Not into snowshoeing? Lucky for you, Vancouver doesn’t often get snow at sea level so we usually have lots of great snow-free hikes near Vancouver year round. Below are 10 great trails you can hike in the winter that are probably clear of snow, or have just a little bit you can walk on without any traction device. They are listed below from most difficult to least difficult.
Mount Gardner
Mount Gardner is the highest point on Bowen Island. It is a mainly forested trail until you reach the top to openings that overlook beautiful Howe Sound. There are lots of different routes making people get lost quite often so be sure to pay careful attention, making sure you can always see a trail marker. The highest point is 727 metres so there is often some snow at the top in the winter but usually not too much you can’t handle it with some boots/shoes with decent traction.
The trail climbs 570 metres of elevation, and it’s 10km round trip from the trailhead, or 17km if you walk from the ferry. It takes most people 5-7 hours to complete.
It is transit-accessible as you can take the bus to Horseshoe Bay where you catch the 20 minute ferry over to Bowen Island. From there you can walk along the scenic trail through Crippen Regional Park to reach the trailhead, or drive, but there is no local bus to the trailhead.
Mount Gardner and Crippen Regional Park are dog-friendly.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
Mount Galiano
Located in the Mount Galiano Nature Preserve, this hike is the highest point on Galiano Island at 311 metres. The top gives you a great view of the surrounding southern gulf islands with Vancouver Island in the distance. There are a bunch of different starting points which you can see at http://www.galiander.ca/galianotrails/mtgalianotrails/index.html.
The trail climbs 311 metres of elevation, and it’s 6km round trip from the official trailhead at the end of Active Pass Drive. It takes most people about 1.5 hours to complete.
It is not transit-accessible as there is no public transit on Galiano Island. Hitchhiking is very common on the island if you feel comfortable with that, or you can take the Pub Bus (by donation) from the ferry to the pub (ridiculously awesome experience thanks to ex Vancouver bus driver Tommy Transit – see the experience in my Instagram post), which is about 1/3 of the way, and walk the rest.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
Jug Island
This hike is located in Belcarra Regional Park near Port Moody with the trailhead at the picnic area. It travels the length of the peninsula through the forest and out to the far tip where you see Jug Island from the beach, and Deep Cove in the background.
The trail has a cumulative total of 262 metres of elevation gain, and it’s 4.7km round trip. It takes most people about 1.5 hours to complete.
It is a transit-accessible and dog-friendly trail.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
High Knoll
This hike is located in Minnekhada Regional Park near Coquitlam. There are a few different ways to get to the lookout point with no trail being called “High Knoll” until you get closer to it so be sure to look at the map at the trailhead (pictured below – click to enlarge) to choose your route. The following stats are for taking the Meadow Trail, then the Mid-Marsh Trail to the lookout and back along the Quarry trail.
The trail has a cumulative total of 262 metres of elevation gain, and it’s 4.7km round trip. It takes most people about 1.5 hours to complete.
It is a transit-accessible and dog-friendly trail.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
Quarry Rock
Quarry Rock is one of the most popular hikes in North Vancouver. Winter is the best time to explore this trail as it is much less busy than the summer. Part of the Baden-Powell trail, this hike travels through the gorgeous temperate rainforest and pops you out at the famed rock overlooking Indian Arm.
This Deep Cove trail has a cumulative total of 160 metres of elevation gain, and it’s 3.8km round trip. It takes most people about 1 hour to complete.
It is a transit-accessible and dog-friendly trail.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
Pender Hill
Pender Hill is a spectacular hike. I highly recommend making the trip out here! It is short but oh so sweet with killer views and just enough of a workout to feel a burn but short enough you can fit this hike in between other plans for the day. Perfect if you’re visiting the area (Madeira Park or Garden Bay) or even if you’re just passing through to head to other awesome places further up the coast like Powell River, West Coast Wilderness Lodge or a trip out to Savary Island.
This trail has a cumulative total of 178 metres of elevation gain up to the high point of 235 metres, and it’s only 2km round trip so it’s very steep. It takes most people about 1 hour to complete.
Unfortunately it is not transit-accessible and not really dog-friendly unless your pup is a really good climber. The trailhead is a bit tricky to find. You can see it here at this Google map.
Velodrome Trail
Like the Coquitlam Crunch, but much more scenic, the Velodrome Trail in Burnaby is a great short alternative to the Grouse Grind you can safely do in the winter. It’s basically a continuous climb up steps to give you a great calf burn and rewards you with a pretty view over the Burrard Inlet and also over the city of Vancouver in the distance.
There is a road up to the top of the trail too as Horizons Restaurant is located there. There are lots of other trails in the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area surrounding Simon Fraser University too. See the trail map here.
The Velodrome trail has a cumulative total of 240 metres of elevation gain, and it’s 3 km round trip. It takes most people just under an hour to complete.
It is a transit-accessible and dog-friendly.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
Lynn Loop
The Lynn Loop trail is an easy but pretty forest hike at Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver. Snow tends to stick around in this park quite often as it’s very shaded and starts at about 200 metres above sea level.
The trail has a cumulative total of 170 metres of elevation gain, and it’s 5.2 km round trip. Easiest route is to go counter clockwise. It takes most people about 2 hours to complete. See the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park trail map here.
It is a transit-accessible and dog-friendly.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
Smuggler Cove
The trail to Smuggler Cove on the Sunshine Coast is an easy but gorgeous coastal hike halfway between Sechelt and Madeira Park. Located in Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park, the trail travels through a variety of habitats including a gorgeous wetland, making it a great spot for wildlife viewing.
There is a small unserviced backcountry campground along the trail that is great for year-round camping.
The trail pretty flat climbing only 56 metres in elevation, and it’s just under 4 km round trip.
It is not transit-accessible but it is dog-friendly.
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Killarney Lake
The hike through Crippen Regional Park and around Killarney Lake on Bowen Island is an easy but pretty forest hike. Be sure to stop off at the lagoon before entering the park and take a short detour to Bridal Veil Falls to see the fish ladders. See the Bowen Island trail map at https://bowentrails.ca/
The trail has a cumulative total of about 175 metres of elevation gain, and it’s about 8 km round trip if you walk right from the ferry. It takes most people about 2 hours to complete.
It is a transit-accessible and dog-friendly.
For more details visit my Hiking Trails page at http://hikesnearvancouver.ca/hiking-trails/all-hikes/
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