We're all about exploring the Pacific Northwest at The Markus Project which often takes us into the woods. Once in a while we look for something quieter like this week where we happened upon a hidden lake tucked behind the hospital in Richmond. Minoru Lakes is a beautiful habitat located in the heart of the city, full of animals living amongst luscious greens. It was so vibrant here that it wasn't surprising to see all the pedestrians choosing to spend their quiet evening here. 

About Minoru Lakes

Constructed in the 1970's, Minoru Lakes is a man-made lake located right behind the Richmond Hospital. From that time, the lake has transformed into a vibrant habitat where you will often find animals with their young. While on a stroll through the park, you will hear the calls of birds, the scurrying of squirrels and the distinct hiss of geese. The area surrounding the lake is luscious with long grass and trees, making it a very a popular spot during cherry blossom season.

The lake is next to Minoru Park which includes baseball diamonds, a couple of turf fields, tennis courts, lawn bowling fields and the historic Minoru Chapel. During COVID-19, you will find park goers scattered throughout and seated on the grass to enjoy the beautiful sights. If you're looking for a quiet place to take a stroll, we would recommend checking out Minoru Lakes, although there are a few things to look out for.

The Pierrefonds Gardens Walking Trail

• Length: 1.6km

• Traffic: Moderate to High

• Route Type: Loop

The Pierrefonds Gardens Walking Trail is a short path around Minoru Lakes in Richmond, BC. As a public space, there are a few parking lots although we would recommend going to the one next to the tennis courts and the fire station. Even though the parking by the Gateway Theatre is closer, this one is free and it's still a pretty close walk to the lake. If you're starting by the tennis courts, start heading north towards the theatre and right around where the chapel is there are a couple of small bridges that'll take you over towards the lake.

The trail winds a bit and can get a little confusing, but you should be able to start seeing the lake from where you are. Find your way towards the lake and you'll eventually find a trail that follows around the lake. There is a bridge that runs through the middle of the lake, but aside from that, you can just follow the path. Along the way, there are a few openings that look out into the lake and if you close your eyes, you'll be able to hear the sound of animals in the area.

Speaking of animals, we need to mention that there are a lot of bunnies, geese, ducks, squirrels and other birds here. If your dog has a strong prey drive or is strong enough to pull you, we would recommend reconsidering if this is a good stop for you. It wasn't uncommon to see families of five and more geese or bunnies with their young wandering around the same area. It wasn't the easiest to get around them when our dog was pulling towards them and if your dog also has that drive, it's likely not going to be the smoothest of walks.

Since it's fairly central to Richmond, the park was pretty busy. Even though it's in a bit of a hidden spot, there were a lot of people along the trail and making their way around the lake as well. The path is also quite narrow although you can always just step onto the grass if you need to get by. If you're coming over the weekend, you will most likely be coming across other people and their dogs.

Eventually, the path curls back out and you'll have to take one of those small bridges to get back to where you started. If that walk wasn't quite long enough for you, you can choose to go around the rest of Minoru Park and take in the rest the park has to offer. As a whole, we were here for just about an hour and it was a pleasant walk in the neighbourhood despite having to wrestle with our dog away from the other animals.

What we liked

• This was a natural habitat that we enjoyed in the middle of the city. It's a rich ecosystem with animals and luscious greens surrounding the lake.

• It's an enjoyable walk around a lake and you get to really experience nature.

• There's also plenty to do around Minoru Park, beyond what's available around the lake.

What we didn't like

• Because of all the animals, there's a lot of poop everywhere. Watch where you step or sit because it's everywhere!

• If your dog has a strong prey drive, this isn't going to be a very relaxing walk for you.

• It was pretty busy with pedestrians and the paths were fairly narrow and not to easiest to get around all the time. You'll likely have to be stepping off onto the grass fairly often.

Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs

We didn't come across very many other dogs, but there were a lot of other animals to be aware of. The dogs we came across weren't off-leash because of the animals, which was good for us. The other animals left us alone, so as long as you have good leash control with your dog, you should be able to make it through pretty easily. That said, the animals are spread out all over the lake including along the path, so you might have to step off the path to get around them.

If your dog has a strong prey drive and you think the animals are going to be a distraction or you're not up for wrestling with your dog, we would recommend avoiding the park. If your dog is okay with stray animals or not too hard to control, then you should be fine, but still be careful. Be aware that there are adult animals such as geese who are protective over their young and they may be quicker to act defensively.

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.