Cates Park
Markus standing by the beach area of Cates Park
When we were looking up places to take our dog Markus last week, we decided we wanted to take a little drive out to someplace further than the usual ones that we've been taking him to around the city. It's been a while since we've gone someplace new since the restrictions in British Columbia have been in place, so we wanted to drive out a little further see what we could find. We decided we wanted to head out towards the Deep Cove area, but since we knew that the Quarry Rock hike was still closed due to COVID-19, we looked for other things to do in the area.
We found ourselves at beautiful park within shooting distance of Deep Cove, that's also along the water, but almost in the corner. If you've been to Vancouver, you'll know that just about anywhere in the Vancouver area by the water is always beautiful and Cates Park in North Vancouver, by the corner of Dollarton, was no different. We really enjoyed our time and the short trail that we got to do.
About Cates Park
Markus looking back at the view from Cates Park
Cates Park is the largest park in North Vancouver that runs along the water and it's a mix of sandy beaches and forest. Because it's uniquely located in a corner surrounded by water, you can come here for magnificent views on multiple ones - one of Belcarra Regional Park and another of the backside of Burnaby Mountain where Barnet Marine Park is.
Cates Park is a great way to spend an afternoon with public areas like playgrounds and picnic tables for eating. We noticed that there's an ample amount of parking spots with not just two or three, but four public parking lots scattered throughout. Although it wasn't too busy when we were there (though, perhaps it was considering the time and day we went), the amount of parking would suggest that this park gets busy. During the day, you'll find kids playing by the playground, people practicing on the tennis courts or entering the water at the boat launch.
While on-leash dogs are allowed year round, there are some designated areas such as the picnic area and the beaches immediately next to those areas where dogs aren't to enter. We accidentally found ourselves with Markus at one of these spots, so we quickly made our way through the grassy area towards one of the totem poles in the distance. No matter where you go at Cates Park, you're likely to get a view of the beautiful BC waters.
If you keep making your way around the Cates Park and towards the farther end of one of the parking lots where the Paddling Centre is, there are paths that lead up to a couple trails, where we spent the majority of our time.
Malcolm-Lowry Trail
Type: Trail
Length: 1.2km
Traffic: Moderate
Route Type: Loop
If you're planning to do the trail, we recommend just parking by the Paddling Centre. We found that most of the people ended up parking by the first lot or along the path to the exit and since many of them weren't aware of the second lot (let alone a third and fourth one on the way out). Compared to the first lot, this one was considerably emptier, so feel free to bypass the first one since the trailhead starts by the second lot.
While the trail is technically a loop, it's not as clean of a loop we'd like and we had to double back on parts of the trail a little bit. By the trailhead, there are two paths running alongside each other. If you wanted, you can actually check out the lower path first since it eventually stops. It's closer to the water and there were people and dogs playing by the beach or sitting on the benches to enjoy the view. The path here is not very long and you'll eventually have to double back out to get on the main trail.
The Malcolm-Lowry Trail is steps above and it goes for about half a kilometre. It is one of the woods that we've been so accustomed to here in British Columbia. Along the way, there are staircases on the right for access to the beach (unless it's high tide where you descend into water). There were plenty of dogs playing on the beaches and going into the water.
Markus thinks he’s part of the view at Little Cates Park
If you stay on this trail, it eventually connects to Little Cates Park, which is a small (some would say little) park with tennis courts and spectacular views of Belcarra Regional Park. This part of the park feels more like a neighbourhood park and we ended up spending a bit more time here because of how quiet and calm it was. We appreciated the number of benches that have been set up by the edge of the water so one can sit and admire the view with their dogs.
From Little Cates Park, you can start heading back by using the same path you used to get here. If you didn't want to take the same path the entire way, you can take the first right and the trail eventually connects with the Upper Anchor Trail, which will take you back to where you started as well. It's essentially the same walk that you took coming this way, but slightly higher up.
Markus walking along the Malcolm-Lowry Trail by Cates Park
Alternatively, from Little Cates Park, you can head up past the tennis courts onto Sea Shell Ln. If you take a left and go down some metres to the corner of that road, you'll find a trailhead for the Upper Anchor Trail. There are two paths here and you'll want to take the right trail since the left one will just take you back to Little Cates Park.
From here, just keep following the path back down to where you started. At some point, you'll come across a T along the path, so take a left to reconnect with the Malcolm-Lowry Trail again. Be sure to take this path because the other one will lead you too far north of the parking lot and you'll have to retrace your steps or walk on the road (not very safe) to get back to your car.
What we liked
It's the type of trail in British Columbia that we're so accustomed to - with well-maintained trails and lots of trees and ferns along the way.
There are a number of separate access to the beach along the way. If one beach area is busy, you could try the next one.
The views throughout the trail and the park are great!
There's a lot of parking.
What we didn't like
Unfortunately, there are a lot of off-leash dogs (even though it's an on-leash park) and not all of them were under control. We wish we could say that this was limited to the beach area, but it wasn't. Dogs were off-leash throughout Cates Park, the beach and the trails.
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
This trail was short, but it had great views along the way. It was surprisingly busy with dogs and a lot of them were off-leash, especially by the beach areas. These areas are generally avoidable, though, if you don't take the stairs or the lower path that leads to the beach.
Throughout Cates Park and on the trail, we had a few dogs tailing Markus, which reactive dogs generally don't respond well to, especially when the trails weren't very wide. We ended up having to make small detours or stand off on the side to let other dogs past. Unfortunately, both Cates Park and the trail are a little harder for me to recommend if your dog is reactive.
If you just wanted to go for the views, you might be able to get by around the Cates Park, avoiding the trails. Alternatively, we'd recommend checking out Little Cates Park where there was plenty of parking along the street and it was quieter - more like a neighbourhood park. The views are also great here, but there's not as much for a dog.
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.
