Burnaby Lake

The largest lake in the Lower Mainland, Burnaby Lake has a rich ecology and is home to many species including ducks, geese, beavers, and much more. The lake also has a 10km hiking path that loops around the entire park area.

Burnaby Lake has several access points, however we will start near the sports field where there is plenty of parking and easy access to Skytrain. From the parking lot, walk towards the Rugby Club building, pass it, and continuing along a small path on the grass field parallel to the road. When you reach the row of trees at the end of the grass field, go left onto the gravel road. Watch for a trail on the right that crosses a ditch and go right, following it towards the rowing pavilion.

A short walk along the trail brings you to another parking lot. The trail continues straight ahead on the other side, however, a short detour to the left brings you to the rowing pavilion. The rowing pavilion has a rich history of hosting events, including the 1973 Canada Summer Games Event that was held in Burnaby and New Westminster. Due to the vegetation that has grown in the lake, large rowing events no longer take place here.

Back on the gravel trail, continue a short distance to a junction and go left. The trail crosses a bridge and continues offering several views of the lake with the North Shore mountains in the background. The Wildlife Rescue Association, an organization that rehabilitates injured wildlife, is located nearby.

The trail continues along the south side of the lake and eventually onto a series of boardwalks that cross a swampy area. A short distance along the gravel trail after the boardwalks brings you to a horse trail. Go left onto the wide horse trail and follow it north until a trail appears on the left just before a gravel parking lot. This is where the Burnaby Equestrian Centre is located. Go left onto the gravel trail and around the parking lot towards a grassy clearing and a dam. Cross the dam to the other side of the Brunette River and go left. Before the trail veers to the right, a bench offers a nice resting point with a view towards the lake.

Continue your hike along the trail as you now walk along the north side of Burnaby Lake. A few junctions offer loops along side trails; ignore these and stay on the main trail. Eventually, you reach a small wooden bridge and the nature house. Go left and walk out onto Piper's Spit to admire all the ducks and geese that live in the area. This is not only a great place for scenic views of the lake but also for bird watching and nature photography enthusiasts to come to. Walk back to the main trail and a few steps further is another short side route. This one leads to a wooden viewing tower that offers great overhead views of the lake from the east to the west.

Walk back to the main trail and continue as it winds along the north side of the lake before reaching a long stretch that runs parallel to the train tracks. At the end of this stretch, the trail veers sharply to the left and arrives at a wooden bridge crossing Still Creek. Depending on the time of day, beavers can sometimes be spotted swimming through the calm waters or foraging along the grassy shore.

After crossing the bridge, keep to the right and a few steps further brings you to the parking lot where you began. To return to the Skytrain, walk to the road, go right, and follow it to the other side of the train tracks.