Canso Plane Crash Site

This hike provides an opportunity to visit the site of a Royal Canadian Air Force Canso 11007 that crashed shortly after takeoff on February 12, 1945. The plane still remains on the side of a hill and is surprisingly fairly intact despite the damage sustained from the crash. The trail to the site is located just south of Radar Hill and it passes through a bog that is extremely muddy, even during the late summer months. Besides this section, the trail is well marked and relatively easy but you should expect to spend a fair amount of time passing through the mud.

From the lower parking lot at Radar Hill, walk to the paved path and head south a short distance until you reach the trailhead to the Canso Plane Crash. The first section of the trail is very easy as the wide trail heads into the forest and quickly away from the noise of the cars along the highway. Within minutes, the trail begins to climb gradually but is still not that difficult. Within 1km, you reach an old, abandoned building. Walk up the stairs and inside the building as the graffiti, ripped walls, and dangling wires come across as very creepy. Go left inside the building, past the spray painted words saying the "Trail is this way", and exit out of the back of the building.

Follow the trail away from the building as it begins to descend quickly from the building through a much narrower section. Near the bottom, you enter the bog and this section is extremely muddy and will slow your progress. During the late, drier summer months, there are still sections of mud that cover your shoes. During the earlier spring, you can expect the mud to be knee high in sections so be prepared to return with extremely muddy shoes, pants, and legs.

Continue following the markers through the muddy bog. There are several different coloured markers and the string on the trees marks the boundaries of the trail area, all lead in the same general direction. The trail eventually becomes less muddy as you find yourself walking through a section of rugged, coastal trees.

Eventually, you pass a small pond that is almost perfectly circular. This pond is actually a crater that was created when the rescuers removed the bombs from the plane and, instead of trying to move them out through the difficult terrain, decided to detonate them near the wreckage. Just beyond the pond, the tail end of the plane begins to come into view between the trees as it lays on the side of the mountain.