Quick Facts:

• AllTrails link: Mystery Creek and Hyannis Loop (a lollipop loop), 3.7km, 129m elevation gain
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, not stroller friendly on Mystery Creek Trail but ok on the flat gravel Hyannis Trail
• Traffic: moderate, shared with off leash dogs and mountain bikers
• Facilities: no washrooms
• View: mature, lush forest with glimpses at the small Mystery Creek
• Overall score: 7/10

This hike is a great example of the lush temperate rain forests we are blessed with on the BC Coast. Towering trees cover most of the hike, with a small Mystery Creek running alongside a steep, rocky section.

The Hyannis Trail starts in a quiet North Vancouver neighborhood where parking is limited but we managed ok.

There’s a great network of trails in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, and this hike samples the lowest portion of it.

Off leash dogs are allowed here, as long as they can be kept under control. And there were definitely lots of dogs under varying degree of control.

One curious dog came to say hello to us, but our dog-adverse boys were sent into a fright and I had to put Middle Bro in the carrier to calm him down.

The hike starts on the flat, well maintained Hyannis Trail, which was moderately busy with bikes and dogs on this sunny Saturday.

After a short board walk, we turned left and walked downhill on Bridle Trail.

The slope here is moderate, with 10-15% grade. It wasn’t enough to stop several mountain bikers from coming up from Fisherman’s Trail. But this section is rocky and not accessible for strollers.

On Fisherman’s Trail, a sign tells the tale of a major rockslide on Seymour River and efforts to restore the river and trails.

Continuing a short distance on Fisherman’s Trail, we arrived at the main event: Mystery Creek.

We hyped up Big Bro for the big climb of the day. He showed us his big muscles and we went for it. It’s an 800 meter climb, first half of which was steep with up to 19% grade. Or just steep enough to need a switchback and some stairs.

Big Bro handled the climb like a champ! Not a word of complaint.

Once we got onto the Powerlines Trail, the climb moderated and the tree cover thinned.

Then it’s a gentled downhill back on Hyannis Trail to finish the lollipop and back to our parking spot.

By the end of it Big Bro was slowing down but still walked without assistance. Middle Bro and Baby Bro were both fast asleep.

This is a great family hike, with a little bit of surmountable challenge for an active 4-5 year old. We hope to slowly build up Big Bro’s endurance and once we can hike 4km with a 500m climb, our next big goal would be an overnight hike to Joffre Lakes. Today’s hike made me believe that might be doable sooner than I previously thought!