Burnaby Lake
Markus enjoying the sunshine on a mini bridge on Burnaby Lake
Over the past year while the US and Canada borders have been closed, our travels have been limited to not just within Canada but also within our health region. To help with rising numbers in our province, we're encouraged to stay within our region especially for non-essential purposes. Since exploring trails and parks with our dog isn't exactly essential, we've really gotten to know and explore the parks in our own backyard over the past year, but especially in the last 6 months.
You'd think that we'd eventually run out of places to visit in such a condensed area, but BC is so large and vast with parks and greenery (even within our region) that there are always new places to explore, no matter how great or small. At the end of the day and even though we haven't done an overnighter or a road trip in a long while, it's still an opportunity to go outdoors to enjoy the fresh air with our dog and that is always something that we'll appreciate.
Over this past weekend, we did another one of these local small stops in our backyard with a visit to Burnaby Lake which is on the other side of Hwy-1 of Deer Lake Park and Robert Burnaby Park - two parks we recently visited as well. After a stretch of beautiful weather, our forecast in the Vancouver area is projecting long stretches of rain, so we made sure to take advantage of the bit of sunshine we had left with a walk around (but not fully) Burnaby Lake!
About Burnaby Lake
Markus walking along the trail on the way to Southside Trail around Burnaby Lake
Burnaby Lake is the largest lake in the Lower Mainland and it is situated nearly right in the middle of the city of Burnaby and next to the Sports Complex, Rugby Club, Tennis Club and Scotia Barn (formerly Burnaby 8 Rinks). The lake is a wildlife sanctuary where we saw ducks, geese and snakes (yes, we saw snakes) and there are supposed to be beavers, salamanders, sometimes eagles and bears, but we didn't come across those. The path around the lake is about 10km and takes about 2 hours to complete. Unless you're planning to spend the afternoon or looking to exercise around the entire lake, it's probably best to chop the trail into sections, especially if you have your dog with you.
During the summers - especially in a socially distanced reality - you will find people outdoors having picnics around the lake or canoeing/kayaking on the lake although swimming is not permitted. If you're coming with your dog, we also wouldn't recommend letting them into the water either, especially not where we were. At the Markus Project, our dog can be reactive at times and we have the tendency to look for the quieter paths. In this case, the quieter path might not be the one that we recommend, but it depends on what you're looking for.
Our Path
Type: Park & Trail
Length: 5.1 km
Traffic: Low
Route Type: Loop
We walked along the South Side Trail on Burnaby Lake
Prior to making the trip to Burnaby Lake, we did some research to try and figure out which area of the lake we wanted to tackle. Knowing we wouldn't be able to do the full loop, we zoned in on a trail along the south side (aptly named the South Side Trail) with a trailhead at the end of Roberts St. The street will take you to the Burnaby Lake Rowing Pavilion, so it was surprisingly busy even though it felt like we were in a quieter, less traveled area of the neighbourhood. At the end of the street, there's a large parking lot and the trailhead is located on the right side.
From the parking lot, we followed the path until it connected with the Southside Trail, which loops around the lake. This trail weaves with mini bridges and wooden walkways above the watered areas along the way. For the most part, the path is covered with trees and overgrown grass along the sides so you can't actually see the lake even as you're walking around it. There are viewpoints along the trail with benches where you can have a seat and enjoy the view but - and I feel like I need to manage expectations here - there isn't much to see, but perhaps this is related to the time of day.
Markus walking along the wooden walkways at Burnaby Lake
Having done our research prior to making the visit, we've seen photos of the lake and had an idea of what we were in for. Whether it was the time of day or the area this trail was in, there wasn't much water or view of the lake. The animals in the area would suggest that there normally is water, but it was pretty swampy from what we could see. Photos that we saw from earlier this month would suggest that perhaps we just came during the wrong time and we couldn't help but wonder what the view was like on the northern side of the lake.
Walking about a quarter of the way around the lake and not having seen much, we ended up taking one of the paths that loops us back towards the parking lot where we started. This trail goes along Hwy-1 (it's slightly lowered, but you can hear the traffic rushing by overtop) and unlike the South Side Trail, it's not covered and is mostly just loose gravel. There are short connectors that you can take that will bring you back onto the South Side Trail, which is recommended for finding shade on a hot day. To get back to the parking lot, you will eventually have to take one of these connectors back onto South Side Trail, but there are plenty to choose from.
Markus walking on the path along Hwy-1 just off of Burnaby Lake
Overall, the walk was quiet and fairly uneventful. There's not really too much to see and we didn't come across too many people or dogs. With a reactive dog, it was a decent walk and a good way to get some fresh air. The only real moment that gave us a rush was when we spotted a snake off to the side of the path. These snakes are harmless although our dog likes to lunge at small animals, which, apparently includes snakes. If you're not a fan of snakes (although we only saw one), then I would probably go elsewhere or another side of the lake at the very least.
What we liked
It was quiet and the paths were wide. If your dog is very reactive, this isn't a bad place to take them.
It's a path to pick how long of a walk you want to take. There are a lot of connectors along the way that allow you to loop back without having to double back on the same path you came in on.
What we didn't like
At least during the time of day (or year) we went or this side of the lake, there wasn't really much of lake to see.
There was a stretch of boardwalk where our dog would get his paw through the cracks every few steps. He was mostly fine for his size, but the cracks could be a struggle for smaller dogs.
Snakes!
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
For reactive dogs, it's easy to recommend this path because it was very quiet and the paths are wide. We only came across one or two other dogs and only a handful of people. We suspect that the park is busier on the north side of the lake since it's closer to residential areas and the south side goes along a busy highway. That said and likely because there's not as much foot traffic here, our dog did react to the noises coming from within the grass and shrubs, which we didn't think much of until we saw a snake. Even though these snakes are mostly harmless, it still makes your skin... crawl.
If you're hoping for a nice view of the lake while you're walking your dog, we can't really recommend this one because there's not much to see. Although we haven't visited the north side yet, we'd recommend starting out on that side simply because the photos that we saw of the lake definitely weren't taken from this side!
Disclaimer
Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.
Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.
