Goodsir Nature Park open for winter
Goodsir Nature Park is alive with wilderness wonder even in the winter.
Volunteer proprietor Jim Good said his handmade natural attraction was a hit this past summer with locals and tourists alike, and he is already off to a good start in the snowy season.
Winter camping is a desired experience for a lot of people with outdoors inclinations but it can also feel daunting. Good said his nature park is a perfect place to give it a try, with a true forest landscape off the beaten track but all the comforts and assurances of being close to civilization. It’s the best of both worlds.
“I’ve already had winter campers,” Good said.
“We had a group of eight camp out at Little Goodsir Lake – five Scouts and three parent leaders – and they loved it. It’s like being 200 miles out in the forest, but you’re right at home.”
Good keeps an interpretive trail cleared of snow that allows for a leisurely half-hour walk around the 160-acre wild garden. It is a place that is home to trees, shrubs and flowers from all over Canada, lovingly transplanted here from every province and territory (invasive species were carefully omitted). This flora spectacle is unlike any other forest attraction anywhere in the nation, it is a living tribute to our country, and it is open year round.
“The trail is an easy walk, it’s not a challenging trail, families do the loop all the time without difficulty even in winter,” Good said.
“It takes about half an hour to walk the loop, but you can stop at the lake, you can read the interpretive signs, you can start a campfire at the cabin, take your lime looking at all the sights. It’s relaxing and beautiful. You can also snowshoe or ski anywhere off the groomed trail, the terrain is not difficult but some people like to go off and look at things from a different angle and that’s absolutely fine.”
Visitor numbers are not precise, because many patrons go for their wilderness walks without signing the guest book at the front parking lot, but Good does watch for signs of new visitors and he estimates the number this year of about 500 people which is a record for the humbly advertised outdoor facility.
Good is available by phone for appointments if people want a guided tour. He also has two on-site interactive museums – one an elaborate plant exhibit and another an exhibit of vinyl records (about 18,000 singles and albums) – to add more value to any day at Goodsir Nature Park.
The place has plug-ins for RVs, clearings for tents, plus the trail cabin all of which are available for overnighting even in the winter. Good asks only for modest donations for visitation, but they are optional for those on prohibitive budgets.
“I want people to come enjoy the park. This was never about making money. It’s my passion, and I love that I get to spend my retirement years connected like this to my lifelong passions of plantlife and golden age music,” he said. “You don’t have to sign in, you don’t have to call ahead, but if you do I can make sure you get some coffee brewed on the wood stove in an old fashioned percolator and you get full descriptions and the interesting stories of how these plants came to be here in one place.”
The park is located at 22825 Old Summit Lake Rd. and Good can be reached at 250-971-2337.
I want people to come enjoy the park. This was never about making money. It’s my passion...