Day Trip: Buntzen Lake Port Moody

If you are looking for a Day Trip and are in the Metro Vancouver area I recommend heading to Buntzen Lake in Port Moody for a nice 4 hour stroll around the lake’s edge. Buntzen Lake is part of BCHydro’s many reservoir systems that feed into many of their hydro-electric facilities in this case into the hydro-electric facility in Port Moody. BCHydro operates these parks with no fees to the visitors. You can enjoy swims, picnics and various other outdoor activities including hiking at many of their locations.

How To Get To Buntzen Lake

Buntzen Lake is a bit interesting to get to but it is not entirely out of the way either. If you head towards Port Moody from Vancouver you would probably take Hastings which turns into the Barnet Hwy. The Barnet Hwy through Port Moody is actually St.Johns Street and when you reach Ioco Road, you will want to take a Left (there is an Esso at the corner). Follow Ioco as it turns into Heritage Mountain Boulevard which will also turn into David Avenue. Take a Left at Forest Park way for a short way and left at the first 4-way stop onto Aspenwood Drive. Aspenwood Drive turns into East Road which you follow until the end at a T-Bone intersection. Turn Right (at the Welcome to Anmore) and follow Sunnywide Road all the way into the park.

The parking lot has 4 sections to it and you do not have to pay (unlike the Provincial Parks). There are 3 main parking lots and then 1 overflow lot. Once these lots are all filled up they will turn people back at the gate. Also RCMP love to hang out at the gate and check people for Alcohol on hot sunny days. On a side note if it is hot and sunny out Buntzen can fill up quite quickly so you might want to get there early and usually before Noon.

Now I could get into the facilities they have at Buntzen but you can read those over at BCHydro’s website, but yes there are public washroom facilities available. What I want to talk about is our most recent trip to the park.

For those who have dogs, Buntzen Lake does offer an off-leash area for dogs that does have access to the lake away from the regular beach at the south end. When Robyn, Kathleen and I went there were a bunch of dogs running around chasing each other having a great time. It makes me want a dog!

When you leave the off-leash area and start on the Buntzen Lake loop trail you are greeted with a sign about Bears and Cougars and how they have been recently seen in the park. Just remember: A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear so please do not leave food around! Also remember that those Bear Bells that people use usually does not work as the frequency of the bells are not heard by Black Bears. Just make regular noise and talk to the bear if you do happen across one. If you do not sneak up on them they usually leave you alone. Please also ensure your dog is leashed or somewhat obedient so it does not decided to try and fight a bear, they usually do not win.

The trail on the east side leading north is follows the lake shore relatively closely and offers you multiple views of the lake. You will probably also pass people coming from the North beach along the way either they are hiking like you or even trail running. You will also notice the various nursing logs, salmon berries and even delicious huckleberries along the way.

Once you reach the north side of the Lake (roughly 1.5 hours from the parking lot) you are presented with another great view of Buntzen Lake. The north side of the lake offers a grassy area, a small beach along with a dock. There are also washroom facilities (outhouses), picnic tables and movie props.

Yes they have filmed numerous movies at the north end of Buntzen Lake, the two movies I recognize have been ‘Jason vs Freddy’ and ‘Lake Placid’.

Majority of people who visit Buntzen Lake rarely venture to the north side so it is usually quite quiet and peaceful. Most people who end up going to the north side are hikers or paddlers (canoe, kayak) who take the time to get to the north side. The south side is usually filled with tourists and families with screaming children.

Leaving the north end we continued west over the suspension bridge and down along the west side of the lake heading back south. This trail is relatively harder than the east side of the lake as the west side of the lake has a higher elevation gain which includes some lovely switch backs and newly redone gravel trails. One thing I dislike is walking on gravel, but I suppose it is a less expensive way of keeping the trails clear of debris.

Traveling on the west side of the lake will take you further way from the lake for a little bit until you pass the intake house and then you are on to a BCHydro maintenance road. This road is also a main route in which other trails connect up to that follow the Indian Arm.

When you get up to the floating bridge you are actually a bit further south than the Parking lot. The floating bridge used to be a wooden variety that floating just on top of the surface of the lake and marshy area. Though recently it has broken down and parts of it I do believe have sunk. You can see reminisces of the wooden floating bridge as they left parts of it in the lake.

The new floating bridge is metal and looks out of place. They also built up either side of the bridge with rocks and metal fencing which really takes away from the area but I suppose they will not have any more troubles with anything sinking.

Once across the bridge it is about another 10 minutes back towards the parking lot. A few more signs warning hikers that a bear and cougar have been spotted in the area and divert us closer to the overfill parking lot.

It took roughly 4 hours to complete the lake look which includes stopping to take photos along the way. Once we got back to the parking lot it was almost completely full with cars following people back to their parking spots in order to park once they other people left.

If you are looking for a nice walk in the woods with some beautiful scenery along the way, or want to hang out at the beach, sun or go swimming, I do recommend checking out Buntzen Lake on a sunny day. Just remember to head out there a bit earlier to ensure you get a parking spot.