Trout Lake Park (John Hendry Park)
Markus looking up from the colours of fall at Trout Lake Park
About Trout Lake Park (John Hendry Park)
Located near one of the busiest intersections in Vancouver, Trout Lake Park (or John Hendry Park) is tucked in about a 10-minute walk away from Commercial and Broadway. As one of two major lakes (with Beaver Lake being the other one) in the immediate Vancouver area, Trout Lake is an oasis that sits in one of Vancouver's busiest areas.
The park is located in the middle of a neighbourhood and it has a great community feel to it. The lake itself is next to a community centre, a softball field, courts and playgrounds. There are some activities around the lake and because this is a dog blog, we'll go into the things you can do with your dog.
Most of the activity around Trout Lake happens on the two ends of the lake. On the one end, there is a beach where people like to lie and enjoy the sun. Dogs aren't allowed on this beach, so you'll likely want to make your way to the other end of the beach where there is an unfenced off-leash dog park.
Going Around the Park
We normally start from the parking lot by Trout Lake Community Centre where there's always been a lot of parking. From there, we follow the path around the lake, which takes about 20 minutes or so. Be warned that depending on the weather, these paths can get pretty muddy.
From the parking lot and once you start making your way along the lake, we'll go clockwise. The first thing you're going to hit is the off-leash dog area, but you might not know it because there aren't really signs suggesting it. If you're coming here just for the dog park, there's parking right off of the off-leash area here.
This space here is pretty large and it also leads into the lake where some dogs go swimming. It needs to be mentioned that there have been E. coli warnings in the lake at certain times of the year, so if you're planning to bring your dog into the lake (or even go in yourself), make sure to double check the status.
If your dog is reactive, be aware that this area is unfenced and dogs regularly go in and out of the area. You might want to take a wider turn around the lake as you get closer to here.
As you keep working around the lake, there are plenty of grass and trees, which is especially stunning at the beginning of fall with all of its colours. Keep following the path and you'll eventually hit the other end of the lake where there is a "human" beach. Dogs aren't allowed on the sand, so keep this in mind before you start to run through it.
When you keep following the path, the Community Centre, the playground and the softball fields are there. This closes the loop around the lake and you'll end up back at the parking lot where you began!
What we liked
There aren't many lakes in the immediate Vancouver area, so this being one of them makes this park uniquely beautiful.
The park has been fairly quiet but with a lot of dogs during the times we've gone.
There's always lots of parking (but we have yet to come when there's a softball game).
What we didn’t like
The path around the lake is not quite long enough for us. It's kind of the equivalent of a short walk for us. Since the off-leash area is unfenced, we can't let Markus off to burn off more energy.
Dogs run in and out of the off-leash dog area, which always stresses Markus out.
Our Recommendation For Reactive Dogs
Trout Lake Park isn't a bad place to visit if your dog is reactive because of how open and wide the park is. If your dog's not good with off-leash dogs approaching, then I would highly recommend you to avoid the off-leash area or at the very least, take a wide turn.
Since the area isn't fenced and there aren't very distinct borders, dogs run in and out of the area as they please. I've also found that owners still keep their dogs off-leash outside of the designated area so if your dog's not comfortable, either avoid the main paths or the park altogether.
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.
