Quick Facts:
- AllTrails link: Brunswick Point Trail, 11.3km with minimal elevation
- Difficulty: very easy, stroller friendly
- Traffic: light
- Facilities: no toilets
- View: Fraser river estuary, lots of birding opportunities, surprisingly great views of surrounding mountain ranges on a clear day
- Overall score: 7/10
Brunswick Point Trail is a great hidden gem at the eastern tip of City of Delta past Ladner. It’s basically a stretch of a dyke that keeps the Straight of Georgia and Fraser River at bay.
The trail surrounds a working farm, so there was occasionally some smell of manure but it was brief and we noted it mostly around the parking area. Once we got onto the dyke, the wind cleared the smell right away. Free 3-hour parking is available along the dyke at the start of the trailhead.
The first thing I did was checking for potential spots to pull out of the Fraser River if I paddled from upstream. Unfortunately, the only deck was in complete disrepair and fenced off.
Because Brunswick Trail is fully exposed to the sun and wind from the sea, it can be either very hot when the wind slowed down, or quite cold when the wind picked up. When we visited, the wind gusts were around 30-40km/h.
Almost immediately, we were pleasantly surprised by the expansive views. Due to the height of the dyke relative to the low lying farmlands, river, and ocean, there were very little obstruction. To the east, we could see up and down Vancouver Island and its mountain ranges. To the north, of course, the ever-looming North Shore mountains. To the southwest, a snow capped Mt Baker was in view for much of the outbound hike. To the south, an industrial Deltaport provides an interesting contrast.
Besides the fantastic distant views, there were lots of interesting birds to keep our attention in the foreground. We were not big into birding but it was still cool to see some bald eagles up close and personal.
There were also big flocks of snow geese, still wintering before flying north for the summer.
The second half of the trail is essentially a straight line to a closed fence at the Deltaport rail, so the view is basically the same and there’s no payout of any kind at the end of the trail. There was really no point to get to the end other than being able to say you’ve completed the walk.
As a dyke walk, this trail provides a surprisingly great views of the surrounding region for being only a few feet off the sea level. Even though it’s a flat, straight, man-made dyke trail, the peace and quiet it provided was a definite treat.