My last decades have been spent living in the Southwest USA. This summer I am visited my old…read morestomping grounds in Burnaby, B.C. After seeing the water or lush green trees in the Northwest, it makes me truly appreciate nature! This 770 acre (3.11 sq kilometer) park offers 6.2 miles (10 kms) of gravel and boardwalk trails. During our visit, we saw cyclists enjoying the trails, dog walkers getting their daily steps in, and plenty of people taking in the peaceful atmosphere. I think this area is a wonderful oasis away from traffic, horns and the constant sounds of a city. Waterfowl and birds can be spotted all around the park. At Piper Spit, there are viewing platforms to get a closer look at these feathered creatures. The novelty may wear off eventually, but after years in the desert, I'm still not over all this greenery--so I expect I'll be back often. Park hours are: June 2​​ to August 24: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm​​​​​​​​​​​​​ August 25 to September 7: 7:00 am - 9:00 pm​​​​​​​​​​​

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks offers programs year-round​. Nature activities, guided walks and…read moreevents reveal the natural world through exploration and discovery. Today I attended to one of their event, Beaver Watch. It's kids friendly event and like me, solo adult can join as well. Cost $10 for adult. We started learning class about beaver in the nature house (30min). We got rental binoculars for practice and headed to observatory deck and bridge. On the way, we learned beaver diet by the instructors. Beaver tend to active after sunset. We had to wait patiently (lucky to see double rainbow!) But worth enough to wait chilly evening. We could find eight beavers tonight. According to the instructor, eight is big number. Normally less. They swim peacefully and sometimes land on the small island. In second, they dive into again. I highly recommend this nature event and well maintained park.

This park has grown on me. The people who come here are quite friendly especially compared to…read moreCentral Park where I live close to. There are also lots of birds here to check out. It also isn't as busy as Central Park. A nice park to go for a walk, run, walk you dog or have a picnic. They have picnic tables here as well .......

Six months ago I started a hiking group in which all hikes and walks are transit accessible and I…read morepurchased a couple of books of local walking and hiking trails for inspiration. It was in one of my books in which I learned about the Fraser Foreshore Park trail, and I planned a walk with my hiking group in October. The trail is a flat, easy trail along the Fraser River (ideal for people with mobility problems), and according to the book, it is 8km round trip and takes around 2.5 to 3 hours. However, despite walking at a slow, relaxed pace and stopping to take photos, the walk only took two hours. While it was a nice walk, I didn't find it particularly interesting and would prefer to try new trails before walking along this trail again. The trail is very transit accessible, with the #116 bus from Edmonds or Metrotown Station stopping minutes from the beginning of the trailhead on Boundary Road, but with the bus running only every half an hour, it's a bit of a pain to catch and what would be less than a ten minute drive ends up being a half an hour transit journey for me. Other things to note: within the park is a playground and picnic tables, as well as washrooms. But there are no washrooms at the beginning of the trail at Boundary, so if you need to use the bathroom at the beginning of the walk, you have to use the nearby gas station. [Yelp collections: Hiking]

A park gem in the middle of the city…read more Small parking lot near the main entrance off of 100th Avenue. Lots of different trails that circle the lake and beyond. Trails are well maintained with lots of family friendly traffic on a good weather day and the trails are relatively flat. Recommended you download the park map if you want to create your own jogging or walking route as several major roads cut through the park grounds.

