Vancouver, British Columbia: Dog Mountain
Visit Mount Seymour Provincial Park for bird's-eye views of a classic Canadian city.
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Escape the urban grind without a lengthy commute: The lush conifer forests and soaring views of this Canadian park are a mere 9 miles from downtown Vancouver. The park’s 14 trails offer everything from quick getaways to daylong hikes: Try this easy 3.5-mile out and back on a long lunch break. Follow the Dog Mountain Trail’s gently rolling hills 0.6 mile through a dense fir forest to First Lake, a small pool surrounded by delicate new leaves in the spring. Stay left and hike another 1.2 miles to Dog Mountain’s 3,445-foot summit. The rocky outcropping delivers panoramic views of Fraser Valley and the waterfront parks of greater Vancouver—look out for landmarks like Lions Gate Bridge, the UBC Endowment Lands, and Stanley Park. Backtrack to First Lake, bearing north and east this time around—but beware the lip of the steep cliffs towering hundreds of feet above the ground, known locally as the Suicide Bluffs. Got more time on your hands? Sample one of the four other trails that branch out from the trailhead, or head back down the mountain to tick off 3.1 miles of the Baden-Powell Trail, a 26-mile path that stretches across Vancouver’s entire Northshore.
Info: Map: Geological Survey of Canada 92G/06 North Vancouver. (604) 986-2261 ex. 211; env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mtseymou.html
Hike provided by the Mount Baker Club. Event and membership info: mountbakerclub.org
Waypoints
POI 0
Location: 49.3673667907715, -122.949157714844
