Coquitlam, British Columbia

Buntzen Lake is located in a beautiful recreation area just north of Port Moody. Although the lake is man-made and maintained by BC Hydro, the surrounding area is full of forests, nice beach areas, and many trails for hiking including the Buntzen Lake Trail, which loops around the lake.Beginning ...

The 12km (7.5 mi) drive on Neaves Road to Pitt Lake from Pitt Meadows is one of BC's most scenic routes. As soon as you start this section of the drive you already feel miles from the city, but this route is only 30-45 minutes from Vancouver, depending on city traffic.Once you reach the parking l...

Only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Deep Cove is a great place to paddle in tranquil ocean waters. You can rent ocean kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards from Deep Cove Kayak.The bay in front of the community is one of the few in Indian Arm that has both a sheltering shape and the shal...

Setting out from Deep Cove’s pebble shoreline, it only takes a few minutes before you are away from small village and paddling the calm waters of this gorgeous arm. Seals can be frequently spotted as you follow the path of off oceanfront homes, some living off the grid, deeper into the mountains....

About one hour outside of Vancouver, Golden Ears Provincial Park is a great escape for hiking and paddling opportunities. The massive drive-in campgrounds are usually full for most of the summer, but deep into the lake's wilderness are marine spots for backcountry camping. Get your backcountry pe...

Crescent beach is a great place to end your day, by taking some sunset pictures. It often lights up the sky and really pops with colour. It is best to park at the main parking lot near the pier and start from there. The beach walk from the pier to the end is just over a kilometre, so is very shor...

This is a great place for families to relax at.  You can kayak or paddle the calm water.  There is a paved path running along the beach that is great for jogging, biking, and dog walking. Benches line the park and beach, making it easy to take breaks when needed.  This is also where a lot of ferr...

Escape to the vanishing horizon of the Pacific Ocean, where time is measured by the rhythm of waves.Located near West Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay neighbourhood, Whytecliff Park is home to more than 200 marine animal species and is one of the first Marine Protected Areas in Canada. You're almost gua...

Head out to Horseshoe Bay, and catch the ferry out to Bowen Island (Snug Cove). As you get off the ferry you will see a parking lot immediately to your left. If there is no parking there, there is some further up the road just before the local grocery store. Make your way back to the harbor, and ...

It may be daunting to figure out how to kayak in the San Juan Islands.If you're a beginner/intermediate kayaker, this is the trip for you.First, you'll want to plan ahead and reserve a kayak for Sucia Island. We used Outer Island Expeditions which was nice because they make it pretty easy for you...

The tiny island of Mayne is located in the chain of Gulf Islands just off the coast of Vancouver Island. For a small Island that can be biked across in a couple of hours, it offers some amazing views and photo opportunities. Mayne Island is just a stop away from Victoria and is located right abov...

The trail to Locust Beach is very easy to find. Parking on Locust Avenue is available from dawn to dusk on the side of the road, and in a small gravel lot. Follow the road towards the water, and continue right on a small but well-marked trail down to the beach. Be careful - the stairs are kind of...

The easiest way to explore this area is through Outer Island Excursions, which offers a 3-hour kayaking tour from Smuggler’s Villa Resort on Orcas Island (they also offer various tours of the surrounding islands).The tour begins with a paddle down the North Shore of Orcas Island to Point Doughty ...

Moran State Park is an true gem within the beautiful San Juan Islands. The park takes up a large portion of the East side of Orcas Island, the largest of all the San Juans. There are multiple campgrounds within the park along the shores of Cascade Lake and Mountain Lake. For the most relaxing exp...

Salt spring island has plenty of amazing put in points for an afternoon of sea kayaking, but the ganges harbour is sheltered and easily accessible.For the put in points you have two options: The salt spring marina or churchill beach. Churchill beach would be the easier of the two with the added b...

The northwestern-most point of the San Juan Islands, Stuart Island, is arguably the most gorgeous island to circumnavigate. Unfortunately, as Stuart Island is 16 miles away from the closest ferry port, there is no simple way to get there in one day. A couple of options to get there include:1) Onc...