Paradise Valley is one of our favorite areas within driving distance of Vancouver. We visit several times each year to camp, to watch the salmon run and to watch eagles soar. Others come here for bouldering, river rafting, hiking and sport fishing. The drive along enchanted Paradise Valley Road winds through spectacular rain forest. The area melts away stress and inspires wonder.
Despite the area’s natural beauty, geocaches here are not numerous. So, we decided to add one. This is an ammo can that contains a log book, pencil and several trade items including a parking barricade cache container (rebar attached to bison tube) and a FTF pin for the FTF, if they wish to claim one or both items.
The Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery is located 15 km north of Squamish, adjacent to Tenderfoot Lake and east of the Cheakamus River.
Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery was built in 1981 primarily to enhance Chinook salmon stocks in the Squamish River watershed. Chinook stocks began declining in the 1960's, from an estimated 25-35 thousand fish to just one - two thousand by the early 1980's. The hatchery also enhances Coho salmon and Steelhead trout.
The hatchery offers a self-guided site tour and interpretive information on the grounds.
The cache is not located inside the hatchery grounds and can be accessed at all times though this area gets very dark at night, so not advisable for night caching. Public paths nearby lead to the lake and (eventually) to the river…and to some impressive boulder caves and bouldering rocks that are just steps from the cache hide location. Once you find the cache, cross the nearby bridge to the boulder caves! A trip here can be enjoyable, beautiful and educational at any time of year.
If, however, you wish to combine caching with a tour of the hatchery, it is open to the public seven days a week, 9:00am to 3:00pm. Closed on Dec. 25, 26, January 1 and occasionally closed during the month of August, as operational requirements dictate.
Chinook, Coho, Chum and Pink Salmon can be seen in this area. Time your visit:
Chinook Adults: August – September
Coho Adults: November – January
Chum Adults: November – December (in Tenderfoot Lake)
Coho Juveniles – All Year
When we hid this cache Pink Salmon were running in the river in large numbers (August, 2013). Pinks return every second year, so we were lucky to see them.
Bald eagle viewing in this area, October to January.
SPOILER DIRECTIONS FOLLOW - read only if you want specific walking directions to cache:
GPS reception is spotty at times here as the rainforest cover is very thick. So, following is a clear set of directions. Parking at fish hatchery, either on road or inside gates if hatchery is open. From parking, walk south following the gravel trail that runs alongside the west side/fence of the hatchery. The head of this trail is at the big, yellow gate. The path will veer slightly east, then continue south at the rear of the hatchery. At this point the path widens and is primarily packed dirt, so in winter can be mucky. Continue to follow the path past Tenderfoot Lake on your left. Watch on your left (east) for the SECOND of two, well traveled yet narrow trails into the rainforest. Take that SECOND path into the forest and follow it east until it T-bones with another path. At the 'T' turn right (south), climb over a log across the path and venture a bit further to LARGE trees entangled on your left (east). If you walk past the wooden foot bridge and trail map signpost, you have gone a little too far.