Comments

Rod from North Vancouver writes:

This is a nice way to get 10+ kms in without wandering the streets aimlessly. Lots of turns and twists to keep you from staring at a vanishing point. Only a few places to get to see the lake but a nice stroll anyways.
To those cyclists who complain about not being able to ride there as they are taxpayers too and why horses are allowed to be ridden. Get over it! As an aging, cranky old man I find it’s nice to be able to walk in peace and quiet. I’ve done a lot of extreme sports in my lifetime but I never pushed my “rights” to do whatever I wanted to do, where ever I wanted to do it. Well maybe most of the time.
Anyway, it’s a nice stroll through the bush with a batters old body that appreciates, more and more, the lack of altitude gain while stretching my legs.

Posted: February 5, 2023 09:25:43 AM PST

Ashley from New Westminster writes:

A nice stroll close to home. Went with my kids and this is the first time I've encountered black bears. It was 2 cubs and a mom. Turned around and walked the other way. We passed a man and told him about it and he said that just a few minutes ago someone else told him they saw a bobcat. So be aware that there are large animals here even though it's a fairly urban area.

Posted: June 15, 2022 02:15:22 PM PST

Ian Simpson from Prince George writes:

I am embarrassed to say that I could not find the link to the trail map for the Burnaby Lake Park. Please let me know where I should have looked for that link.

Posted: April 26, 2020 06:18:40 PM PST

Craig from New Westminster writes:

The foreshore around Burnaby Lake has been allowed to repopulate with local flora and fauna for the sake of the local flora and fauna and people who love nature.... My wife and I have encountered bears, coyotes, racoons, beavers, squirrels, bobcats... Not to mention salmon, herons, eagles, sand hill cranes, mandarin ducks.... It's more of a stroll than a hike. If you want a lake with a pruned foreshore and a continuous view of water, go elsewhere. Late summer early fall hundreds of snails migrate over the northeast section of the path. The trails are not made for bikes. It saddens us to see the destruction caused by bikes and dogs off leash to the flora and fauna; neither of which are allowed at Burnaby Lake.

Posted: January 16, 2019 02:14:12 PM PST

Laney from Burnaby writes:

Lovely trail for an afternoon walk or run. It's flat and easy, and the bird dock near the nature center is one of my favourite spots in Burnaby. I noticed someone mention the concentration of birds here and attributing it to human feeding. Yes, people often bring seeds to feed the birds, and some may even be available from the nature center in the summer. Burnaby lake is a wildlife sanctuary. There is also a wildlife rescue at the opposite end of the lake.

This is not a "hike", it's listed as having minimal elevation gain, and you can see from any map that it is situated in an urban area, so going in with expectations of anything more than an urban park will leave you disappointed. However, if you want to go for a long walk through beautiful, thick vegetation and see some birds along the way, you'll certainly enjoy it!

Posted: August 12, 2017 09:04:28 AM PST

Barb from Vancouver writes:

BORING. This trail is super-easy and flat but even in the winter the foliage is thick and tall, meaning it's all you see the entire time (except for the 200 foot stretch at the Wildlife Cabin, and at the metal bridge over the fish ladder). Walking this trail reminded me of one of those cheesy science fiction movies where the characters keep passing the same milestone over and over again because the terrain has no distinguishing features. I literally had to keep checking my Map App to see if I'd passed my starting point again. Probably a good jogging trail if you just want to listen to music and be outdoors but not enjoyable for anyone hoping to enjoy a nature trail.

Posted: August 11, 2017 05:31:10 PM PST

Jd from Burnaby writes:

Says 10 kms but it was around 12kms. It was a good walk, with a couple nice look out areas. I wish it was more along the water , but whatever it's a cool spot close to home. Takes about 3 hours walking.

Posted: April 23, 2017 04:08:32 PM PST

Lion Tamer from Vancouver writes:

Walked on March 10th.

I'm not rating this hike a single star because I had a terrible experience with an otherwise fine hike (in fact, I had an enjoyable time with friends) but because this is a sad trail in a sad park.

The trail itself wanders around a lake, rarely coming close to it's shore. The south part has the sight and sound of traffic running along the length of the trail, loud and inescapable. Part of the trail is shared with horses, with their droppings dotting the trail. The dam you cross on the east side is old and ugly with large puddles, and the North end runs just below the train tracks, loud and ugly in their own right. Half-way down the north trail is a wooden dock into the water and a viewing tower. This area is perhaps the only saving grace, leading to a decently unobstructed view of the lake and a unnaturally large collection of birds, I imagine human feeding has lead to this unique collection of water fowl.

