Butze Rapid Trail - Prince Rupert, British Columbia

Bryson Huculak

Excellent trail, listed at 5.2km. trail is very well maintained, with minimal roots and large rocks. Well built bridges and wooden features where required. We completed it in around 1.5 hrs

The scenery was quite varied, offering views of many different plant species and ecosystems. Some informative signage along the way.

Taylor Weisgerber

What an absolute treasure for the locals!
For having to work near Prince Rupert, it was going to be an overall new experience.

I was happy to have passed the Butze Rapid Trail sign a few times, and in passing, the curiosity finally peaked.

Went out for a mid to late day hike through the winding footpath, and it was an absolutely awe inspiring experience.

The pathway is well maintained / there were a couple steeper spots throughout the trail, but as long as you have some good tread on your soles, you should do fine.

The viewpoints, and vistas of the certain areas you get to see are breathtaking, especially when you get the sunset backing the view of the mountains and river / Rapids.

As an amateur hiker, I was expecting the journey (with photo opportunities) to take around 2-2.5hrs. I was able to take as many photos as my heart could desire, and stop at the amazing rest stops / side views that dot this trail in about 1.5hrs.

This is one spot in BC I will absolutely be bragging to all my friends about having the opportunity to visit.

Jansen Wendlandt

Short two mile hike that includes some moderate hills, with multiple side pathways excellent for exploration at your own pace through this beautiful temperate rainforest. Wonderful views of tidal areas
Pathway is nicely maintained to avoid flooding and mud

Luke Robson

Nice relaxed walk that gets you right down to the water's edge. Definitely worth checking the tides ahead of time to max the epic-ness of the rapids.. I went at low tide and they were pretty chilled. Keep in mind this walk is one that I saw a lot of people doing as their 'daily loop' so it's not a tough slog by any stretch. What gave it 5 stars was all the info boards talking about the history and different tree/plant species.. Good place to test your tree knowledge!

Tommy Langzik

Relative to Tall Tree Trail, Butze Rapid Trail was well kept and easy-going. For the most part, the slopes were gentle and I didn't come across any significantly muddy areas. The walk through the trail was littered with bite-sized scenic stops, taking my girlfriend and I approximately 2.5 - 3 hours (including a picnic, and stopping every few minutes to take pictures) to complete.

Unlike Tall Tree Trail (where the hike sometimes got grueling and offered comparatively little to see until the end), Butze didn't have much of a singular breath-taking 'wow' moment to offer, and getting through it offered little in terms of feeling a sense of 'accomplishment'.

If you want a relaxing 'walk' type of a hike where you can stop every now and then to admire neat formations/views, this trail is perfect for that pace (especially if someone very young or not at peak health is involved). If you're looking for a more rigorous challenge and an epic view at the top, Tall Tree Trail would be a better match, and it's practically right across the street (*I wrote a review coupled with images for that one too, so feel free to check it out for comparison).

NOTE: I did not encounter any wild animals throughout either hike.

Izik Vehvo

I absolutely love this trail - amazingly well-maintained, has such a variety of plants and little animals, multiple different biomes (rainforest, deserty and a beach!) while remaining fairly easy. 10/10 will definitely be back at some point in time (unless I die, haha)

Darren Kirby

A very nice walk through the rainforest. Not too strenuous. Takes from an hour to two depending on pace or number of spots. About 5km.

Dan Deranleau

Great easy hike. Couple hours of stroll but remember it’s a loop, downhill there and up hill back. There is a bathroom about 500m in. 🙂