For an easy, well marked, well maintained and moderately trafficked snowshoe trail in the Lower Mainland, we recommend the Discovery Snowshoe Trails on Mt Seymour. Day passes are $15 for adults, $35 including snowshoe rentals, and limited season passes are available. We got our season passes before they sold out.
An added bonus is that the first section of the snowshoe trail follows Goldie Meadows, which is the beginner hill that Junior have been practicing in. It’s very convenient for photos and meeting up for short breaks.
The trail system is separated into green, blue, and black trails. The only black trail (Trail E) is still closed as of mid January, half way through the season.
Personally, I don’t find the green trails and the blue trails all that different. For example, the blue H trail and the green I trail are pretty much equivalent in terms of incline and narrowness. That is to say, both are pretty easy.
If there has not been a dump of fresh snow recently, we found that the trails are usually quite packed. Microspikes like crampons actually work better than snowshoes in packed snow. I would still bring snowshoes anyway though, in case we find ourselves in areas with looser snow.
There are quite a few streams that we had to cross on narrow bridges.
The few small lakes in the area are all frozen over and covered with snow now, but there are warnings everywhere to remind people not to step on. Sign read: Do not walk on frozen lake (not even for Instagram).
The section of the trails at Goldie Meadows is wide open and flat, so we let Junior try out his snowshoes. From being nervous around snow just 2 months ago, he is already getting good at snowshoeing now. His tiny snowshoe waddles got quite a bit of attention and he loved it.
Overall, it’s a small network of trails that meander through trees, streams, and frozen lakes. An average loop would take about 1.5 to 2 hours to finish (more if you let your toddler have a go). No breathtaking vistas to be had here, but it’s an excellent place for beginners to practice.
One response to “Discovery Snowshoe Trails on Mt Seymour”
[…] outing took us 3 hours. It’s definitely much more rewarding as a snowshoe trail than the paid Discovery Snowshoe Trail in the resort, and it’s free. That, plus it’s easy, well marked, and a famous snowshoe […]