What this trail lacks in charm it makes up for in disappointment. I can think of no experience, sight, of view that can't be found in another, better trail in this city. If you do wind up on this trail, I recommend starting on the North end, walking to the viewing tower and walking back the way you came, the remaining three quarters of the trail isn't worth the calories.

Posted: March 11, 2017 06:58:03 PM PST

Sarah from New Westminster writes:

I usually walk/run around Deer Lake (5 km) which takes ~30 minutes. Wanted to go for a 1 hour walk/run, so I did Burnaby Lake (10 km). I must have gotten lost or something, because it took me 3 hours to get around Burnaby Lake!!! I don't know if there are multiple trails around the lake, but it was terrifying to be running through the trails in the pitch black after the sun set!

Deer Lake has nicer views, Burnaby Lake was quite deserted and you only see the lake in a few small sections.

Posted: March 1, 2017 11:36:42 AM PST

Monika from Vancouver writes:

does anyone know the condition of this trail right now? Is it icy? I am looking for somewhere to run and was hoping that this could be an option.

Posted: January 4, 2017 12:23:38 PM PST

Hilary from Originally Victoria writes:

In response to the Anji from Coquitlam who complained that bicycles are not allowed on the trails; thank heavens for that!

Burnaby Lake Park trails allows for an enjoyable, quiet and relaxing turn around the lake to enjoy the wide variety of birds in the trees, the waterfowl in the bushes and upon the water, and the squirrels playing around. What is not needed, is manic bicyclists tearing up the pathways, mowing down animals and people alike. With all the twists and turns in the trails, bicyclists would just ruin it for everyone else as they usually do. Try using your legs for what they were originally designed for and you might find that you see more than what you normally see in the fast lane.

For everyone who is fussing about what it doesn't give you, try thinking about what it does give you. For those who don't like "flat trails", don't be so wet. Whilst on my walk I ran into people with mobility problems who love the park as it provides them with a place to enjoy the great outdoors.

Posted: October 24, 2016 07:32:57 PM PST

Scott from Vancouver writes:

It's a fine, easy walk, but categorizing it as "Vancouver City" is a bit of a stretch.

Posted: April 10, 2016 11:37:16 AM PST

SC from Vancouver writes:

This is not really a hike - more a nice long walk across level ground through the woods. The trail has segments that are gravel paths and segments that are boardwalks. There are only certain spots from which you can see the lake. Those of you who are interested in bird watching might enjoy the lake, as there are a variety of birds that stopover or roost there. Bring some bug spray if you dislike mosquitoes as there are quite a few of them there. This trail is frequented by joggers.

Posted: August 27, 2015 11:50:03 PM PST

Bill from Vancouver writes:

I don't consider a rock/gravel path to be a real hiking trail. Felt like I was on concrete most of the time. It's flat, there's no noteworthy vegetation, and at the few spots where you can see the lake, most of it is covered in lily pads. The only thing worth seeing is the ducks at Piper's Spit. I found myself jogging through most of it just so I could get out of there faster. Boring.

Posted: July 10, 2015 06:11:36 PM PST

Anji from Coquitlam (formerly Burnaby) writes:

I'd like to comment on behalf of all of my cyclist friends. It makes me very sad that I'm not allowed to cycle through Burnaby Lake Park. The park is so huge that it seems that there is plenty of space to create tandum trails around the park, in order to accommodate the hikers AND the cyclists. I like to cycle to work as much as I can and I use the Central Valley Greenway (aka Urban Trail) ... but it would be a much more pleasant ride if I could turn into Burnaby Lake Park along the way, instead of risking my life and lungs along Winston (a truck route). I don't get why it's ok to ride a HORSE in the park ... but it's not ok to ride my bike?! Having been a Burnaby tax-payer for many years in the past, I feel like the park is as much mine as it is for hikers. What gives?!

Posted: July 2, 2015 10:10:56 AM PST

Randy from Surrey writes:

We usually include this lake on our weekend walks at least once a month. There are only a few points where you actually get to see a portion of the lake, as most of the trail is separated a fair distance from the water, and sine if the wet areas are totally overgrown only allowing small glimpses of the lake.

The east end is quite nice at the little dam. The south side can be a bit noisy with HWY 1 traffic zipping by, and the north side you can definitely lose your thoughts as a train rumbles by.

But still a lovely lake. Give yourself at least a couple hours for a comfortable walk around.

Posted: June 20, 2015 01:40:12 PM PST

Amelia from Vancouver writes:

We did this hike on April 7 and it took about 1.5 hrs at slow pace. The trail was well maintained and it was nice to walk the dog without worrying about bikes wizzing by. There are some nice lookouts of the lake but for the most part you can't see the water very much. It's otherwise a pretty trail thats easy and flat.

