In the Columbia Mountains lies Mount Revelstoke National Park, home to one of the world’s only Inland Temperate Rainforests (the other two are located in southern Siberia and Russia’s far east). This unique ecosystem is home to hundreds of species, and is one of the most productive and biodiverse regions in Canada.
In my latest video, I explore the Giant Cedars Boardwalk, and old-growth rainforest in Mount Revelstoke National Park. This boardwalk takes you through the old growth, where you can see 500 year-old western red cedars and dozens of species of animals and fungus.
Below is more information about the Inland Temperate Rainforest, and the Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail. You can find a list highlighting various species found in the ecosystem, as well as directions to the Giant Cedars Boardwalk and information about the hike.
Flora, Fauna & Fungi
The Inland Temperate Rainforest is home to hundreds of species. Below is a selection of some of the species found in the rainforest for reference, but note that the list is incomplete.
Flora
Trees:
- Western redcedar (Thuja plicata)
- Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
- Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)
- Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
- Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Ferns:
- Oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris)
- Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Other plants:
- Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus)
- Mountain boxwood (Pachistima myrsinites)
- Oval-leafed blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium)
- Queen’s cup (Clintonia uniflora)
- Fen orchid (Liparis loeselii)*
- Pale bladderwort (Utricularia ochroleuca)*
- Mountain moonwort (Botrychium montanum)*
Fauna
Large Mammals:
- Mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)*
- Moose (Alces alces)
- Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
- Black bear (Ursus americanus)
- Wolverine (Gulo gulo)
- Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis)*
- Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)*
- Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
- Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
- Southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi)
Fungi
Mushrooms & Truffles:
- Devil’s tooth (Hydnellum peckii)
- Truffles (Tuber spp.)
- Phaeocollybia piceae
Lichen:
- Cryptic paw lichen (Nephroma occultum)*
- Pertusaria diluta
In 2007 researchers discovered thirteen tree-dwelling lichen species previously unknown to science in British Columbia’s inland rainforest.
Birds:
- Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
- Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
- Chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
- Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
- Pine siskin (Spinus pinus)
*indicates the species is listed by COSEWIC or the IUCN as at-risk, threatened or endangered.
Hiking Notes:
*Note: When I visited the trail in October 2024, part of the path was closed due to a fallen tree*
Total Distance: 500m (0.31 miles)
Elevation Gain: 28m (91 feet)
The trail is beginner and family friendly. The path comprised of a wooden boardwalk with stairs, with several benches to rest along the way.
- “Roadside Attractions.” (2024). Mount Revelstoke National Park. Accessed December 20, 2024
- “Giant Cedars Boardwalk.” (N.D.). Parks Canada. Accessed October 2024 at Giant Cedars Boardwalk near Revelstoke, B.C. (no link available).
- Jones, A. (2017). “7 Other Great Fires of London.” Mental Floss. Accessed December 20, 2024
- Højlund, B. (N.D.). “London.” Vikingeskibsmuseet. Accessed December 20, 2024
- “Old Growth Inland Rainforest – Glacier National Park.” (N.D.). Government of Canada – Parks Canada.Accessed December 21, 2024
- “Your Guide to Revelstoke’s Inland Temperate Rainforest.” (N.D.). See Revelstoke. Accessed December 21, 2024
- “Interior cedar – hemlock zone.” (2024). Government of British Columbia. Accessed December 21, 2024
- “Interior Cedar Hemlock Biogeoclimatic zone (ICH).” (N.D.). Ministry of Environment – Government of British Columbia. Accessed December 21, 2024
- “Interior Cedar – Hemlock Zone.” (N.D.). University of British Columbia – Centre for Forest Conservation Genetics. Accessed December 21, 2024
- Finkelstein, M. (2015). “Mount Revelstoke National Park.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Accessed December 21, 2024
- “History of Mount Revelstoke National Park of Canada.” (N.D.). Government of Canada – Parks Canada.Accessed December 21, 2024
- “Revelstoke’s First Peoples: Educational and Community Resources.” (N.D.). See Revelstoke. Accessed December 21, 2024
- “Cedar.” (2009). Indigenous Foundations – University of British Columbia. Accessed December 21, 2024
- “Cedar.” (2009). Indigenous Foundations – University of British Columbia. Accessed December 21, 2024
- Cox, S. (2019). “Canada’s forgotten rainforest.” The Narwhal. Accessed January 15, 2025
- Cox, S. (2021). “B.C.’s rare inland temperate rainforest is at risk of collapse, scientists warn.” The Narwhal. Accessed January 15, 2025
- “New conservancy protects rare ecosystems in Incomappleux Valley.” (2023). Province of British Columbia. Accessed January 15, 2025
- “Old growth maps.” (2023). Province of British Columbia. Accessed January 15, 2025
Read more:
Canada’s Hidden Rainforest: Giant Cedars Boardwalk
In the Columbia Mountains lies Mount Revelstoke National Park, home to one of the world’s only Inland Temperate Rainforests (the other two are located in
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