We are very lucky to call Vancouver home. Within an hour of driving, we have access to skiing, hiking, and virtually every type of paddling destinations. We also have an abundance of parks to choose from, from local, municipal parks to Provincial Parks. In between, there are also 23 Regional Parks within Metro Vancouver.
In the years past, we have visited several of these regional parks extensively. Pacific Spirit and Capilano River are two of our go-to parks that we never get tired of. We have also visited Iona Beach, Belcarra, Burnaby Lake, Grouse Mountain (mostly for Grouse Grind when not skiing), and Lynn Headwaters before starting our blog.
We plan to make a conscious effort to visit all 23 Regional Parks, and we will post our takes on these parks from the perspective of an average-fitness family with younglings.
To-do list:
- Aldergrove Regional Park – Langley
- Brae Island Regional Park – Langley
- Glen Valley Regional Park, Two-bit Bar – Langley
- Surrey Bend Regional Park – Surrey
- Tynehead Regional Park – Surrey
Grouse Grind at Grouse Mountain Regional Park
Quick facts: Let’s face it: Grouse Grind exists as a workout trail. You won’t find peace and quiet here. No rushing streams, no beautiful lakes, no waterfalls. Instead, you will meet lots and lots of sweaty people, mostly out of…
Barnston Island Regional Park
I recently reconnected with Dave, a good friend I met almost 20 years ago at a summer camp, over our blog and outdoor activities. We set up an outdoor reunion and headed to Barnston Island for a fun family bike…
Island 22 Bike Skills Park
After our camping trip at Chilliwack Lake, the boys really wanted to go somewhere biking. After a quick search, we came across this bike park. Compared to a few pump tracks we went to in the Lower Mainland, this bike…
Indian Arm Paddle to Thwaytes Landing Regional Park
Thwaytes Landing is a water-access-only, 130-acre property midway up Indian Arm, directly across from the famous Buntzen Powerhouses. The Land Conservancy (TLC), who purchased and transferred the property to GVRD to turn it into a regional park, has a fantastic…
Killarney Lake Loop – Crippen Regional Park
Quick Facts: Crippen Regional Park is located on Bowen Island, a bit further afield than the other Metro Vancouver Regional Parks. We made a day trip of it with our friends Amy and Marcus’ family and tackled the Killarney Lake…