Posted: April 6, 2015 03:04:51 PM PST

Conrad from Burnaby writes:

I walked the trail two days ago past 3 p.m. thinking and believing that it has the same distance periphery as Deer Lake but boy, was i deceived. I came back to the same spot where i started 3 hours later.

Posted: December 29, 2012 11:02:38 PM PST

Carol Carson from Vancouver writes:

My friend and I walked this trail a few days ago for the first time and loved it. I took pictures and wrote a blog post about it: www.bikesbirdsnbeasts.blogspot.com As Jim said, it is a gem that should be cherished.

Posted: November 11, 2012 12:00:58 AM PST

jr from burnaby writes:

Better than anything else in Burnaby, not saying much

Trails are weirdly squishy in some spots, a lot of traffic noise in some spots too.

The real problem is the kilometer markers which are hard to see, understand and do not seem accurate.

Posted: November 4, 2012 11:56:21 AM PST

Jim Robinson from Maple Ridge writes:

I have jogged around this lake many times over the years as I grew up in Burnaby - I love it. I helped build the sports complex back in the early '80's when I was at Burnaby Central high school. So many great memories of this beautiful park! One of my favorite local places to get away from the stress of everyday life and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.

We should cherish this gem and keep it beautiful!

Posted: June 4, 2012 09:42:29 PM PST

Avid Walker from Vancouver, BC writes:

This walk is excellent and easy. There is some local traffic from the freeway, the occasional train, but overall it is a wonderful place to walk. There are also multiple access points to start at.
No bicycles allowed, the signs are posted, please obey.

Posted: May 1, 2011 09:12:26 PM PST

irene from Burnaby writes:

Here is a good trail map: http://www.metrovancouver.org/about/maps/Maps/Burnlakemap.pdf

What's going on in the park?
http://burnabylakepark.ca/index.html

Posted: October 15, 2010 11:37:37 PM PST

Arthur from Vancouver writes:

Burnaby Lake is as beautiful as Deer lake but the problem is on this 10Km walk you can only see the lake for approximately 200m. Over 95% of the time there is not much to look at from the trail. This is not too bad compared to many trails but nearby Deer lake has gorgeous views for well over 50% of the trail. The traffic is also very loud on the south side of the lake as you are very close to the highway. You can still hear the traffic on the north side of the lake but it is not too noticeable.

Posted: July 10, 2010 10:22:52 PM PST

Sara V from Burnaby writes:

I would say this is alot like Deer Lake except longer.

Gorgeous walk around a relaxing beautiful big lake. Some point you do hear all the cars on the highway but you don't see any of them and it's easy to block them out :)

Awesome for running, walking your dog or just on your own.

You may run into some horses too! :)

Yes I agree with the other comment, there are no premitted on this trail.. so please obey the signages.

Posted: June 21, 2010 09:02:48 AM PST

Rob from Netherlands writes:

Het was een leuke tocht langs het meer met mooie natuur en heel veel verschillende soorten vogels.
Ook in het water kwam je zelfs schildpadden tegen.

Posted: October 28, 2009 01:55:59 PM PST

Burnaby Lake Person from Burnaby writes:

Burnaby Lake is great. Please note: there are NO bicycles permitted in the park. The signs are posted.

Posted: May 25, 2009 02:05:38 AM PST

Shannon from Burnaby writes:

The boardwalk has since been fixed and has strategically placed mesh to stop slipping.

Also as of right now there is construction on the midpoint of the north part of the trail and you have to run around the north side of the nature house.

PS watch out for road apples on the straightaway.

Posted: April 14, 2009 09:28:10 PM PST

Massey F. Jones from Calgary AB writes:

I access your wonderful site on-line, then printed a map of Burnaby Lake;intending touse the printout for hiking when I get there this coming May. The trail itself didn't show up on the printout. I had to draw it in.

Posted: March 19, 2009 11:06:38 AM PST

D Jack from Burnaby BC writes:

Do others find the boardwalk from the rowing parking lot eastward along the lake extremely slippery lately esp. on frosty mornings? The longitudnally placed timber walkways have a wire mesh covering to prevent slipping and I think it's time the boardwalk with horizontal timbers be covered likewise. This would help prevent hip and pelvic fractures to the coming wave of baby boomers. The alternative will be to fatten the purses of the local orthopedic surgeons or have increased litigation directed at Vancouver Metro Trails.

Posted: October 24, 2008 02:15:08 PM PST