Even though I have lived in Vancouver all my life, I only recently heard about Byrne Creek Ravine,…read morewhich is located right by Edmonds Station. I can't believe that all this time there was a wonderful walking trail right by the skytrain station! Since I've discovered the trail, I have gone three times, and I intend to go semi-regularly when I want some exercise but don't have the time for a long hike. The trail is a loop and doesn't take long to complete -- no more than an hour (I can complete it in about 45 minutes walking at a fast pace), and it's not particularly challenging. But there are 200 stairs (I counted) you must walk up at the end of the loop (or walk down at the beginning, depending on which direction you go), and the stairs are a great workout. It's perfect if you want a little cardio or want to increase your fitness level. (Last time I went, I walked up and down the stairs three times, for a total of 600 stairs up.) The trail is quite flat, although there are areas with quite a few roots and after about 20 to 30 minutes (depending on how fast you walk), there is a steep, but short, incline and about two dozen stairs to walk down (or up, if coming from the other way), so people with mobility issues may have some trouble. Otherwise it's an easy trail, perfect for someone who is looking for an easy, beginner hike. The trail can also be quite muddy, so I recommend hiking boots instead of running shoes. I'd give the Byrne Creek Ravine trail four stars, but I am removing a star due to the behaviour of asshole entitled dog owners and my experience the last time I went. Dogs are permitted on the trail, but they must be leashed. Of course many dog owners disregard this rule which is a problem when their f*cking dogs can't behave. The last time I was there, after walking up the 200 stairs, I was off to the side of the trail (ie. I was not blocking the way), catching my breath and drinking some water, when a dog, who was off leash, came bounding up the stairs and ran towards me. I firmly yelled "NO" to the dog and tried to take a step back (which was hard, because I was off to the side and if I had stepped too far back I would have fallen several feet into the ravine below, seriously injuring myself). The dog owner came walking up the stairs, and instead of APOLOGIZING to me or telling his dog to stop bothering me, he started yelling at me, for yelling at his dog. When I told him to train his dog, he swore at me and told me to train myself! And then he proceeded to continue yelling and swearing at me as he walked off. He was a tall white man, and I'm a petite Asian woman. I doubt he would have behaved like that had I been a man. Also, I had seen them earlier, walking beside the creek, off the trail, which is not allowed, as it disturbs the plants and fish. And the dog was wet, indicating it had been in the creek, which is absolutely forbidden. All in all the Byrne Creek Ravine loop is a lovely little trail if you're short on time and the stairs are a great workout, but beware of irresponsible dog owners. [Yelp collections: Hiking]

Nice get away place in Burnaby with family and kids. It has lots of squirrels. Kids will like itread more

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.

Off least dog park - 1 star Probably one of the more unkept…read moreoff-leash dog parks I've been to. It is very muddy. No gravel, no cedar mulch, barely any grass on the edges. Oh and there were at least 3 dog poop piles not picked up. The actual park outside of the dog area is a really nice park though - 4 star.

CANT STOP ME FROM ENJOYING A BBQ. I DO WHAT I WANT!…read more Not happy that restrictions to have BBQ are placed in the park. We have had many BBQs for years here and now they place these oppressive signs in front of us. This is an attack on our freedoms and we should have the right to enjoy a family BBQ if we want. They cant tell me what i can and cant do. Just because there are wild fires and some people throw cigarettes on the ground should not be an excuse for families not to have a grill. Does this mean we can never have a BBQ ever again??? I dont think so, if i want to have a BBQ or a cigarette i will because i have the freedom and choice to do so. If you dont like it deal with it.

This park, located at the foot of Cumberland Street, is a pretty place to walk along the Fraser…read moreRiver and to wave at the frequent trains that go by. It also has a bit of dark history - the fishing pier and old house near the entrance were formerly where prisoners were brought in via the river to the old BC Pen across Columbia Street. But even if you know that, it's still a peaceful park to visit. Even on a sunny day, very few venture across the railway tracks to visit, so every time I come here, I've got the place practically to myself. The path is nicely landscaped and has a number of wooden bridges that make good stopping points to enjoy the view of the Fraser River in all it's working glory - tugboats, seabirds, log booms - with the mighty Golden Ears and Mt Baker in the distance. The only real problem is that, as of yet, the path abruptly ends at Front Street. Narrow and travelled heavily by freight trucks, it's not safe to walk further along the road. So, you must either turn back along the path, or walk along the paved trail that runs alongside the railroad tracks back to the beginning. This can be fun if there's a train going through, especially one of the Rocky Mountaineer trains, full of people who like to wave hello to me and my cute dog. Someday, I really hope that this park will be part of a much longer waterfront trail. That would be awesome.

I have mixed feelings about giving the masses instructions on how to get into the secluded park…read more Just read this, but don't come to the park! Getting to this oasis is a bitch. Sapperton Landing is only accessible by vehicle if you're traveling east on East Columbia through a ramp down exit. The park's entrance is located at the intersection of East Columbia and Cumberland, but you can't enter the park by vehicle via Cumberland. The closest intersection to drive into the park is Richmond Street and East Columbia Street. By foot, you can easily get into the park off of East Columbia and Cumberland. It's a ten minute walk from the Sapperton SkyTrain Station, but be careful that you don't get ran over on Columbia by the many souls rat running through New West to avoid the Port Mann tolls. As far as picking blackberries as mentioned in the previous review, I wouldn't do it. The Metro Vancouver employees are constantly spraying herbicide.

