There are plenty of moderately challenging Vancouver hiking trails to choose from. These are five trails that stand out from the rest. Not too difficult, yet all have sensational views. Hollyburn, Dog Mountain and Mt Seymour are at the end of beautiful drives to reach the trailheads.
Deeks Peak is at the far north end of the beautiful Howe Sound Crest Trail which runs from Cypress Resort 29k away. The trailhead near Porteau Cove is the access point Deeks Peak and Deeks Lake. It is a steadily uphill hike as you gain 1615 metres in almost 8 kilometres. The trail is also very overgrown and strewn with fallen trees.
A multi-day hike in this area via the Howe Sound Crest Trail where you can hike a couple or all of the amazing peaks. Brunswick Mountain, Mt Hanover, Mt Harvey and The Lions stretch off into the distance eventually leading to Cypress Mountain 29k away. Backcountry camping is possible in innumerable phenomenal sites along the trail. None of them are sanctioned or maintained so don't expect any facilities but there are countless streams, waterfalls and lakes to put a tent by. There is quite an interesting hut at Lost Lake. Small and very rustic, yet every inch of it has been loved and abused. Depending on the weather outside the hut will probably colour your opinion of the inside. It's dirty, grungy, the walls are thin and metal. The ground is covered with debris, gravel and dirt. There are alcohol bottles lining almost every surface... and all partly full. The place is a mess, but a beautiful little mountain hut nonetheless. A pile of chopped wood lines one wall and possibly the most loved wood-stove in the history of the world sits in the middle. This beautiful stove makes this ugly little hut feel like paradise. If there is snow on the ground outside or you just braved a swim in the always icy Lost Lake, then you will quickly learn to cherish this wonderful hut. If you plan on parking overnight at the trailhead be careful about where to park. The parking lot has a no overnight parking sign, so you will have to park along the road near the parking lot. An alarmingly high number of reported car break-ins make this area of concern when parking. Be extremely careful that nothing of value is visible to passers by. If you are lucky and find the gate open at the start of the trail you can drive 3.5 kilometres up this fairly decent logging road and take about an hour off the start of your hike. This road is easily drivable with a high clearance 4x4, however, some deep waterbars will prevent lower clearance vehicles from getting through.
Deeks Peak Along the Howe Sound Crest Trail
Deeks Peak is part of the amazing Howe Sound Crest Trail in Cypress Provincial Park and is one of the many beautiful peaks to be climbed if desired on the 29k trail. Among the hiker friendly mountains (in order from Cypress north) on the Howe Sound Crest Trail are: Mount Strachan, St Mark`s Summit, Unnecessary Mountain, The Lions, Mount Harvey, Mount Hanover, Brunswick Mountain and finally Deeks Peak. This amazing trail has one end here at Porteau Cove and the other end at Cypress Mountain. Everyone has a different opinion of the Deeks Lake and Deeks Peak trail. If you hike it on a hot, sunny day in July, August or September and manage to park at the end of the logging road, 3.5 from the gate, then you will find this trail amazing. On the other hand, if you hike earlier in the season, encounter snow on the trail and have to park at the lower parking lot due to the gate being locked, you will likely hate Deeks Peak. So keep that in mind. Try to hike the trail later than May/June or be prepared and comfortable hiking in snow. Try to get a 4x4 and hope for an unlocked gate and if not be super careful in securing your car and enjoy the easy, though boring, first 3.5k of trail/road.
Trailhead Directions to Deeks Peak
The trailhead is easy to find. 22 kilometres north of Horseshoe Bay take the Porteau Road exit and park in the large trailhead parking. The trail begins at the far end of the parking lot and follows an old dirt road. At the first fork take the road to the right. At 1k you will reach the trail junction, left for Deeks Peak or straight for Deeks Lake. The trail is very overgrown but well marked with flagging tape. With the arrival of spring, enthusiastic hikers rush up this trail, however, snow persists well into June(usually), making the trail brutal and at times, dangerous.
Explore Vancouver Hiking Trails!
Pacific Spirit Park surrounds the University of British Columbia on the shores of Georgia Straight. The park has a beautiful array of trails, 73 kilometres in total, that run along beaches, some old growth forest ...
Brunswick Mountain is the highest peak in the North Shore mountains. Located in the beautiful Cypress Provincial Park, Brunswick Mountain is among several other prominent summits on the amazing Howe Sound Crest ...
Lighthouse Park is an extraordinarily little know piece of paradise, so close to to Vancouver as to see its tall buildings, yet immersed into a dramatically beautiful coastal rainforest. A wonderful network ...
Unnecessary Mountain gets its peculiar name from the fact it once was part of the route to reach The Lions whereas now the route avoids it. This now, unnecessary mountain, no longer needs to be climbed to ...
Ring Lake is a idyllic, pristine and wonderfully remote lake similar to Cirque Lake but considerably farther to hike to reach it. The 10 kilometre(6.2 mile) hike takes you through a tranquil forest, then to ...
The Ancient Cedars trail is well marked and well worn and only gradually uphill for the 2.5 kilometre hike. At the Ancient Cedars forest there is a short circle trail that takes you throughout the giants ...
Skookumchuck Hot Springs (aka: T'sek Hot Springs and St Agnes Well Hot Springs) is located two hours north of Whistler along the edge of Lillooet River. The name Skookumchuck means "strong water" in the ...
Whistler has an absurd number of wonderful and free hiking trails and Parkhurst Ghost Town certainly ranks as one of the most unusual, exotic and interesting. Parkhurst was a little logging town perched on ...
Whistler is an amazing place to hike. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous thing about Whistler is that Garibaldi Provincial ...
Squamish sits in the midst of some amazing places to hike. Garibaldi Park sprawls from Squamish up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north. Add to ...
Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it. Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last. The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails. Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness. Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn ...
The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island. One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...