Reckitt Cottonwood Rail Trail

Local century old railbed transformed into a 10K hiking trail

Sep 21, 2022 | 12:08 PM

Quesnel – A new attraction north of Quesnel. Outdoor enthusiasts can now walk a 10-kilometre trail out of a 100-year-old decommissioned section railbed. CKPG News was there for the grand opening.

For over a year, Michael Wells and some community members have been instrumental in bringing back to life a railbed that had been sitting dormant since September 10th, 1921.

Most of the railbed sits on private property targeted toward preserving the environment.

“This is part of Reckitt’s, what we call Choose Trees for Change program, where we are using the land across British Columbia to offset some of our carbon emissions to really make a contribution to climate change. So this property is part of that program.”

Emma Constable, Reckitt Group

On the 10-kilometre rail trail, users can see the effort of railway workers to build a rail system that stopped short of crossing the Cottonwood river.

At the time, unstable ground prevented the crossing of the Cottonwood River, along with a lack of financial and political support. The trail system is open to the public. For more information, contact the Quesnel and District Museum.

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