About Fraser River Park

• Type: Off-Leash Dog Park & Trail

• Size: Medium

• Enclosed: No

• Doors: None

• Traffic: Low to Moderate

• Length: 1.4 km

• Route Type: Out & Back

There are days when we simply don't have the time to take Markus anywhere far (I guess this depends where you're located) or on a long walk. It was on one of these days that we discovered the Fraser River Park and it fit the need for what we were looking for - a walk that's short, but with enough going on that Markus gets his sniffs and interaction with other dogs.

The Fraser River Park exists in two loose parts - there's the off-leash dog park and off to the side of the park is a walkway that follows the beach and the water.

The off-leash dog park is unfenced, so the times that we've gone, we've seen dogs running and chasing balls. The park's large enough that if your dog is reactive, you should be able to go around them and onto the path. We found these dogs to be pre-occupied enough with their ball chasing that they don't even notice Markus. We've also been to this park when it's been wet out and it can get extremely muddy. 

If you cut through the park and towards the water, you'll hit a path that if you follow towards the right, it'll lead you past some trees into a dock-like wooden walkway. This walkway is raised above the water and the beach, though there are areas where you and your dog can step off and play during low tide. This walkway goes on for 10-15 minutes and you'll come across some benches, small bridges, and a dock where some people might be fishing.

The downside of this walk is that it goes in a line, which means that on the way back, you'll have to either retrace the same walkway or cut upwards and walk on the quiet street or through a less scenic grass and dirt path that's between the street and the walkway back to the first parking lot (assuming you started where the off-leash dog park is).

For reactive dog owners, we found the walkway to be a bit narrow in some areas. For Markus who doesn't always like to be approached head on by other dogs, the walkway doesn't give you another way past. Because it's narrow, both the dog and owner need to walk in single file in order to pass each other and for reactive dogs, this could be challenging. This is especially hard if the other dog is off-leash.

The park has two parking lots. The first one you'll see is right next to the off-leash dog park and the second one is a bit farther down, about halfway into the length of the walkway. We've found that since the walk is more of a straight line back and forth, parking in the first lot helps create more of a start and finish as opposed to starting in the middle of the line. 

The best time to go to the Fraser River Park is definitely during sunset. We've since been there a few times, but the best time we've gone so far was when we had the sun setting in the background with the colours dancing off of the Fraser River with the greenery and the wood surrounding us. That's Vancouver at its finest, if you ask me.

In general, the Fraser River Park is a small park that's great if you're looking for a light walk, but still with enough to get your dog stimulated. If you don't mind retracing your walk back to your car or taking a plain grass and dirt path back, it's worth checking out especially if you can catch it during sunset.

What we liked

• The walkway is well-maintained and it is a nice walk, especially during the sunset on a nice day.

• The off-leash dog park area is large, so if your dog is reactive, you can go around these dogs playing.

• During low tide, you can go down to the beach and the water.

What we didn’t like

• If it's rained recently, it can get extremely muddy at the park (the walkway is wooden, so that park is fine).

• Some sections of the walkway is narrow, so dogs (sometimes off-leash) approach us and there isn't enough room for us to pass each other unless we're in single file.

• The walk itself isn't a long walk and it doesn't loop very nicely back to the first parking lot.

Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs

If your dog is reactive, there are a couple ways you can still make a visit to Fraser River Park. Keep in mind that the entire park is off-leash so it means you might run into them outside the designated off-leash area. There are two parking lots, so if your dog is reactive, you can skip the first parking lot since it is immediately next to the off-leash area and park in the second one instead. The other part of this that works in your favour is that the park doesn’t get that busy most of the time so we might pass by only a handful of dogs.

That said, we’ve found the paths to be narrow and when the other dog is off-leash coming toward us, it does get uneasy. We haven’t had issues ourselves and if you can go when it’s not as busy, then it’s highly recommended especially for its view. If your dog isn’t comfortable coming straight on with another dog, especially if they’re off-leash, then you might want to avoid this park for that reason.

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.