Tri-City offers a range of trails, from paved urban paths to secluded walks through West Coast rain forests and along oceans and lakes. Don't forget to take lip balm, water and sunscreen, and wear good walking shoes. Some of the forest trails can be muddy when it rains.
Coquitlam
Coquitlam River Trail - 90 minutes
From the north Coquitlam Town Centre parking lot, walk down Gabriola Drive in the New Horizons sub-division to a gravel path, which leads to the river. Part of the TransCanada Trail, this route is a favourite with walkers, joggers and dog walkers taking a retreat from the sun under the forest canopy. There are also several off-shoot trails down to the river - a good place to picnic (make sure you take your garbage home when you're done). About two-thirds of the way to the blue bridge is the Grist Creek restoration project, dedicated to the late Al Grist, a conservationist who worked in the Coquitlam River watershed. Take a break on the blue bridge to look at the beauty of the Coquitlam River before turning back, or heading east to Shaughnessy Street.
Lafarge Lake - 20 minutes round trip
Located at 1299 Pinetree Way, Lafarge Lake is in Town Centre Park north of Coquitlam Centre mall. It's a man-made urban lake that used to be a gravel pit and was donated by the Lafarge Cement Company to the city of Coquitlam in the 1970s. The trail around the lake is mostly paved, with good access for both walkers and people with strollers, and scenic views of the mountains. Watch people canoeing and fishing on the lake. Coffee shop for refreshments available in the citysoup innovation centre at the north end of the trail. Parking is free for up to two hours during the week and free on the weekend.
Colony Farm - six trails, 10 to 40 minutes one way, map available at kiosk
Access via Colony Farm Road off Lougheed Highway. Formerly agricultural lands supporting Riverview Hospital, it is a designated Wildlife Watch sight and offers scenic views of grasslands and the winding Coquitlam River as well as good waterfowl, beaver, muskrat and river otter viewing.
Como Lake Park - 20 minutes
This one-kilometre loop around Como Lake is like a classroom, with dozens of little markings at trees and benches. The journey starts from the north parking lot, where there's a plaque near the redwood trees in memory of Richard Saint Barbe Baker, a forester and conservationist, donated by the Bahai Youth of Coquitlam. The two bulletin boards on each side of the lake also provide a bevy of community and safety information, as do the wetland pond teaching boards. The bark-mulch path is easy to walk on and there are many sights along the route: birdhouses cut into the trees, Canadian geese, fishers' piers and the Kinsmen kiddie park.
Mundy Park - 45 minutes
At 440 acres of urban forest, Mundy is a favourite with dog owners, who can walk their pooches off-leash in designated areas daily from dawn to 10 a.m. (though the rule is often ignored). From Hillcrest middle school, take the Nitinat trail south, past the playing fields, to Mundy Lake, where there's a one-kilometre lakeside loop. At the north end, head up the gravel path to link with the Interlaken trail and give the thighs a burn on Heart Attack Hill (thankfully, there's a bench at the top) before returning to the school. With 16 kilometres of trails - including Perimeter (4,014m), Interlaken (1,170m) and Waterline (1,370m) - there's plenty of flora and fauna to see along the way. A recent inventory catalogued nine amphibian, three reptile, 82 bird and 18 mammal species. For a trail map, visit www.douglas.bc.ca/csrw/mundyparkmap.pdf.
Minnekhada Regional Park - 20 minutes
From the Quarry Road parking lot, take the Lodge trail up to Minnekhada Lodge, the former home of B.C.'s 15th lieutenant-governor, Eric Hamber, which was built in the mid-1930s in the style of a Scottish hunting lodge. Derived from the Sioux Indian words meaning "beside still waters," Minnekhada regional park surrounds two marshes, the lower of which you'll pass on the way to the lodge (open Sundays 1-4 p.m.). On the narrow trail, stop to see the new bench dedicated to the late Eleanor Ward, a long-time northeast Coquitlam resident whose spirit, according to the plaque, soars above the park. The park is managed and protected by the GVRD, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada. For a trail map, visit www.gvrd.bc.ca/parks/Minnekhada.htm.
Port Coquitlam
Traboulay PoCo Trail - 4+ hours
The 25.1-km, mostly-flat trail that circles PoCo started in 1967 as a project to mark Canada's 100th birthday. Over the years, the PoCo Trailblazers developed the route and, in 1997, the city started to upgrade the trail to link with the TransCanada Trail, a millennium project. There are plenty of markers along the trail, which passes near and through areas like Hyde Creek, Deboville Slough, Coquitlam River Park and Colony Farm regional park. It's best to take a map: visit www.city.port-coquitlam.bc.ca/Dynamic/Page1029.aspx.
Port Moody
Bert Flinn Park - 35 minutes round trip
Trail access to the 126-acre park is unmarked but located at the corner of Heritage Mountain Boulevard and David Avenue. Walk through a traditional west coast forest with giant burned-out stumps, remnants of the original old growth forest, and vine maple, cedar and hemlock trees. The park was created in 1999 after voters agreed to preserving the land and named after a popular alderman, and offers a network of criss-crossing trails that follow old logging roads. Head north at the fenced boundary of Heritage Woods secondary school to walk a loop trail that circumnavigates a small wetland. The trail is marked with logs and small rocks on its edges, and raised boardwalks so cyclists and walkers can avoid the mud. It travels north, crosses and re-crosses a narrow gas pipeline right-of-way before swinging south. Watch for trail forks and keep south and east to exit at the unleashed-dog area, a 10-minute-long, gravel, right-of-way that returns to Heritage Mountain Boulevard.
Shoreline Trail - 90 minutes return
The Shoreline Trail is a 3 km horseshoe-shaped trail that follows the inlet between Rocky Point Park and Old Orchard on the north shore. There are two parallel trails: a dirt trail for walkers and a paved pathway for cyclists and inline skaters (walkers should note that people on wheels have the right of way on the paved path). There are several access points and the trail connects PoMo's six waterfront parks. See spectacular views of Port Moody Inlet and mud flats from the tree-shaded trail. The southern portion forms part of the TransCanada Trail network.
Belcarra
Belcarra Regional Park - nine trails, 30 min-2.5 hours, map available at kiosk
At 2,200 acres, Belcarra Regional Park is one of the largest in the Greater Vancouver Regional District park system. There are 22 km of walking and hiking trails, including the Sasamat Lake Trail loop at White Pine Beach and the Jug Island Beach Trail at the Belcarra picnic site, as well as swimming, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Get to the park from 1st Avenue off Ioco Road, which turns into Bedwell Bay Road. Access points include White Pine Beach off Bedwell Bay road, which turns into Tum-tumay-whueton Drive and ends at the picnic site. Among the shorter trails is a 30-minute-return walk to the Bedwell Bluffs, at the east end of the picnic area. Take the gravel path marked for the Jug Island Trail and keep to the right. Trail passes through second-growth hemlock forest and ends at a peak-a-boo view of Bedwell Bay and Bedwell Bluffs. At low tide, scramble down the rocks to a small beach with boulders covered in barnacles, muscles, clams and seaweed.