Trail Series, Part 22 Wondering if Fall has arrived in…read moreCanada? Yep, we'd say that indeed it has! The "Green Timbers Urban Forest Park" located in Surrey (just outside of Vancouver) offers spectacular opportunities to get out and immerse yourself in some "Fall colors" when that need strikes you. Their numerous trails funnel you to (and around) the lake and are extremely well marked and maintained. Bicycles, runners/walkers, and leashed dogs are all welcome. In fact, we felt that most of the trails are flat and wide enough to also welcome wheelchairs and strollers. Although we always recommend the buddy system when enjoying a trail, we found these well traveled enough to give it our highest safety rating. For those seeking a challenge when enjoying these trails, we'd recommend trying to locate the beaver dams and their inhabitants. There is convenient parking located on 100th Avenue (between 144th Street and 148th Street), so get out there and enjoy some fresh and vibrant Canadian air, eh? And that's...Henry's Take. #canadiantrails

This is a super cute and beautiful park in Coquitlam. I went there to walk a little bit and it was…read moreso wonderful. There's many spots where there is benches to sit and some picnic tables as well so it's a nice spot to go during the summer time to hang out. It's not overly busy compared to some other parks so that's really nice. They do have a small playground for anyone with young children. Plus ample parking around (either street parking or actually small parking lots). The also have small bridges or platforms (not sure if this is the correct term) that go out in to the water that people can walk on to. Just be aware of all the geese and birds though. There's a ton of them here. They won't bother you if you just leave them alone as well.

A nice little park nestled within the residential area. The lake is not big and you can walk around…read moreit in 30 minutes or less. There are two parking lots at opposite sides or you can also parking along the street. There are table tennis tables where you can play for free. The paddles and balls are kept in a box where you need to download an app to borrow them. Pretty neat. Despite signs indicating no fishing, I saw kids and families fishing from the two platforms at each side. I overheard someone asking a boy how many fish he caught and what he did with them. The boy said he released the fish back into the lake. The park can get busy at times with people relaxing on the benches and grass. There are ducks and geese around.

We were lucky to snag a parking spot Saturday at 5:30 pm here. I love discovering a peaceful oasis…read morein the middle of a city! Trees and lakes keep the air fresh, the noise pollution down and makes you feel like you escaped the city without leaving town. Plenty of people were enjoying the 69 degree weather. Some lounging in their lawn chairs, walking the dogs on the trail or canoeing on the lake. The boardwalk is especially nice for walking, for the structural metal strips keep it bike-free and peaceful. Meanwhile, there are many scenic trails through the trees that cyclists can enjoy. We completed the one hour/2.6 mile loop trail around the lake passing gorgeous heritage homes, a wedding taking place on the festival lawn and people fishing off the docks. Next time, I'm renting a canoe or kayak from the Deer Lake Boat rentals to see the park from a different perspective. Bonus:Parking and the views are free!

I've been to Deer Lake several times before, but most recently went there for the Vampire Weekend…read moreconcert. On a clear sunny day, this place beats any other concert venue: it's large enough for concert goers of all types to enjoy. You could easily make your way up to get close to the stage, or you could sit down on the lawn and listen to the tunes. Since the lawn tilts at an angle, it's easy to see the stage from almost anywhere, even if you're really far back. There are also a lot of food trucks to get food or drinks from, and there's a water station where you could fill up your water bottle. The only downside of this venue is that it's not very easily accessible by transit and parking is limited on a busy concert evening.

I cannot get enough of rocky point park. It's so beautiful and peaceful. Even though it's small…read morewith some trails, it's one of those parks that's really good to come to for some wellness and enjoyment

