Byrne Creek Ravine Park
Markus balancing on a tree along the trail on Byrne Creek Ravine Park
During the COVID-19 pandemic and while we've been limited to traveling within our health region, we've been looking for alternatives and new trails outside our usual ones. There are plenty of neighbourhood parks or dog parks that we could visit, but being owners of a reactive dog often makes visits more stressful than it really ought to be because paths are usually more limited and within closer proximity to other dogs.
One of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is that you don't have to go very far to wander in the woods, which is what we got to do this past weekend. We hopped into our car and drove out to the Burnaby area and having been to Central Park, Deer Lake Park, Robert Burnaby Park and Burnaby Lake recently, we opted for something different - something a little more woodsy. We discovered Byrne Creek Ravine Park, which was a tale of two trails going down and back up the ravine.
About Byrne Creek Ravine Park
Markus walking along the path on the first half of the trail at Byrne Creek Ravine Park
Type: Trail
Length: 3.1km
Traffic: Low to Moderate
Route Type: Loop
Byrne Creek Ravine Park is located just off of Marine Way and is situated in between neighbourhoods. It doesn't really feel like there would be woods in this area, but it is the Pacific Northwest after all. With a skytrain station and an elementary school a stone's throw away, the outskirts of the park gets fairly busy with pedestrians and cyclists. There's also a gated dog park (Taylor Park Dog Park) within walking distance and although we didn't stop by with our dog, we did drive by to check it out.
The path that we took at Byrne Creek Ravine Park is a trail that goes down one side of the ravine and then back up along the other side where you started. Although it's the same trail, it felt like two distinct hikes and it was enjoyable to do with our dog. The path we took ended up being about 3.1km to complete although there are some steep parts on the trail to look out for.
On the Way Down
Markus standing at the top of the stairs at Byrne Creek Ravine Park
Of course, all of this depend on where you choose to start and end your hike. You can start on the bottom, but we found it easier to start at the top and work our way down (and then back up). We found parking at Ron McLean Park and walked to the trailhead, which is just past the tennis courts and started our trek. There's quite a bit of parking at Ron McLean Park and the loop makes it so that you'll complete it at the park, but if you can't find parking, you can try and find some by the tennis courts (though it's more limited there).
Once you get on the trail, it feels a little different at first. For a walk in the woods, you can actually see houses along the way and neighbourhoods off to the right beyond some trees. About halfway down, though, the houses start to disappear as you descend into the trail. Around here, you'll come across wooden man-made steps taking you down to an area where you can access Byrne Creek. Keep heading along this path and you'll eventually cross a small bridge at the bottom of the trail and emerge onto Marine Drive.
As a whole, this path was very well-maintained and you might find people opting to go upwards instead, using the stairs as a form of exercise. This part of the trail felt slightly more heavily trafficked and open, especially the parts that are next to the neighbourhoods. The path on this side was straightforward where you know you can just keep heading straight without having to look at a map. All of this cannot also be said about the other half of the trail that we took on the way back up, which was a fairly different experience than this one.
On the Way Back Up
Markus making his way up the steep area of the bottom half at Byrne Creek Ravine Park
When we crossed the bridge and emerged onto Marine Drive, we knew that there's a trailhead to go back in and although we saw it, we weren't even sure it was it. The trailhead is up a steep dirt hill where you can see a distinct path on the trail. You can't really see what's up there from the bottom, but you can deduce that's the path because there aren't any other trailheads along Marine Drive.
It should be noted that if it's raining, it might be harder to go up this path. In fact, this side of the trail is not as well-maintained as the side going down and there were areas that looked like it could get pretty muddy if its was wet out. This beginning part is the steepest on the trail and it recovers quite a bit of the distance that you traveled on the way down, so if you're worried about having to climb back up after having descended down the stairs, just know that the worst is right in the beginning.
Markus trying to figure out if there are really fairies behind the fairy doors
This trail going back up is definitely not as well-marked either, so we'd recommend keeping a map handy. There are forks on the trail that'll take you back out into a neighbourhood or the Byrne Creek Urban Trail. If you happen to end up on one of these, just keep heading up north and it'll meet up with where we're going. There are parts of this trail that are very remote and even narrow at times, which isn't the best for reactive dogs. In general and in comparison to the trail going down, we'd recommend for you to be more aware and careful of your surroundings.
You'll know you're on the right path as long as you keep heading north towards the top of the ravine. Along the way, you may come across little fairy doors and what appears to be a concrete base for an old structure or mini amphitheatre. Recognize these markers and keep heading north until the path eventually meets up with the Byrne Creek Urban Trail. Around this area, you'll see apartments emerging beyond the trees and it'll become a lot busier quickly.
The Byrne Creek Urban Trail ends on BC Parkway which is a concrete path, but before you walk too far along, there is a smaller trail right by the houses. You'll want to take this path since it circles back to Ron McLean Park where you first started and thus completing the loop. As a whole, this trail took us about an hour to do with all the stops for our dog and it was a great way for us to spend time outdoors.
What we liked
It was a lot of fun for us - the way down was very well-maintained and the way up felt more like a traditional trail that you'd find outside of the city.
It was relatively quiet, which is nice for reactive dogs.
The trails are nicely covered and shaded, which is nice to do on a warm day.
What we didn't like
The trail on the way back up wasn't the smoothest of trails and it wasn't very well-marked.
That first stretch on the way back up is quite steep.
Our Recommendation For Reactive Dogs
Surprisingly, the park wasn't very busy inside when we went (although it's busier along the outskirts of the park). We only came across a handful of dogs and they were all properly on-leash. The path going down was a bit more comfortable for a reactive dog since the trails were wide where narrow paths often mean the dogs have to meet. The path heading back up wasn't very well-marked and was slightly more difficult. As a whole, it's mostly fine as long as the owners of the other dogs are respectful.
Markus posing by the creek at Byrne Creek Ravine Park
There's also a dog park within walking distance of the east, but it was out of the way enough that we didn't end up going since the trail was long enough of a walk for us. On the way out, we did drive past the park to check it out and it was gated and didn't look too busy.
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.
