you’ve found an area to explore with iMapBC, you’re going to want to use a GPS device to help find your way around. The logging roads will only get you so close and getting to your objective will inevitably require some or lots of bushwacking. On the West Coast, the forest can be so dense that traditional map and compass navigation doesn’t work. Limited vision, debris and thick salal bushes can easily mess with your sense of direction. A GPS unit will help you stay on track and most importantly get you back to your car.

Don’t bother buying a fancy GPS unit. Your smart phone has everything you need to navigate anywhere on the planet. There are a lot of apps that do a great job, but we recommend using View Ranger. It’s a free app and offers some great base maps without having to spend any money.

We also recommend getting to know how to use your compass. A compass paired with a GPS device helps a lot while tromping through the forest.

Before Leaving Your House

• Charge your phone!

• Download the relevant maps you need for your mission. There won’t be any service/data out there.

• Open your iMapBC map and your GPS app at the same time. Create waypoints to where you want to go ahead of time and get familiar with how your GPS map looks like compared to your iMapBC map.

• Make sure you plan your drive in. Logging roads have very few signs and road markings and many of them have gates, limited opening hours and VHF radio requirements. Logging roads are often sketchy and narrow and you have to share the road with the biggest trucks you’ve ever seen. If you’re entering an active logging area PLAN AHEAD! Have some backup options in case your road access is denied. Learn more here.

• Ask a friend to be your check-in person. Leave a detailed plan with them including planned exploration route and expected time of return. Check-in with your friend as soon as possible after completing your exploration. If anything goes awry and you’re stuck out there, your friend will be able to alert search & rescue resources sooner than later. Check out AdventureSmart for important tips on staying safe.

Starting Your Exploration

• Close any apps you aren’t using and put your phone in airplane mode.

• Make sure that “battery saving mode”, if you have one, is turned off. This can negatively affect GPS tracking.

• Start a GPS track as soon as you get out of your car.

• Waypoint anything of interest.

The Big Tree Registry

One of the goals while looking for big trees is to get the biggest trees registered on UBC’s Big Tree Registry. The Big Tree Registry was started by pioneering conservationist Randy Stoltmann with the goal of saving BC’s old growth forests from destruction. The registry lists important information like tree size, location and type and helps serve as an important tool when advocating for the protection of these giants. The registry also lays out standards for measuring and describing tree sizes.

If you want to take your big tree hunting to the next step, download the Big Tree Field Package and start registering trees! Every additional tree we get on the registry brings us significantly closer to conserving these valuable ecosystems.

The Tree Book

This is the ultimate tree guide. Originally published by the BC government in 1948, the book became ubiquitous in every household around the province. This book rocks! You can still request a free copy of the book but even better, it’s now available as a PDF file. Download it to your phone and have awesome tree knowledge in your back pocket everywhere you go.

A Few Extra Considerations

• Never, ever, tear down any flagging tape you might find in the forest. While it’s tempting to think that you might be slowing down logging operations, you are more likely removing markers that denote river boundaries, bear dens, and cut block borders. Fallers might come in after you and cut down way more than initially planned.

DON’T REMOVE FLAGGING TAPE!!!!!!!

• Observe leave no trace principles. Don’t litter and deal with human waste appropriately. If you gotta go, go 50m away from any stream or water source, bury your waste 30cm deep in the ground, stir your waste with some dirt (it helps with the decomposition), and carry out your TP. There’s nothing worst than hiking in a forest were a rodent has dug up little bits of white poop paper and spread it everywhere. Don’t believe me? Go hike the PCT...

• Take notes on what you see on the drive in. A freshly grated road, new looking flagging tape, or nearby helicopter size clearings might be signs that companies are getting ready to harvest.

• Treat forestry workers with respect! People often think we are at odds with the people working on the ground but that is not the case. These workers spend more time in the forest in a year than most of us do in our lifetimes. Be nice, ask them if the’ve seen anything cool, and respect any instructions they might give regarding access.

• Be thoughtful with sharing your adventure details and locations on social media. When exploring these backcountry areas, your trampling in very sensitive ecosystems. The last thing we want is to have a ton of people follow us and leave the area wrecked.