Cascade Canal Trail

Elevation: ca 3200 ft.

Directions: The trail can be accessed at either end.  One end is at the intersection of Gracie Road and Banner Lava Cap Road, where there is a small parking area on the corner.  The trail starts a few feet down Gracie Road on the same side as the parking area.  The other end can be found on Red Dog Road past where it enters Deer Creek Park.  The trail crosses Banner Mt. Trail (a county road) about half way between the two ends.  A side trip down this gravel by-way can often lead to species not usually seen up on the trail.

Habitat: This level trail follows the Cascade Canal, an irrigation canal operated by Nevada Irrigation District.  The preponderant vegetation is Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Incense Cedar, with smatterings of Black Oak.  It crosses several stream canyons that support lush growth of maple, alder, dogwood and other mountain stream-side plants.  More open areas offer a variety of habitat as well. 

Birds: Springtime is amazing along the trail.  The woods is a din of Black-headed Grosbeaks (and sometimes dogs) proclaiming their property rights.  Western Tanagers hop through the branches like animated Christmas ornaments.  Warblers are abundant.  Twenty – thirty Nashville Warbler territories can easily be crossed along the trail and adjacent areas (listen for their 2-3 part songs).  Also possible are Hermit, MacGillivray’s, Townsend’s, Black-throated Gray, Yellow-rumped, and Wilson’s Warblers.  Every stream canyon has one or more pairs of resident Winter Wrens.  Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Warbling Vireos also like the stream-side vegetation.  Chestnut-backed Chickadees nest along the trail.  Owls include Great-horned Owl and Northern Pygmy-owl.  A pair of Pileated Woodpeckers is often present, their primeval-sounding calls and loud drumming reverberating through the woods.  Varied Thrushes can sometimes be heard during the winter months, and Hermit Thrushes move through in fall and spring.