Confederation Park

Markus smiling on a stump on the Confederation Park Off-Leash Trail

We visited Montrose Park a few months ago, which is located along the north edge of Burnaby, British Columbia. At the time, we mentioned that the trail from Montrose Park connects with Confederation Park and although we didn't have time to squeeze it in that particular day, we knew we'd be back to check it out. Since it's been extremely smokey outdoors in the last couple days, we wanted something that was quick to do and the trail at Confederation Park was exactly what we were looking for.

About Confederation Park

Located just east of Montrose Park and also along the northern edge of Burnaby, Confederation Park is a large park that has a soccer field, field for softball, lawn bowling, skateboarding and so much more. There are also two separate off-leash dog areas next to each other - a smaller one for small dogs and an extremely large one for large dogs. Although we didn't take Markus into the dog park, we did see that both of them had two sets of double-doors, which is great for security and if you needed to enter on the side where fewer dogs were crowding.

The park is split up by Penzance Dr and on this particular day, we spent our time north of the road on an off-leash trail that goes around the perimeter of the park. The trail is fairly easy to do with just a bit of incline and wide paths, but we need to emphasize that this is an off-leash trail. We generally don't take Markus to off-leash trails because of his reactive tendencies, but we were fortunate to have been able to go on a weekday and earlier in the morning before it got busy.

Confederation Park Off-Leash Trail

Length: 1.5km
Traffic: Low to Moderate
Route Type: Loop

The Confederation Park Off-Leash Trail is an easy flat loop with crushed gravel and a mild incline. Since it's been quite smokey in the Lower Mainland area of British Columbia due to forest fires, we wanted something a little quicker and this was just right for us. The entire loop took about 30 to 40 minutes to complete and that's with Markus stopping to smell everything.

The loop of the trail has three fairly straight sides. One of the things we liked about this trail - something that we generally look out for - is the width of the path. This is important to us especially at an off-leash trail because it allowed us to pass by or step off the path in case we needed to avoid other dogs. That said, since one of the trailheads is immediately next to the parking lot, most of the groups are going clockwise (though obviously not always the case), which helps reduce the likeliness of coming across another dog head on.

As you enter the trail, you may spot a sign that says there's no beach access. While technically this is true, there is a path although it doesn't look too easy to do as it's a set of stairs/tracks that run through the grass. We can't speak too much about this path since we didn't take the path, but others have done it before so at the very least, we know it's possible.

Markus looking into hazy Vancouver from Confederation Park Off-Leash Trail

When you get to the northern-most path, there is a lookout somewhere about halfway down this stretch. You'll see it since there's a bench for you to pause and enjoy the view of the water from a distance although our view on this day was a little hazy. We followed down this stretch until we hit a sharp corner on the trail and this is where the incline begins. The incline is not bad at all and if necessary, there is a bench about halfway up where you can pause and take a quick breather.

To complete the trail, the last stretch is actually a bike path along Penzance Dr. You'll emerge out of the trail and onto a smooth concrete path that will lead you back to the parking lot where you began. Across the road from this path are the two off-leash dog parks that we previously discussed.

Markus insisting on walking on the side and not on the metal grates along the Confederation Park Off-Leash Trail

All in all, we enjoyed the trail although we recognized that we were fortunate that the park was still quiet in the morning. We came across a few off-leash dogs, but they were all well-trained and didn't bother Markus. We recognize that this is probably not the usual experience. We did have to step off the path a couple times, but we're also glad that this trail afforded that to us.

The Shortcut Path

While we were on the west side of the trail and right around where the tracks are, there was a path that looked like it was meant for service vehicles. This path doesn't show up on Google Maps, which we were using to find direction as there are no maps at the park. Since we weren't sure where that path led us, we didn't end up taking it. As it turned out, that path eventually meets up with the incline path going up towards the street. While the trail isn't very long to begin with, this shortcut will shave off around 10 minutes.

What we liked

The paths were well-kept with crushed gravel and they were wide enough to pass by other dogs.

What we didn't like

We actually quite liked the trail as a whole, but because of the fact that it is an off-leash trail, it's hard for us to recommend to reactive dogs.

Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs

Unfortunately since this is an off-leash trail, it is harder to recommend bringing a reactive dog. Even though we went earlier in the morning, we came across a few dogs that were off-leash although it needs to be said that they were very well-trained. If you choose to bring your dog here, the good thing about this trail is that it's fairly wide and it is possible to step off to the side if you needed to. While we didn't have any issues whatsoever, it's still hard for us to recommend.

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.