Minnekhada Regional Park, Coquitlam, B.C.

Minnekhada Regional Park is located to the east of Vancouver in the city of Coquitlam. This park has about 10 kms of trails to explore covering both flat areas through marshland and steep hills providing fantastic views of the valley. There are bears that frequent this area and often one of the two entrances is closed so check here before you go.

We went during the summer and because of recent bear activity we had to enter from the Quarry Road entrance and start our hike from there. Although we didn’t see any bears, we did see some fresh scat and so made sure to always check our surroundings as we walked along the trails.

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Leaving the parking lot area you immediately begin your hike within the peaceful surrounding of an old growth forest. By following any of the trails from the parking lot you will soon find yourself at either the Upper or Lower Marsh. Follow the trail around the marsh and enjoy watching for birds and other wildlife that live close by.

We followed the Lodge Trail and the Fern Trail before starting our climb up High Knoll. There are a couple of look-outs in this park, but we wanted to stick with the more popular trails and so decided on the High Knoll Lookout.

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It was definitely a rugged climb to the top with some steep sections taking you up the 600 ft elevation gain. However the panoramic landscape from the top was soooo worth it! The view towards the west over the Pitt River, the marsh, and the valley was truly stunning.

After having a snack at the top and soaking up the scenery, we made our way back down the knoll, through the forest, and along the Mid-Marsh Trail that separates the Lower Marsh from the Upper Marsh.

We finished up our day of hiking by walking along the shaded Meadow Trail, over some stone stairs…that reminded me of some ancient temple steps…and back to the parking lot.

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We definitely had a fantastic day out exploring this park! It’s another Metro Vancouver Regional Park that has a lot to offer anyone who ventures out this way.

Traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish, sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen), Kwikwetlem and S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō).