Burnaby Mountain Park

Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, BC is a striking and iconic part of the Burnaby skyline. It stands alone separated from the other North Shore mountains by Burrard Inlet.

Originally used by the Indigenous Coast Salish Peoples as a harvesting area, hikers eventually began to frequent Burnaby Mountain. Burnaby Mountain officially became a park in 1957 and a recreation area was created. In 1995, the City of Burnaby declared the site to be a conservation area.

There are 28 trails covering Burnaby Mountain, which can be accessed from the park and from the Simon Fraser University grounds. Some of the mountain terrain is dangerous, so never leave the trails to go out of bounds.
Two of the most beautiful lookout points are easily accessed right from the parking lot at Burnaby Mountain Park. In fact, the parking lot itself provides a panoramic view of Vancouver, Burnaby, and other cities across the Lower Mainland.

The other great viewpoint is located past the Mintara Restaurant and Rose Garden. Simply walk over to the fence and then make your way up the paved trail a very short distance until you can see between the trees to the water below. This body of water you can see is the Burrard Inlet. The viewpoint along the fence allows you to see Indian Arm. This part of the inlet separates North Vancouver from Port Moody and Belcarra.

Burnaby Mountain Park provides the most unique vantage points for viewing the Lower Mainland. Another unique aspect of the park is the Playground of the Gods, known in Japanese as Kamui Mintara. This large wooden sculpture was built by Ainu master woodcarver Toko Nupuri and his son in 1990.

The Ainu are the Indigenous peoples of Japan. Toko Nupuri combined the mythology of his people with the aesthetics of the totems of the Indigenous First Peoples of British Columbia. Kamui Mintara is set on a slope, enhancing its beauty against the backdrop of the big sky and sparkling cityscape below.

Burnaby Mountain Park is well worth a visit. Bring a picnic and spend the afternoon here lazing about in the grassy slopes or hiking through the lush forested areas.

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Next in this series about points of interest in Burnaby City, check out REVS Bowling & Entertainment