West Dyke Trail
Markus balancing on the logs that must have been washed up a long time ago
One of the neat things about Richmond is that it is surrounded mostly by water on all sides. No matter where you are, you don't have to go very far to take a walk along the water. Starting from River Road near the Richmond Olympic Oval running all the way to the back of Ironwood by the Massey Tunnel, there is a trail that runs around the outer edge of Richmond. Whether you're looking for a trail to spend an afternoon or a short walk after dinner, the Dyke Trail is a great place to do it.
In the past, we've covered sections of this trail including the Middle Arm Trail by River Road near the Richmond Olympic Oval. Starting from Garry Point, we've also gone north along the West Dyke Trail and east along the South Dyke Trail as well. This time around, we decided to start midway along the West Dyke Trail toward the left-most top corner of Richmond by Terra Nova.
About the West Dyke Trail
Length: 1.9km
Traffic: Moderate
Route Type: Out & Back
The entire Dyke Trail is about 20km long and it traces around the outer rim of Richmond. The trail is accessible basically from anywhere you can find parking along the path and it is split up into multiple sections. The stretch from River Road (starting around Aberdeen) runs all the way past the Richmond Olympic Oval to Terra Nova. This stretch is called the Middle Arm Trail. The West Dyke Trail picks up around the beginning of Terra Nova and turns a corner and starts to head down towards Garry Point, passing through most of Richmond along the way.
From Garry Point, the Dyke Trail's not as clear. While the rest of the trail has been a single dedicated path, the South Dyke Trail is more of a mix between trails with quiet roads and it runs all the way to the back of Ironwood. Although it's quiet during most times, sections of the South Dyke Trail are broken up by roads that are meant for cars, so we don't necessarily recommend doing this stretch with dogs.
Markus walking along the quiet and slightly dusty West Dyke Trail
To be quite honest, the walk along the West Dyke Trail isn't much. From the map, it might appear that the trail runs along the water - and yes, we did mention a walk along the water in the intro, but this stretch on the west side is actually along grassland. While the rest of the trail mostly follows water, the entirety of the West Dyke Trail has grass that goes so far out that you can't even really see the water from where the path. If you're hoping to catch a view of the water, you'll have to head to one of the corners at Garry Point Park or Terra Nova.
For our walk, we parked and started towards the end of Blundell Rd. Do note that there isn't an actual parking lot and that you'll have to find parking in the neighbourhood on the road. There's a small path next to Quilchena Golf & Country Club that'll take you onto West Dyke Trail and from there, we headed north along it toward Terra Nova.
Markus looking out towards the grasslands to see if there’s prey to be found
This path follows the length of the golf course and you'll hear the satisfactory cracking sound of golf balls getting hit from a distance. We walked along this trail for about the length of two blocks until it turned a corner towards the end of Westminster Hwy. At this spot next to the Grauer Lands, there are a few picnic tables. Since it was a warm day, we paused for a few minutes to let our dog catch his breath and some water before making our way back to where we started.
If this trail wasn't quite long enough for you, you can choose to do some deeper trails by Terra Nova. If you check out the area on a map, you'll find that there are smaller loops that you can take to extend your walk just a little bit longer.
What we liked
Although it was moderately busy with runners, cyclists and other dogs, it was all pretty spread out.
What we didn't like
There's not much to see along the West Dyke Trail as it is mostly just grasslands.
We had quite a bit of dust kicked up while we were on this trail.
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
While there isn't much to see along this walk, it also wasn't too busy and that is always good for reactive dogs. That said, even though the rule explicitly says that dogs need to be kept on leash, there were a few dogs that weren't. Although the paths are wide enough to pass by the other dogs, it is a single straight path with tall grass and a ditch on either side, so it's not the easiest to step off the path if you needed to. In our case, we had an off-leash dog separate from its owner and was following close behind us, which wasn't the most comfortable for us.
In terms of traffic, the walk was surprisingly busy for a Sunday evening. Along with the number of people walking on the trail, there were quite a few runners and cyclists as well. The people on the path were respectful to one another, but make sure to keep your head up in case a cyclist is whizzing by.
As a whole, you can probably find a different section of this trail to visit that's a bit more interesting, especially if you're looking for something with a view. If you're seeking something quieter, we'd recommend checking out the section of the trail by Terra Nova as opposed to Garry Point Park.
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.
