TOP 5 dog friendly beginner hikes in Metro Vancouver (with a view)

Kiki
Apr 26, 2023
3 min read

Looking for a place to start hiking with your dog? I know that it can get overwhelming when you are just starting to hike. As much as it’s super tempting to do the popular hikes you see on social media, it’s always best to ease your dog (and yourself!) into hiking. Mason and I have been hiking since he was a puppy and we slowly eased ourselves into getting outdoors. We started with easy and beginner friendly hikes to get comfortable with the activity. It’s important to get used to being outdoors in the wild with your pup before you start doing longer hikes.

BEFORE YOU GO

Make sure to always have the 10 essentials and tell someone where you are going!
Always check conditions before you go! Look at the weather conditions and read up on recent reports online. A good place to look is the comment section on all trails.
Ensure that your dog has basic training if you plan on keeping them on leash. Make sure you know how they will react to wild animals. There was an unfortunate incident where a dog saw a squirrel, managed to slip out of their collar and chased it off a cliff. You do not want your dog running or even pulling you to chase after animals!
If you are planning to have your dogs off-leash, make sure they have 100% recall. Good dog etiquette is to keep your dog within eye distance and to leash your dog when passing other dogs on leash/ if there are other wildlife nearby.
I highly recommend microspikes if you are hiking in the winter! It will make your hike more enjoyable and prevent accidental slips.
Download the all trails map before you go! Some areas have no or limited cell reception and don’t rely on being able to load the map when you’re on your hike.
Never search the hike on google maps and hit go! I’ve made this mistake before and ended up lost in the wrong area. Always go to all trails and hit direction. This will give you the most accurate location on where to go. As always, read reviews for potential closures.

Here are my 5 favourite beginner and dog friendly hikes

in Metro Vancouver

Click the AllTrails link to read more details about the hike!

Golden Ears Lower Gold Creek Falls

Where: Maple Ridge

Time needed: 2 hours

Distance: 5.5km Elevation: 92m

Leash requirement: on-leash for the first kilometer

Cell reception: mostly no

AllTrails Link

Note: Make sure to leash your dog when you get to the falls. The water can be fast flowing and might sweep your dog away if they fall in the water.

Bowen Lookout

NOTE: will be snow/winter conditions from October – June)

Where: West Vancouver

Time: 1 hour

Distance: 4.3km Elevation: 150m

Leash requirement: on-leash

Cell reception: yes

AllTrails Link

Note: the winter route is a little different than the all trails route since the ski resort will be in operation. Drive as far into the road as you can and park. Walk towards the ski resort (as if you were going skiing). Follow the green round backcountry signs past the ski runs. You can always ask a Cypress staff member if you are unsure!