We stayed at the Maple Bay cabins in June. The cabins were large inside, comfortable but firm beds…read more I've seen a couple reviews about mice, didn't see any at all but you couldn't leave any food whatsoever because of squirrels, racoons so just have to make sure its packed up or left in the cabin. The cabins were very close together and has ZERO privacy. We were in cabin 17 and cabin 16 was about 20 feet away from us. Also overlooked the parking lot. They seem to be more designed for large groups and families to all share space. There's only one electrical outlet so you recommend bringing a power bar. Not all the windows have curtains so we taped a black garbage bag to the top and door window to make it darker, it was very bright in the morning and woke kids up early. There's a small beach right by the cabins or a short walk to the larger beach with a dock/washrooms. The beaches are gravel so would recommend water shoes. The bathrooms were clean and showers nice. There was one communal fire pit. It was so high that you if were sitting down on a camp chair you couldn't actually see the fire over it. There's a large covered communal area with picnic tables and a dish washing station with hot water. Large grassy area for kids to run around which was nice and lots of shade.

One of the most picturesque provincial parks in the lower mainland…read more Hiking, walking trails, extensive beach areas and boat launch available. One of the best things about this park is that most of the picnic tables are shaded by trees that provide important cover from the sun in the summer. There is also a kids park at the Entrance Bay Picnic Ground. A great outdoors experience for the family.

In 1956, Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 crashed on Mount Slesse, located in Chilliwack, killing…read moreall 62 people aboard. I had never heard about this crash, one of the worst aviation disasters, or of Mount Slesse, until my friend invited me to go hiking on the Slesse Memorial Trail with a Meetup group yesterday. I'm not a novice hiker -- I have gone on my fair share of hikes over the years and have done a few this summer -- but I am definitely not an expert hiker; the majority of the hikes I have done are three to four hours, with the longest being around six hours. Reading the description of the hike, I knew it would be a challenge, and I was a little nervous that it would be above my skill level, but I decided to give it a try. While there were about 20 people in the Meetup group all together, we hiked in small groups, and I hiked with my friend in a group of six. Unfortunately we got off to a late start for various reasons, including hiking up a very rocky and difficult path for about 20 minutes before we realized we took the wrong path and were walking up an ATV/access road, and not actually hiking along the trail, which took up about 45 minutes of our time. By the time we started hiking the Slesse Memorial Trail, it was 12:15pm. The initial half an hour or so of the trail was fairly easy, especially compared to walking up that rocky path, but the trail gradually became more and more challenging, and I would definitely rate it as "difficult". There were lots of roots, rocks, and logs to scramble over, as well as a small rock face we had to climb up. The trail was quite narrow at many points (sometimes with a steep drop on one side -- don't attempt this hike if you're afraid of heights!), as well as muddy. While I enjoy a challenge, it was beyond my skill level, and there were a couple of points at which I was debating whether or not to stop and wait for the group to pick me up on the way back (I had a book to read, so I would have been fine waiting for a few hours). However, I continued on, but when we got to about 90% of the way up, I had to give up -- my left knee was throbbing, the terrain was just too difficult for me, and I was afraid that I would seriously injure myself -- the last 10% was known to be even more challenging than what we had already experienced, and I did not feel confident that I would be able to climb back down (assuming I was even able to climb up in the first place). So I left my group and joined another Meetup member for my slow, three hour descent down. (It should not have taken that long to get back to the beginning of the trail head, but my knees were killing me -- I managed to whack my right knee against a log), and my legs were utterly fatigued. I was so slow that two minutes after I got to the bottom, my group, who had continued to the top, where they had spent about 20 minutes, arrived. While it was disappointing that I had to turn back when I was so close to the top (where there is a piece of the propeller from the crash, "the Propeller Cairn"), it was the right call to make due to the challenging terrain, and I would have slowed down the group so much that we would have been hiking back in the dark. Including the 45 minute hike up the rocky trail, we had hiked from 11:30am to 7pm, for a total of 7.5 hours. Despite not being able to complete the hike, I still managed to get some great exercise and take in some amazing views. [Yelp collections: Hiking]

Nice and decent hike (day trip) just S of Chilliwack…read more Parking is available along the side of the road. The logging road up the mountain is not paved and has quite a few potholes. A SUV is recommended, and 4x4 is best, especially if one goes past where the hiking trail starts. There are 2 paths to the peak. The most common one is a 8.9km return hike (377m elevation gain) from a turnoff just past the switchbacks. Most of the trail is much like the Grouse Grind, but there are some steep sections that require using the attached ropes. The other way requires a 4x4, following the same road (past the turnoff) to the very end. This path requires a bit of off trail hiking (lots of prickly bushes and dead trees) but is much shorter, with a 220m elevation gain and ~1.7km distance. The view from the end of the road provides a sweeping panorama (looking SW) of the Fraser Valley, and is arguably a better view than the one from the peak area, which has too many trees. However, from the peak one can look E towards Cultus Lake, though the lake itself isn't visible because of the terrain. Lastly, the "true" peak is quite disappointing. It's a long skinny lumpy rock, surrounded by trees which block the view.

The lava beds are found under ground. There is a wooden stair case to enter. The cave is small but…read morewonderful. It's not much of a hike either, you park and walk a few steps and your there. Bring a sweater, flashlight and hard hat.

