Approx 10 km south of Fernie at Morrissey Jct, looking east along Highway 3. Take a right (south) on Morrissey Road to access a hidden gem of a mini-adventure, the Ancient Cottonwoods Trail. This is also the best way to access a more remote treasure: The Canadian Flathead Valley.

Veloured in dense green moss, 400-year-old cottonwood trees congregate on the south side of the Elk River at Morrissey Bridge. A nature walk steers you around wet spots and avoids sensitive cottonwood roots.

This forest is managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The trail, less than a kilometre in length, was developed with interpretive signs in collaboration with Tembec, Wildsight, College of the Rockies, and the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program.