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Mundy Lake in Mundy Park, Coquitlam – April 4, 2012. Source: Kyle Pearce via Flickr.

Want to get out of the city for the afternoon? Need to reconnect with nature? We do too. Now that it’s April and the weather’s warming up, many of the seasonal parks are starting to open up, providing us with a greater range of nature experiences to spotlight. After brainstorming and researching, we’ve found five short nature walks that you can do in the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region which are fantastic in the month of April.

1. Mundy Park – Coquitlam

The Metro Vancouver area is home to many urban forests: Stanley Park, Burnaby’s Central Park, and North Vancouver’s Lynn Canyon amongst others. But the one urban forest that tends to fly under the radar of most locals is Coquitlam’s Mundy Park.

Photo: Lost Lake in Mundy Park, Coquitlam – April 4, 2012. Source: Kyle Pearce via Flickr.

Described as one of the Tri-Cities’ most treasured assets, Mundy Park is a huge forested park (it’s 178 hectares/440 acres) and is home to two small lakes: Mundy Lake and Lost Lake. It also has a network of easy walking trails – the perfect place for quickly escaping the city. Curious? Local hiking blog Vancouver Trails maps out three of Mundy Park’s trails (the Perimeter Trail, the Waterline Trail, and the Interlaken Trail) describing the three difference experiences you can have. Read it here.

But nature is only one part of the Mundy Park experience. Local family blog Find Family Fun likes Mundy Park for its family-friendly amenities such as soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a lacrosse box and a playground. And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Mundy Park even has its very own disc golf course!

2. Tikwalus Heritage Trail – Hell’s Gate

If you’re looking for day trip that combines the dramatic scenery of the Fraser Canyon with pre-colonial history, then put the Tikwalus Heritage Trail on your agenda. Traditionally used by the Nlaka’pamux First Nation for over thousands of years, this trail connected villages and fishing sites along the Fraser Canyon as well as providing access to important food and medicine in the high mountains nearby. It was then shared with workers of the Hudson Bay Company in the late 1840s as a fur trading route between Fort Kamloops and Fort Langley. Needless to say, the Tikwalus Heritage Trail is entrenched in BC history.

According to Travel The Canyon, the grand opening of a newly-restored 10km section of the Tikwalus Heritage Trail is taking place on Friday, April 20 at 1:30pm. For photos, directions, maps, and details on the Tikwalus Heritage Trail, be sure to visit the Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning’s website as they’re playing a large role in its restoration.

Finally, Travel the Canyon shared some additional advice with us on Twitter. They suggested combining Tikwalus with a visit to nearby Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park as they’re super close. And last but not least, if you’re already nearby Hell’s Gate, it would simply behoove you to visit Hell’s Gate Airtram as they also open for the season this Friday, April 20.

3. Golden Ears Provincial Park – Maple Ridge

One of the largest provincial parks in all of BC can be found just an hour’s drive east of Vancouver along Hwy 7 in the district municipality of Maple Ridge. That park is Golden Ears. Named after its famous twin mountain peaks, this park is popular in the summer months for camping and boating (on Alouette Lake), but hiking through coastal temperate rainforest is the reason why you’d visit in the spring.

Photo: Spring runoff at Golden Ears Provincial Park. Source: Matthew Grapengeiser via Flickr.

Home to numerous trails of varying lengths, if you’re looking for a short hike, consider the Mike Lake Trail. Local hiking blog Vancouver Trails recommends this scenic trail for families wanting a short nature walk, as it takes just under one hour to do and passes through calm and quiet forest with glimpses of the lake. If you’re seeking a slightly longer walk, consider Gold Creek Falls. It takes takes about two hours to do. April’s the perfect time to visit due to the spring runoff resulting in a surging streams and waterfalls.

4. Nairn Falls Provincial Park – Pemberton

Whether you’re in Whistler or Pemberton, if you’re looking for the perfect low commitment nature walk, head to nearby Nairn Falls Provincial Park where an easy walk along the river provides you with a viewing platform over Nairn Falls. Only a 20 minute drive north of Whistler and a 5 minute drive south of Pemberton, the falls are 60 meters high and can be viewed by following a 1.5 km hiking trail. According to Vancouver Trails, you’ll want to give yourself an hour and a half to do this walk.

5. Sargeant Bay Provincial Park – Halfmoon Bay

The Sunshine Coast has a wealth of trails, from gentle nature walks to grueling multi-day hikes. Some of these trails require local knowledge to access while others are a little bit more obvious. Fortunately, Sargeant Bay Provincial Park falls into the latter group.

Photo: Hiking in Sargeant Bay Provincial Park. Source: Iwona Erskine-Kellie via Flickr.

Located a short drive (8km) outside of Sechelt in the community of Halfmoon Bay, Sargeant Bay’s the perfect spot for nature lovers because it provides a nice cross section of ecosystems: ocean beaches, rocky headlands, lagoons, salmon-bearing streams, and heavily forested uplands. There’s also a good chance you’ll see some wildlife!

For a short and easy walk, head along the Colvin Creek Trail which is approximately 1 kilometre in length. Don’t have much time? Do the Sargeant Bay Trail instead which is only 300m and follows along the beachfront to the fish ladder. And be sure to bring a picnic – on a sunny day the beach at Sargeant Bay is a beautiful place to sit down, kick back and enjoy the finer things in life.

Related Posts:

• Short Nature Walks for March
• Short Nature Walks for February
• Short Nature Walks for November

Have an idea for a short nature walk? Let us know by leaving a comment below and we may feature it in an upcoming blog post!