Trail-Based Events
This page was last reviewed on April 9, 2024.
Organizers of trail-based events should note that the Village of Cumberland is only able to grant permits for access to the trails within Cumberland Community Forest Park. If your event requires the use of trails on private lands beyond the park boundaries, additional permits from the landowners will likely be required.
IMPORTANT: Due to the implications of climate change and the increasing risk of wildfire to our forest and our community, and in coordination with the owners of adjacent forest lands, the Village of Cumberland will typically NOT approve permits for trail-based events between July 15 and August 31 of each year.
The United Riders of Cumberland (UROC), which is responsible for trail management through a land access agreement, has its own processes for organizers of trail-based events, as well as useful landowners and terrain maps, that you may find helpful in determining which permit(s) you may need for your event.
View UROC’s 3rd Party Event Operators Guidelines & Maps
To inquire about access to land that is not owned by the Village of Cumberland, please contact the respective landowner(s) directly. For more information, we suggest you visit:
For information on submitting a Community Event Application with the Village of Cumberland, please see Community Event Application and Facility Rentals.
Protecting our Watershed
Organizers of trail-based events are required to consider and, if necessary, make special provisions for the protection of the Perseverance Creek Watershed. This requirement is in recognition that many of Cumberland’s popular trails are within the Village of Cumberland’s drinking water supply area (Perseverance and Cumberland Creek Watersheds), which is ultimately part of the Comox Lake Watershed and the drinking water source for most of the Comox Valley. Organizers of trail-based events need to consider the importance of drinking water protection in their event planning.
Permit applications will be reviewed and considered for such matters pertaining to drinking water protection, including, but not limited to:
- Number of participants
- Proposed location of events, including trails and their proximity to surface water sources
- Waste management and disposal
- Adequacy of washroom facilities
- Vehicle access needs
- Communications protocols and watershed protection messaging
- Other requirements on a case-by-case basis
Swimming, boating and fishing are prohibited in Village reservoirs. As such, no permits will be issued for events that propose these activities in any of the Village’s reservoirs (Allen, Hamilton, Stevens, Henderson Lakes or No. 2 Reservoir).
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