Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area

Bear safety

The summer months are high season for black bears in Burnaby, including our parks and trails.

If you are close enough that a bear has noticed you, do not approach or turn your back on the bear.
Back away slowly or make a wide detour.
If a bear is being aggressive or there is ongoing danger, call the BC Conservation Service 24-hour hotline at 1-877-952-7277.

Enjoy breathtaking views, Burrard Inlet and the Vancouver skyline high atop the mountain

About Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area

Located 20 minutes east of Vancouver and home to Simon Fraser University, you'll find scenic views (especially at sunset), picnic and play areas, and trails primarily for walking and hiking through a conservation area on this 576 hectare (1,423 acre) mountain paradise.

The park's steep slopes are home to deciduous and coniferous trees, black tail deer, coyotes, bald eagles and smaller animals. Please be aware that black bears and cougars are occasional visitors to the creeks and streams near the forest trails.

Bring your camera to capture the changing seasons–occasional snowfalls turn the park into a winter wonderland.

Features

Our mountain trails, including the Velodrome “Grind”, are popular destinations all year round. View the Velodrome trail route and visit our Burnaby Mountain conservation area trails page to learn more about all our trails.

And a note to mountain bikers–ride the trail only when it's dry. That will protect the trail and lessen the chances of damaging the areas around it.

Please note: Velodrome trail closed due to dirt erosion and the aging of the wood steps. The closed section of trail includes the entirety of the "stair area" between Mountain Air Trail and the top of Pandora Trail. The trail is currently closed indefinitely while our staff creates a plan for restoring the area. Thank you for your understanding!

Our playground and picnic areas are located on the upper slope near the parking lot and park attractions.

Easily accessible from the main parking lot on Burnaby Mountain, the Centennial Rose Garden features over 900 fragrant and colourful rose bushes.

Interested in having your wedding ceremony here? Check out our venue rentals page for details.

Towering over the distant city are the Kamui Mintara (Playground of the Gods) sculptures. At sunset, these carved wooden poles—more than a dozen in all—are etched dramatically against the skyline.

The poles were created by Ainu sculptors Nuburi and son Shusei Toko, members of Japan's aboriginal people. Kamui Mintara is a symbol of the goodwill between Burnaby and its sister city, Kushiro, Japan.

Interested in having your wedding ceremony here? Check out our venue rentals page for details.

Located atop Burnaby Mountain, Mintara is a beautifully elegant setting, surrounded by the gorgeous rose garden, lush hills and jaw-dropping urban landscapes.

Check out the restaurant and wedding and event space on foodburnaby.ca.

In the spring and summer months, you'll see our park's Eco-sculpture. It's made entirely of plants—12,000 in all—growing over metal frames.

Long a harvesting site for the Coast Salish peoples and first logged in 1903, Burnaby Mountain became a popular hiking area in the 1920s and an official park and recreation area in 1957. When nearby Simon Fraser University opened in the mid-1960s, it transferred 820 acres of its land to the City to become a conservation area in 1995.

This helpful brochure features a detailed map of the entire park, its trails and attractions. View online in English, Chinese or Korean.

Please keep your dog on a leash at all times to keep it safe (especially in steep areas), out of streams and on the trails—and thank you in advance for picking up after your dog.

What you need to know

Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area isn't just a park, it's an area designated to protect forests, wetlands, plant life, wildlife and water. Please take a moment to review these tips–they'll keep you safe and preserve our park's forest trails.

Be prepared to share trails with walkers, runners, hikers and cyclists. Pedestrians have right-of-way–always stay to the right and pass others on the left.
If you're wearing headphones while on our trails, keep the volume at a level where you can hear people or animals approaching.
Our park's trails go through steep and rugged terrain. It's extremely important that you stay on the trails and out of the out-of-bounds areas.
View our Wildlife in Burnaby page so you know what to do if you see a bear or a cougar on the trail.
During severe weather, trail conditions can change quickly and without notice–in high winds, please leave the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area immediately.
Enjoy clean air at your favourite public park. Smoking has been banned in all City parks and multi-use paths since January 1, 2022.

Accessibility

The attractions near the parking lot are accessible by wheelchair, as are some of the trails. There's also a 6-kilometre paved urban trail that follows the northeast side of the park from Drummond's Walk (near the Harry Jerome Sports Complex) all the way to Lougheed Town Centre.