Strawberry Flats is often just used as a car park for other trail heads in Manning Park, but it’s so much more than that! Whether you’ve arrived here in summer or winter, take a little time to explore and discover what makes the Flats so special.
Strawberry Flats has a unique ecosystem within Manning Park. There are two meadows in the Flats where you’ll find lots of alpine plants that normally only grow much higher up the mountains! Take an easy walk through the Flats to see a spectacular display of alpine flowers during the summer months, especially in July.
Strawberry Flats has been called an “upside-down mountain” because of the alpine plants growing there. There are a couple of theories why alpine plants grow so well in the Flats. One theory is “cold ponding,” whereby cold air (being denser than warm air) drains down from the mountains and settles in low areas like these meadows. Another theory is that historically heavy snowfall resulted in standing water in these meadows, creating a thick turf layer and a high water table, both of which inhibit conifer trees from growing. Whatever the reason, the meadows contain a wide variety of alpine and sub-alpine plants—more than one fifth of all plants known to grow in Manning Park.
In winter, there are cross-country ski trails along the Flats, and near ground zero is the Strawberry Flats Warming Hut. There are picnic tables on the covered patio, and inside the warming hut is a wood stove with pots for heating water and lots of tables and chairs.
Please be aware that the trail through Strawberry Flats is for walking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Bicycles, horses, and snowshoes are not permitted on this trail, but they are all okay on the trail on the other side of the parking lot (North Gibsons Trail).
The cache is a large camo’d bison tube. There's no cell service in Manning Park, so be sure to download the cache info to your GPSr or to an offline list on your phone.