Derby Reach, the Fort to Fort Trail, and the Village of Fort Langley
In Fort Langley, BC, there is an interesting trail that runs roughly along the Fraser River. It runs between the Fort Langley National Historic Site and the original location of the fort at Derby Reach.
Fort Langley of British Columbia was originally built in 1827 and it was relocated from Derby Reach to its current grounds in 1839. Both sites are historic and interesting.
When our family visited the area in the early fall, we started at Derby Reach Regional Park. There is a parking lot and public washrooms – very important when wandering around with kids in tow!
Derby Reach has a fantastic picnic area and fire pits. There is a lot of natural beauty at the park, especially overlooking the Fraser River. There are historic buildings to explore, and there is also a platform from where you can overlook the Langley Bog. For those with dogs, there is an off-leash area, as well. We let our kids fly their kites in one of the open field areas.
Our two older boys cycled down the 4km long trail on their bikes, while we walked with our daughter in the stroller. The boys really enjoyed the natural setting and were eager to find the frogs they could hear in the tall grass. It was an easy trail, level and wide.
From Derby Reach, we walked into the village of Fort Langley. The village is old-timey and quaint, full of tea shops, bookstores, restaurants, and more. Of itself, the village is worth taking an afternoon to explore!
My husband and I went back another time without the kids to explore the village. We had a fancy high tea, absolutely loved the farmer’s market, and I bought a great cookbook at one of the shops. All this would have been fine to do with the kids, had we not had the bikes with us.
The Fort to Fort Trail continues just past the Fort Langley National Historic Site and ends near the river. We made it to the fort and then turned around and headed back to Derby Reach, the washrooms, and the car.
Our family is planning a picnic at Derby Reach once the weather is warm and sunny again. We had a memorable time traversing the Fort to Fort Trail the first time, and we can’t wait to do it again!
Next in this series, I’ll tell you all about the Chaberton Estate Winery.