Garry Point Park & Steveston Village

Markus standing in the sunlight during sunset at Garry Point Park, British Columbia

About Garry Point Park

Type: Trail/Beach
Length: 1.2 km
Traffic: Moderate
Route Type: Loop

Markus standing on the rocks at the Japanese style memorial garden at Garry Point Park

Garry Point Park is a large waterfront park with lots of beach access and picnic tables that's great for families to spend an afternoon in Richmond, British Columbia. We love bringing Markus here because of all the exploring he gets to do between the washed up driftwood and all the grassy areas. If that's not enough, there is a small village that you can bring your dog that's a few minutes walk away from Garry Point Park. Being right next to the water, Steveston Village is home to some of the freshest seafoods that you can buy right off the boats!

Let's start with Garry Point Park. It is a nice stroll that starts at the parking lot and it becomes a path that follows the beaches and water and it eventually loops back to the parking lot. There's usually plenty of parking in the area, but it does get busy during the summer and the spots do completely fill up. At the beginning of the walk, there is a small Japanese style memorial garden and from there, you're already near the beaches. Your dog is free to walk along the beaches and go into the water, although we find that there is sometimes a lot of scattered broken up pieces of driftwood washed ashore and cutting into the beach isn't the easiest for your dog.

Markus enjoying the sunset at Garry Point Park

Along the walk, there are plenty of views. This is definitely a sunset type of place where if you're able to, timing your stroll with a sunset is the thing to do. The path itself isn't much as it is mostly sand and dried grassy areas. There aren't many trees and as a whole, it feels quite dry, but there are plenty of places for your dog to explore.

Along this loop, there is a path that connects with the West Dyke Trail where it keeps going down for a long time. This trail goes along the edge of Richmond and it is like a backdoor route that connects people through different areas in Richmond. If the loop at Garry Point Park wasn't enough, you can walk down the West Dyke Trail, although since it is one path, you'll have to turn back to go back to the parking lot. Alternatively, instead of going down the West Dyke Trail, another option is to go over to Steveston Village, which is a few minutes or half a kilometre walk from Garry Point Park.

Steveston Village

Steveston Village is a historic fishing village in Richmond that is known as a tourist stop and a filming location for TV shows and movies today. While your dog won't be able to go into the stores and shops at Steveston Village, you can still walk along the boardwalk and even down to the docks. There are plenty of things that you'll be able to do here with your dog, but part of the main experience is trying out the foods from restaurants of the many cuisines that are available.

A popular thing that both tourists and locals like to do in Steveston Village is purchase seafood right off the boats. By the water, you can make your way down to the docks where several boats are parked and selling their fresh-caught fish, shrimp, crabs and so much more. If you're a seafood person, you can't get much fresher than this. You're buying it off the boat! And the best part is that you can bring your dog down to these docks, though I should warn you that there are seals that wander in the water here. These seals have been known to get aggressive, so be careful if your dog is hanging around the edge of the dock. Seriously!

Markus posing with his new rubbery attitude minion friend in Steveston Village

Even with a dog, there are a few restaurants that you'll be able to try (assuming weather is good). Both at Garry Point Park and Steveston Village, you'll find Pajos known for their fish and chips and Timothy's, known for their frozen yogurt. Both of these locations have outdoor seating (though you might have an easier time ordering from the Garry Point Park location if you're unable to tie your dog up or hand them off to someone.)

Located inside Steveston Village is Sweet Paws Dog Grooming Services and this is usually where we take Markus to get cleaned up! They do a great job here and it is one of our favourite locations to bring him. They usually take about an hour and a half to two hours and while we wait, we tend to eat at one of the restaurants or go around the corner to Rocanini Coffee Roasters to get a good cup of coffee.

Whether you're from the area or not, Garry Point Park and Steveston village is a great place to stop for a break that has something for both you and your dog!

What we liked about this park

The views are great, especially during sunset in the summertime.
There is plenty to do between Garry Point Park and Steveston Village.

What we disliked about this park

The paths and the actual terrains aren't great.
The beaches aren't the cleanest with a lot of broken driftwood washed ashore.
The water's pretty dirty here.

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.