Part One We arrived and parked within the main parking lot…read moredirectly in front of the area by the Pier, just before 9:30 am yesterday. A first-time experience for my lady and I to the Park - the daughter had been there a couple of times before, but a good while ago. Daughter and I had plans to walk the Park's walkaways and trails, and Mom to stay behind, to take in the views near the pier and surrounding areas, waterfowl activities, and generally to enjoy her time outside in the warm sunshine and fresh air of the beautiful morning we had on the go. A visit to the 'Recreational Pier' was first on the walking agenda. The walk out on the structure offered views of the pier itself (lined from one end to the other, with colourful flowered-planters, and benches to sit and take in sights), and views of the water and mudflats below (with lots of waterfowl resting and feeding), several boats, the boat launching area, and full extent views of both sides of Burrard Inlet as seen at this location. A splendid start to our morning walks. Second on the walking agenda was the walkway along the shoreline, to the start of the 'Shoreline Trail'. We did not make any stop in between -- at the 'Playgrounds', or picnic lunching areas -- just caught some rather distant views, we had forested-trails on our minds. The walkway itself though, offered a very plesant, well-treed walk, with several good viewing spots of the Inlet along the route. We walked with no stops other than enough time along the way to view, catch, and capture some of the natural sights. Part Two Walking the 'Shoreline Trail'. We continued our walk, and when we reached the entrance(s) to the 'Shoreline Trail' we headed left into the route closest to the actual shoreline. This took us into a well-groomed dirt, walking only trail. The route to the right was a paved roadway, and much more popular with family groups, and such. The route taken was definitely 'the' right one for us, and we sure enjoyed it. Heavily-forested, mostly flat, with only a couple of 'stair walks' up slopes, some interesting boardwalks over wet areas, and several lookout spots to stand or sit, and view the sights of the inlet along the way. We walked as far as a smaller trail off the main trail that took us inland, up and into the 'Noons Creek Hatchery' site. After an interesting stop and visit there (review forthcomcoming), we returned to the main trail, and walked back to Rock Point. Next on the walking agenda -- Part Three - walking to the end of 'Shoreline Trail' (soon, I hope!).

This is a great park for a little kids. Lots of families come here. Tons of equipment for the kids…read moreto play on.There are park picnic tables also. It's not ideal for toddlers because it's very busy and some of the older kids run into the littler ones. It happens. There's a small water park area. Overall it's a pretty fun happening place for a little kids to run and play. The area would be improved by adding night lighting. At night the park is pitch black and there are a few weirdos around the area.

Lions Park is one of the bigger parks in Port Coquitlam…read more Even in the dead of winter, there are plenty fitness fans out abound; cycling, walking, hiking or even using the outdoor exercise machines. Where most of the folks are in holiday feasting mode. The park boasts a fairly long trail connecting Lougheed Highway to Port Coquitlam. A river with salmon connects to Gates Park. In the autumn, a few try their luck fishing. Frankly I haven't seen anyone catch anything or whether they have to toss it back? At least it seems like a time passing activity, requiring some self detachment. In the summer, the main play area is filled with young couples and children. In winter, you can find a few restless with their sleeping bags. The park is generally well maintained. Good for a long stroll or connecting to mother nature. Great park in the city.

Pinecone Burke Provincial Park is a wonderful place to spend some time exploring. The park is…read morenamed after Burke Mountain and Pinecone Lake. Burke Mountain was once the location of a Ski Resort and if you poke around enough you can still find remnants of the old operation up there. Old Cabins to some old machinery are tucked away along the trail. It makes for a good treasure hunt. There are three main access points for this park and two minor access point for this park. The three main access points are as follows: by Car at the end of Harper Road at the Gun Club and Quarry Road just after Minnekhada Regional Park and through and by kayak or Canoe through Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area starting at Grant Narrows. The two minor access points are taking a water taxi to the far end of pit lake and accessing old logging roads on that side via bike or boot and on Mamquam FSR from Squamish (Mamquam FSR will get you to Pinecone lake). The portion of the trail near the Gun Club sounds like you are walking through WW3 and is a bit unnerving really but once you get around the corner and loose the sound the park comes to life with amazing forests and lakes to explore. The park is open year round but the higher elevations will require skis or snowshoes to access and care should be taken to not get into avalanche danger wile playing in the snow. Always check avalanche.ca before heading up into the back country in the winter!

Lovely trails all around and nice view. Clean area and beautiful tree, decent walk and a bit of a…read moredecent hike. Nothing too difficult but definitely not a flat ground so some trails aren't suitable for very young kids and elders. A couple lakes around the area too. Munro Lake, Dennett Lake and the Village Lake Trail. A parking lot and some street parking too. Not hard to find too