Thursday, December 22, 2011

COLLIERY DAM PARK









Colorful graffitti at the culvert's entrance leading to the Waterfalls


One of the bridges in the Park. This particular one leads to a newly-opened Subdivision nearby.




Public restoom

Colliery Dam Waterfall during a very dry Fall season








The wooden bridge leading to the Colliery Waterfall on the right, look for the culvert on the right under the bridge then follow the track to the left.



The other end of the culvert's entrance, still noticeable are the colorful graffiti.

The concrete bridge on the Lower Level of the Colliery Dam Park.




The bridge walkway found on the Upper Level of the Colliery Dam Park.


Colliery Waterfall during a big run-off.



Roughly 2.5 square kilometers of trails loop through the woods in an almost figure-8 shaped, this 28 hectare park and 2 man-made lakes is located in the Southend of Nanaimo. To get to Colliery Dam Park, drive South on Wakesiah Avenue and turn right at the 4-way stop onto Nanaimo Lakes road then look for the parking lot on your left. Another alternate route is go straight through the 4-way stop at Wakesiah and Nanaimo Lakes road and you will be greeted by a new signage on the Front side of a small parking lot. Either route allows you to park close to the lake view. Make sure you do not leave your visible valuables inside your vehicle and keep them locked when you leave your car.The 2 man-made lakes in the park were formed when a dam was built to provide fresh water for the old Harewood No.1 mine. It is separated by a concrete dam and a spillway. There are also hard to find caves in the Southwest end of the park that are partly hidden and obscured by thick brushes and bushes. The trails are partly covered with pavement,bark mulch  and rocky sections. There are sturdy wooden stairs and boardwalks around the park. There are very few signage or markers which can be confusing  for first-time visitors and tourists. There is a public washroom which is open during the summer and early spring and fall. The trail system is just average for this size of park although the park offers its own charm. Just South of the bridge between the two lakes is a pile of huge boulders that is a delight for young children to explore and climb. There are a few old trees here, good trout-fishing,bridges, swimming area and waterfalls. To reach the bigger waterfalls, one must hike a few hundred meters from the South West of the Upper Level Dam then look for the Nanaimo Parkway Overpass. There is large culvert with lots of colorful graffitti on the front and inside as well. The tunnel itself is relatively clean but it can get really dark depending on the weather and time of the day, this might scare some young children. The Chase River runs through this along the very rocky trails downstream. Follow the trail at the end of the culvert which will eventually lead you to the cascading and awe-inspiring waterfalls which I will refer to as the Colliery waterfalls. There are wildlife around the park which is mostly the Common Merganser, Kingfisher, Mallard, Barred Owl, Osprey and occasional bear-sightings . Colliery Dam Park is regularly visited by the locals along with their dogs, bird-watchers, hikers and trout fishermen. It is open year-round but remained closed at night.