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Fossli Provincial Park - A Forgotten Jewel
A while ago I published an ad that asked people three questions. One was if they knew where the suspension bridge in the Alberni Valley is. For months after the ad was printed, people were coming up to me and asking where it was. So now, for everyone’s benefit I can say it is on the trail into Fossli Provincial Park.
Located on the south shore of Sproat Lake, there are no signs that announce its presence anywhere. Although it is quite accessible by boat or by a 20-minute hike, you have to be able to read a map fairly well to get to it. It is, however, located on various tourist maps and the hiking guide to the valley.
 
This park is a real gem. In addition to the suspension bridge over a tumbling mountain stream that marks the hiking entrance to the park, there is an exquisite little falls on the same creek. Most of the forested area of the park is dominated by large second-growth Douglas fir. Along the stream below the falls are some magnificent of Big-leaf Maple groves with large cedars mixed in. On the lakeshore there is a small private beach. This is just below where the home of Helen and Armour Ford once stood. All that remains of it is some foundations, a plaque telling the reader about how they donated the property to the province as a park in 1973, and a few rhododendrons. The riparian area along the creek is beautiful, giving the hiker an experience of peacefulness.
The name of the park is unusual. Many think of it as a misspelling of the word fossil. It is not. The word is Norwegian and it means “waterfall in the valley” after a place that the original owner of the property, a pioneer named Alfred Faber, had visited.
 
The infrastructure of the park, such as it is, is getting old. Because you can’t drive to it, BC Parks has been reluctant to put much effort into it. A couple of years ago I noticed fungal bodies growing out of the boards supporting the walking planks on the suspension bridge. I reported it to BC Parks who responded by closing the bridge. I also noticed that the outhouse near the beach has had the same bags of garbage in it for two years! Ouch! And just a couple of weeks ago, I found that the garbage has spread out of the outhouse and was strewn about the entrance. And it didnt look like bears or animals had been involved. Also, two winters ago the trail along the creek was obscured because of gravel debris coming from a flood during the storms we had. I don’t even think BC Parks is aware of this.
This spring however, BC Parks has finally had the suspension bridge fixed. In fact the contractor did a great job making it better than it was before. Let’s just see how long it takes to get to the garbage!
july 2008 Update: After a confrontation with some very rude campers who were not supposed to be camping on this day-use park, and a very public complaint to the Ministry of Parks, I was able to have them clean up the site and put up a no camping sign on the beach. Things are much better there!