Montrose Park/Second Narrows Park
Markus walking along the Trans Canada Trail at Montrose Park
Whenever we're in the northern part of Burnaby by the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge with our dog, we tend to end up at the either New Brighton Park or Confederation Park. These are two parks are popular for good reason - their amenities for the general public and dog owners make these locations a hot spot. On this particular weekend, we were looking for something a little bit quieter and we ended up on Montrose Park, which sits in between the two parks with a trail that connects them (the trail itself doesn't fully connect, but you can definitely walk from one park to the other with a short stretch on the sidewalk).
About Montrose Park
Markus walking along the path at Montrose Park
Type: Park & Trail
Length: 3.0 km
Traffic: Low
Route Type: Out & Back
Montrose Park doesn't have the same amenities (the pools, playgrounds, picnic areas, etc.) that New Brighton Park or Confederation Park do, but that's what we liked about it. The whole thing is essentially a single trail - the Trans Canada Trail - that runs through the park with a number of runners and other dogs getting exercise because of how straight and quiet it is. This section of the Trans Canada Trail is mostly covered with trees and plants off to the side, so it provides good shade along a quiet path if that's what you're looking for.
The Trans Canada Trail - which has been renamed to The Great Trail in more recent years - starts from the Pacific Ocean by Mile 0 on Vancouver Island, which we visited a few months ago. Looping north around the Strait of Georgia, the trail picks up in Vancouver going around downtown and East Vancouver before reaching the Burnaby portion of the trail, which starts right here around Montrose Park. The trail goes through this path, up and around Burnaby Mountain, past Burnaby and then keeps going through to the other side of Canada.
The stretch in Burnaby is about 12km long and even though most of this section at Montrose Park is right by the water, you won't be able to really see much of it. Montrose Park is a lot quieter than its surrounding parks and if that's what you're looking for, we would recommend coming here for a short walk.
Markus standing tall on a rock at McGill Park
While there isn't really any official parking to the park, everyone just seems to park along the road at the end of Boundary Rd. There are neighbourhood streets in the area and you can park in those if you don't feel comfortable parking on a dirt path. If you don't mind it, you can go past and find parking along the path along Fellowes St. We recommend just parking there because the neighbourhood is a steep walk back up and you're going to have to do this after your walk.
The entrance to the park is at the end of Boundary Rd. where it meets Fellowes St. There is a small closed off gate for cars, but pedestrians can walk around the gate and down the path. The path that's immediately on the other side of the gate is a steep one (and keep in mind that you're going to have to go up this path on the way back) and descends into a fork on the path. If you take the sharp left, you'll be going towards the smaller Bates Park where there is a big treehouse! Unfortunately, this path is currently going through renovations and has been closed to the public. Instead, you'll want to keep following the path towards the right for now and it'll bring you down the trail that leads you towards Confederation Park.
The trail through Montrose Park doesn't have too much going on as it's mostly covered with trees with small plants growing off to the side, but our dog seems to enjoy the walk enough. There aren't even places to really stop to enjoy the view by the water and aside from the people you'll meet along the path, it is mostly quiet for the duration of the trail. The stretch through Montrose Park is about 1.5km and takes about 30 minutes to go there and back. We normally turn around at a small neighbourhood park (McGill Park) towards the end of the trail, but you can definitely choose to keep going into Confederation Park.
What we liked
It's low-event and quiet. For reactive dogs, sometimes this is just what we need.
What we didn't like
The parking's not great. It's parking along the road, but there's plenty of it.
You're going to have to double back and take the same trail back.
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
If you're looking for a low-event walk in the park, this is the trail for you. The paths are wide and they're generally not very busy either. Aside from the trail, there isn't really much else going on in the way of amenities or even viewpoints. Alternatively, if you're looking for something different in this area, we'd recommend checking out the treehouse (which is unfortunately closed at the time of this writing)! You can go up and sit inside, but you won't be able to bring your dog since you have to climb a ladder.
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.
