The best traffic-free bike rides in Burnaby Lake Regional Park

Montrose Park sits perched on the steep bluffs of the Burrard Inlet with great views. Some sights you can see are elevated views of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and the Second Narrows Rail Bridge, and the rail bridge will sometimes lift into the air to let large cargo ships pass underneath. This waterway is also a bus shipping lane of the inner Burrard Inlet, dotted with terminals, tugboats, and container ships that fuel Vancouver's port. The Trans Canada Trail cuts through the park as a flat gravel path. This path is open to walking or biking two kilometres east directly into Confederation Park, passing through thick second-growth forests and over small creeks.

From this point in Bates Park is an elevated viewpoint over two bridges, the newer Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing and the older Second Narrows Rail Bridge. The viewpoint is closer to the older bridge that was built in 1925 and once carried both trains and automobiles.

təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park sits covers 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) and offers a mix of beaches, shaded trails, and calm lake swimming. You can explore cool, mossy glades beneath towering trees, wander shoreline paths, or head inland to Sasamat Lake, known for its warm summer water and family‑friendly beaches. The parks name, given by the Tsleil‑Waututh Nation, means “the biggest place for all the people,” and the land still holds a high place in their history and culture.

On the east side of the bridge’s northern end, near the base of the bridge is a memorial to honor 27 workers who lost their lives on June 17, 1958, when a section of the original Second Narrows Bridge collapsed during construction.

A nice monument to workers who lost their lives.

The Seymour River Suspension Bridge was completed and opened in December 2018. This made it possible to walk the Fisherman's Trail (North) all the way through again. After the former Twin Bridges had to be demolished in 2014 following a rockslide and damming of the Seymour River, there was no longer a crossing at this point in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. The Twin Bridges were originally built in 1908 to carry pipelines and were later supplemented by a parallel pedestrian bridge. Years later, the two bridges were combined to form one bridge. https://www.vancouvertrails.com/blog/seymour-river-suspension-bridge/

The trail that runs through the Seymour Demonstration Forest, or the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (https://metrovancouver.org/services/regional-parks/park/lower-seymour-conservation-reserve), is probably the most pleasant car-free paved trail in the Vancouver area. From the gazebo at the Rice Lake entrance to the gate at Seymour Dam, the path is 11 km long, with gentle rolling hills and curves. There are washrooms and a drinking fountain near the Rice Lake entrance. It is sometimes a few degrees chillier on this trail, even on a hot summer day, due to the trees, the elevation, and the valley that can trap a pocket of cool air. Cautions: - The road to the park is gated, and therefore inaccessible to cars, at night. - Throttle-actuated bikes are prohibited on the trail. - The trail has multiple speed gates with flexible bollards. - Since much of the trail is off-limits to cars and also out of range of cell phone service, be sure that your bike is in good working order, and that you are able to handle any likely mechanical issues. - Bears roam the area. (https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/glad-to-be-alive-man-t-bones-bear-while-cycling-in-north-vancouver-7015380)

This pedestrian and bicycle bridge crosses the Seymour River and is part of the region's network of trails and roads. Opened in 2018, the bridge is a modern structure designed to improve access and connectivity to surrounding natural areas, such as Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve Regional Park and Inter River Park. As well as being an attractive spot for walkers and cyclists, the bridge offers panoramic views of the river and its natural surroundings.