New BX Ranch Trail sure to be a hit with Vernon dog lovers

Photo: Contributed

A new trail links two of Vernon's popular dog parks.

The 2.25-kilometre BX Ranch Trail wraps around the former BX Ranch farmlands, offering picturesque vistas of the Foothills, Silver Star Mountain, Vernon Hill, and Black Rock.

The trail passes Mutrie Dog Park at the top of East Hill and ends at the BX Ranch Dog Park, says Ingrid Neumann with the Ribbons of Green Trails Society.

"Wonderful songbirds greeted us as we wandered through the fields and over several wooden ramps. Rest on the benches along the trail and soak in the panoramic views. Dogs must be on leash and please pick up after them," says Neumann.

The trail has three entrance points: 

• East Vernon Road - From Black Rock Road, turn north onto East Vernon Road. A small parking lot and trailhead signpost are on the west side of road, near a large barn. 
• BX Ranch Dog Park - From the parking lot, head south, across BX Road, up the hill through an idyllic shaded pine forest. At the top of the hill, the trail enters the flat ranchlands and continues south towards Mutrie Dog Park.
• Mutrie Dog Park - On Mutrie Road at the east end of the park, a gate enters the middle of the trail. Head north 850 metres to the BX Ranch Dog Park on BX Road. Or head 1.4 km south and east to the East Vernon Road trailhead and parking lot.

Garbage bins, dog bag dispensers, and wayfinding posts are located at each entrance.

Photo: Contributed