Even though summer has ended a few weeks ago, we agreed to continue enjoying the outdoors even if the famously wet Vancouver weather inevitably set in. But we were blessed with a streak of good weather, like a return of summer! When the sun came out on this beautiful weekday morning, I know we have to do one of my local bucket list trail, and this time it’s the Jug Island trail. Since it’s during the weekday, only the baby came along as older brother went to daycare. We figured Junior had 2 years of quality alone time with us, it’s only fair that Little Bro gets some full attention too!

• 

• 

Trail Condition

Jug Island Beach Trail is a 5.1km out and back trail that’s rated as moderate on all trails. The paths are mainly covered with dirt and there are several rocks and tree branches to go through. It is not stroller friendly. There are also several bear warning signs throughout the trail, so be aware and bring bear sprays. The human traffic was heavy enough that we were never really concerned though.

• 

• 

• 

Close to the start of the trail there are well made wooden stairs that helped with going through the steep section; however, after this section, there are no more stairs and you will have to climb your way up or balance on rocks to get over some steep hills.

With a baby in tow, we would say this trail is moderate but close to an intense hike. The view however is beautiful. Starting from the forest sections, you can see several mossy greens and big tall trees shading the trail. There are also several big rocks, making the scenery very dynamic.

• 

• 

• 

Towards the end of the trail, there is a section of very muddy road. We saw some hikers almost slipping in this section, so be extra careful when going through this area.

• 

• 

Once you reached Jug Island Beach, all the hard work will soon pay off. The scenery was great! With the tree filled Jug Island right in front of the beach and the mountains surrounding the beautiful Indian Arm, we immediately fell in love with this place. Several kayakers and SUPers glided through silently, which was very enticing for Billy.

• 

• 

Other Activities inside Belcarra Park

Jug Island Trail starts from Belcarra park, which is usually a very popular park for picnic during the weekend. As we came on a weekday, there were not many people, and the picnic field was quite empty. Several picnic benches can be found by the trees lining the grassy field.

Close to the Jug Island Beach Trailhead there is a playground. However, it is currently closed for maintenance.

• 

• 

• 

Fishing or crabbing is also quite popular here. There is a long jetty by the park which is used for fishing and also for boat launch. It also provides a nice lookout for the beautiful Indian Arm and surrounding houses.

Water sports is very popular here. There is a kayak and SUP rental hut by the beach area. For more information on SUPing here check out Billy’s post here.

The beach was muddy and pebbly. You can do all sorts of activities here and there are also some rocks providing a variety of options for beach fun.

Traffic

This park as well as the trail can get very busy on the weekends. Parking can be a big issue, and we often failed to find a spot here on the weekends. Since we came on a weekday today, it is very quiet and enjoyable.

Pets

Dogs are not allowed on Jug Island trail but can be in the park if leashed.

Washroom

Flush toilets can be found by the parking lot in Balcarra Park. There is also a pit toilet at the end of Jug Island trail by the Jug island beach.

Breastfeeding

There are several benches and picnic tables available in the park for feeding. However, there are no benches on the trail, and since some parts of the trail is muddy, it may be difficult to find a nice dry log or rock to sit for feeding. Best to feed before hitting the trail or feed on Jug island beach where there are some rocks to sit on.

Parking

There is a medium sized parking lot which has several spots when we came on a weekday morning. However, this place gets very busy on weekends and parking will be hard to find. If planning to come on the weekends, best to arrive early in the morning.

This is a beautiful and fun trail that we would certainly bring junior here again.

• Difficulty: moderate
• Traffic: very quiet on weekdays but can get very busy on weekends
• Facilities: washrooms available at trail head and trail end. Many facilities in the park.
• View: beautiful
• Overall score: 8/10