Burnaby, while not exactly New York City, does have plenty of people situated in a not very large…read morearea - just witness the heavy concentration of skyscrapers, many of which clear 50 stories. Kingsway, the main drag leading into Vancouver proper, witnesses more than its share of traffic, as do the various side streets. So it's a testament to the vision of the founders of the town that this oasis exists. While one can occasionally hear the hum of the Metro or the nearby avenues, by and large it's a place to quickly and efficiently get away from it all. If walking and nature viewing don't fully complete your needs, there are plenty of more physical activities to partake in or watch others partake in - the stadium, the pool, the golf course, the picnic tables - you name it, Central Park has it.

Park is so clean. Toilets are clean…read more Trails are clean. Love all the squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes on the golf course, birds, ducks etc... The Central Park Perimeter Trail is one of the longest continuous rubberized tracks for walking and running at 3.5km. LOVE IT!! There is a 2.5-kilometer outdoor fitness circuit with 12 stations designed for cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility. Tennis courts can use some upgrading or expansion though. Lots of space for picnics and some are under covered spaces. Summer is usually occupied by church groups. There's an area where people have their RC boats in the pond. Not sure if the ducks are annoyed by them or not. This park has almost everything.

Random secret hidden park by Sapperton area. Found this thing by accident while wandering the…read moreearth. Parking is available along the side streets at the ends (NW and SE) of the park. Fun fact - the Chin church at the SE end of the park used to be a prison building (1 of 3 still remaining). The other 2 are a bit up along Richmond Street (look for the curved driveway) and the end of nearby Governors Court. The park has a couple of random sculptures, as well as a pond with a nice photogenic arched stone bridge (similar to the one at Stanley Park). There's a small green area, then the rest of the park is basically a single long trail through a (you guessed it) ravine. The NW side of the park has 2 exits - one is a pile of stairs, and the other is a bunch of switchbacks. Both lead to a residential area. There are a lot of people walking dogs here, and generally they're well behaved, which is nice. Something to keep in mind though, as the trail is a bit narrow so some contact is inevitable. The other thing that's really nice about this park is that there's a lot of tree cover along the entire length. Not sure if I'd go out of my way to visit this park, but it does make for a nice stroll.

This is my absolute favourite place to get out and walk our dog (on leash)…read more You wander past the Glenbrook Amenities Centre (which really, is just a Hall that houses a daycare and can be rented out for weddings), and through a path which takes you beside a beautiful pond (sometimes you can see a turtle or two), and extremely unique landscaping. There is grass for the kids to play on, a few benches, and of course, a garbage can for all your needs. Ample garbage cans are most definitely a necessity if you have a dog... Or mess... Or anything really. Anyway, the path will then split, with one side (to the right) on a on a bit of an incline, and the other side of the path, continuing flat'ish. The inclined path will take you about half-way through the park (less than a half km), and you can either choose to get out of the park and walk through a residential lane, OR you can walk down the semi steep incline to meet back-up with the flat'ish path. The flat'ish path still has an incline (you'll find that out if you try and run it, and like me, you're horribly out of shape...) but is suitable for everyone, including gravel-friendly strollers. Tons of interesting flora/fauna and straight-up gorgeous at any time of the year. Big reason why this place is great to walk the dog (for us, at least) is because all the trees limit the pouring rain AND they provide ample shade on those sunny days. Our dog is a little old lady who hates the rain & gets overheated easily... She's basically a 50lb cat... You can leave the park through to Victoria Hill, or keep going t'll the end (about 1 or so KM from the start), where you'll pop-up right near Canada Games Pool (not near a Starbucks... Still another few blocks away).

I ride thru this park on one of my bike routes, it's a pretty small park, they have a basketball…read morecourt, a teeter tooter, a "zipline" thing and a small bike course on one side. On the other side there is a kids play area and sandbox kinda thing. They have restrooms as well. The other day I was there I saw a deer. That was pretty cool. Not sure how it got there but just hope people respect it and give it space. I think it's a better park for kids, for adults there's nothing really appealing and like I said earlier it's kinda small.......

Nice off leash park for a quick play. This park is medium size, so you can throw your ball around…read moreand your dog can get some decent run. There are poop bags and free treat at one entrance and water bowls for dogs inside the park. There are two benches for people to sit and watch their dogs play. I love the sculpture there too, very nice touch to the park. It also has some big rocks and tree trunks to add different obstacles to dog play. One thing is that it doesn't have a lot of shade so if it's too hot outside it might not provide enough cover for both you and your pup.

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]

TIpperary park is a nice quiet park that is not only nice to walk or lounge in, but also hosts…read morevarious events such as the farmer's market, and Christmas market. Currently, they have their Bright in the Park event going on. This is a new holiday light display in Tipperary Park. Definitely worth checking out.

Nice park next to New Westminster City Hall…read more Parking is available in a lot in the middle (approach on 4th Street from Royal Avenue). There is also plenty of parking on the streets surrounding the park. There are a few paths crisscrossing the green space. There are plenty of trees as well. Nice for walking around when the sun is out.