A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required. Day passes are available near…read morethe bathrooms. This hiking area is heavily populated with rangers so do yourself a favor and purchase the day pass if needed. The parking lot has about 160 spaces and every single space was taken by the time we completed our hike. This is area draws large crowds. There are several trail-heads that can be accessed from this parking area. The views are amazing! This hike can be anywhere from 4 miles to 9 miles round-trip. The choice is yours to decide how far to hike. Ptarmigan Ridge is considered "intermediate." As always, listen to your body and know your own limitations. The terrain is rocky and narrow at times. Due to the high altitude, expect snow no matter what the season. There is minimal shade on this hike so be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen. If you have hiking poles, it's a good idea to pack them. Poles come in handy when crossing large patches of snow. Pack plenty of water! This whole hike is above-timberline. Lots of alpine trees, meadows, snow patches and wildflowers. During the day of our hike many people witnessed mountain goats in the meadows. Unfortunately, we did not spot a single mountain goat. Bummer! Overall, if you have time for only one hike in the Mount Baker area, make it this one. The views are incredible, the hike is achievable, and the wildflower medley is stunning. As always, if you pack it in, be sure to pack it out.

With sweeping views and wonderful vistas, everyone should try this trail. I have lead those from…read morethe city (who were not the hiking types) and the trail is easy enough for about a mile/mile and a half to soak up the views and get a taste of what this area has to offer. You will still need solid walking shoes as the trail is covered in gravel and rocks with a large portion of the trail extending from a slope. The best time to visit is in August through early October, but preferably August since the snow will be completely gone from the trails and the days will be warm and sunny. You may see Pikas, largish rodents that live in the hills. You can hear them chirping and they are cute little suckers. Bears have been spotted in the early season, since they are waking up from their winter slumber. I have camped overnight on this trail during this time and you are required to keep food up and away from your tent site. But I have never had issues in the past years that I have camped here.

What a beautiful place to visit. The walk up is fairly easy and the views are gorgeous!read more

A quick stop off the highway for a picnic or for some sensational photos…read more The trail is all uphill for about 15 minutes. Once you take the trail to the base of the falls, there is a sign that warns about going up to the top. It is absolutely very slippery. We were there in July and it was very dry and slippery. Lots of people were struggling to get up to get good pics. The falls are breathtaking indeed. Mother Nature did a good job. Beware...It's even more difficult getting back down. If you don't have the right shoes or if you don't have someone to help you, it could be very scary. Lots of parking and picnic tables.

There are a few trails in Coquitlam area that are worthwhile for those into hiking…read more Crystal Falls in one of them. As mentioned in my previous review of Lions Park, this trail starts from Colony Farm near the entry of Coquitlam at Lougheed Highway and terminates far beyond Crystal Falls. It is a good 2-3 hour hike just one way. A more manageable trip would be to start from David and Shaughnessy Street in Coquitlam, if your destination is Crystal Falls. This takes approximately 1hr and 20 minutes on foot according to Google. However depending on the weather and road conditions, it may take significantly longer. Winter, rainy, muddy, lots of struck down trees. All in all, it is a good way to recharge and take in some rich oxygen to detox the work week.

The Crystal Falls trail was a very easy hike. For this particular section, the trail head starts at…read morethe end of Shaughnessy Street. Stay on the trail for about 40 minutes, going over a few streams and around many mud puddles after it has rained and you will come to the falls at the end. There were a few good stops along the way to sit, take in the river and to take in all the nature around you. Some parts of the trail can be narrow. Good for all ages, but can be tricky on some of the stream crossings.

Pinecone Burke Provincial Park is a wonderful place to spend some time exploring. The park is…read morenamed after Burke Mountain and Pinecone Lake. Burke Mountain was once the location of a Ski Resort and if you poke around enough you can still find remnants of the old operation up there. Old Cabins to some old machinery are tucked away along the trail. It makes for a good treasure hunt. There are three main access points for this park and two minor access point for this park. The three main access points are as follows: by Car at the end of Harper Road at the Gun Club and Quarry Road just after Minnekhada Regional Park and through and by kayak or Canoe through Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area starting at Grant Narrows. The two minor access points are taking a water taxi to the far end of pit lake and accessing old logging roads on that side via bike or boot and on Mamquam FSR from Squamish (Mamquam FSR will get you to Pinecone lake). The portion of the trail near the Gun Club sounds like you are walking through WW3 and is a bit unnerving really but once you get around the corner and loose the sound the park comes to life with amazing forests and lakes to explore. The park is open year round but the higher elevations will require skis or snowshoes to access and care should be taken to not get into avalanche danger wile playing in the snow. Always check avalanche.ca before heading up into the back country in the winter!

Lovely trails all around and nice view. Clean area and beautiful tree, decent walk and a bit of a…read moredecent hike. Nothing too difficult but definitely not a flat ground so some trails aren't suitable for very young kids and elders. A couple lakes around the area too. Munro Lake, Dennett Lake and the Village Lake Trail. A parking lot and some street parking too. Not hard to find too

I've just had one of the best hiking days of my life…read more Reasons: ~A gorgeous drive up the Sea To Sky past Squamish to the Cheakamus trail head. ~The best group of hiking friends I could ever imagine. ~The trail has amazingly beautiful views of mountain peaks, Starvation Lake and the rushing river with a pebble beach where people fly-fish. I felt like I was watching a fishing show only it was live! I half expected to see bear hunting there. ~A gradual elevation with gravel and well compacted stone on some parts while other parts were carpeted in perfect Autumn coloured leaves. The hike is only a few hours long and about 9k, but you feel you want to stretch it out a bit and enjoying the real wilderness feeling to be had out there. Bring a snack, there's a couple of spots to sit on a Moss carpet with incredible views of snowy peaks. Not only does this easy hike have incredible views of the mountains, but also offers some real beauties for rail-fans. This trail is an in and out, not a loop, and includes a few surprises like the makeshift 'suspension bridge' above the train tracks where there the trail fell away. It's more like a fence laid flat and supported with chain link and re-bar. Safe but a bit freaky! I felt super brave and went first of the 7 of us. One of the best hikes I've had in BC. and anyone could do this one. This has got to be on the best of BC hikes list.