Park overview
Located just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Mount Seymour Park has been enjoyed by generations of Lower Mainland residents. The park offers viewpoints overlooking the city of Vancouver, Mount Baker, and east over Indian Arm Park.
There are opportunities for bird and wildlife viewing, and four areas for day-use picnicking are available. There are several lakes in the park. Elsay Lake is the largest. Its waters and those of De Pencier, Gopher, and Goldie drain eastward to Indian Arm. Some of the smaller lakes and ponds feed their waters west to the Seymour River.
You will find many trails of various lengths and difficulty. Lower mountain trails are used extensively by mountain bikers and hikers, while upper mountain trails are for hiking only. Winter trails are put in place each year. The park offers extensive winter recreation facilities including skiing, snowshoeing, and a supervised snow-play area operated by Mt Seymour Resort.
There are impressive views of the Lower Mainland, the Fraser Valley, and Mount Baker from the Deep Cove lookout parking lot and from the parking lots and pull-outs near the top of the mountain.
Advisories
Dates of operation
Park status:
Open
The park gate is open year-round
- Facility type
- Wilderness camping
- Main operating season
- 2023: Year-round
- Winter season
- Limited services
Safety info
Trail conditions report [PDF] (April 25, 2022)
The mountainous backcountry is extremely rugged and unforgiving, and weather can change suddenly. Prepare for backcountry and winter travel by visiting our backcountry guide and winter safety page.
Campfires are not allowed. Bring a camp stove for cooking.
If you are parking overnight, Mt Seymour Resorts Ltd. requests that you post emergency contact information, including departure and expected return time, in a visible location on the dashboard of your vehicle.
Camping
Free day-use passes
Day-use vehicle passes are required in lots P1 and Lower P5 daily from December 14, 2023, to January 7, 2024. They are required only on weekends and holidays from January 8 to March 31, 2024.
For details, visit the day-use passes page.
Wilderness camping is permitted north of Brockton Point. Specific sites are not designated. Choose locations carefully to avoid environmental damage.
Campfires are not allowed. Bring a camp stove for cooking.
There are no fees for wilderness camping.
For trail information, see the hiking section.
For maps, see park and activity maps.
Parking
If you're camping in the backcountry in the summer season, you must park in lot P2.
If you're camping in the backcountry in the winter, you must park in lot P1. Free day-use vehicle passes may be required to use this lot in the winter. Visit the day-use passes page for details.
If you are parking overnight, Mt Seymour Resorts Ltd. requests that you post emergency contact information, including departure and expected return time, in a visible location on the dashboard of your vehicle.
For a parking lot map, see park and activity maps.
Winter wilderness camping is permitted north of Brockton Point. Specific sites are not designated. Choose locations carefully to avoid environmental damage and be prepared for all weather conditions.
Campfires are not allowed. Bring a camp stove for cooking.
There are no fees for winter camping.
For trail information, see the hiking section.
For maps, see park and activity maps.
Parking
If you are camping in the backcountry in the winter, you must park in lot P1. Free day-use vehicle passes may be required to use this lot in the winter. Visit the day-use passes page for details.
If you are parking overnight, Mt Seymour Resorts Ltd. requests that you post emergency contact information, including departure and expected return time, in a visible location on the dashboard of your vehicle.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for this park.
Free day-use vehicle passes may be required to visit in the winter. Visit the day-use passes page for details.
Check the trail conditions report before heading out.
Baden Powell trailhead
This area provides parking for about seven vehicles. There are two picnic tables under the forest canopy on the east side of the road. Access includes a steep incline. There is one pit toilet and an information kiosk with a park map.
Vancouver picnic area
There are three tables available, as well as a pit toilet and park information shelter. Expect this area to be very busy throughout the year.
Deep Cove lookout
Deep Cove lookout is a popular destination for great views west toward the Fraser Valley and Mount Baker. Facilities include a pit toilet, park information shelter, and parking for approximately 15 vehicles. There are no picnic tables at this site.
Mount Seymour trailhead
This area at the end of Mount Seymour Road includes information kiosks at the base of Mt Seymour Resort controlled recreation area. Flush toilets are available, as well as a cafeteria, telephone, and change rooms. In the summer, picnic tables are set in a grassy area just north of the parking lot.
For maps, see park and activity maps.
Pit and flush toilets are located throughout the park.
Activities
Mount Seymour Park has 14 hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulty. See trailhead information below. For trail descriptions, see the Mount Seymour Park: Hiking page.
For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Taking shortcuts destroys plant life and soil structure.
Free day-use vehicle passes may be required to visit in the winter. Visit the day-use passes page for details.
Check the trail conditions report before heading out.
For hiking trail maps, see park and activity maps.
For more information on winter hiking, see the winter recreation section.
Mount Seymour trailhead
Located at the end of Mount Seymour Road, this trailhead offers access to the upper-mountain trails. The park information kiosk at the base of the Mt Seymour Resort controlled recreation area (CRA) contains a map, summer and winter trail updates, and an avalanche advisory bulletin in winter. Flush toilets are available as well as a cafeteria, telephone, and change rooms.
If you are visiting from November to April and you are not using the CRA, but wish to enjoy the backcountry, use parking lots P1 and P5. Overnight parking is permitted in parking lot P1.
This video provides in-depth visual planning resources to help you make informed decisions and stay safe along Mount Seymour Trail.
Old Buck trailhead
This trailhead provides parking for the lower-mountain trails. Trails from this spot vary in length and continue to the top of the mountain. A pit toilet, information board, and park map are located near the park entrance on the west side of the road.
Baden Powell trailhead
This area provides parking for about seven vehicles to access the Baden Powell trail. There is one pit toilet and an information kiosk with a park map.
Deep Cove lookout
Deep Cove lookout is a popular destination for great views west toward the Fraser Valley and Mount Baker. There is access to the upper-mountain trails from this area via Perimeter Trail, as well as access to the Upper Old Buck Trail. Facilities include a pit toilet, park information shelter, and parking for approximately 15 vehicles.
Swimming is permitted in park lakes.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Elsay Lake can be fished but is not stocked. Access is by the Elsay Lake Trail only. For trail details, see the hiking section.
Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting page.
Mt Seymour Resorts Ltd. offers interpretative spring, autumn, and summer programs for both adults and children.
For prices and availability, contact the park operator.
Pets must be leashed throughout your visit and are not allowed in park buildings. Signs are posted and fines are issued for pets off their leash. You must always be in control of your pets and dispose of their excrement in the wastebins provided.
Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets. Pets can disturb sensitive ecosystems and could provoke bear attacks.
To learn more about visiting parks with your pet, see the responsible recreation page.
Mountain biking is permitted only on designated trails within the park boundary. Trails are shown on the kiosks at each day-use area. BC Parks issues fines for riding outside designated trails, and for constructing illegal trails.
Mountain biking is not allowed on any other trail that is not specifically designated for mountain bike use. Specifically, mountain biking is not allowed on the following trails:
- Upper Old Buck
- Mount Seymour Main
- Perimeter
- Goldie Lake
- Flower Lake
- Mystery Lake
- Old Cabin
- Dinky Peak
Bike helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
For trail maps, see park and activity maps.
Horseback riding is allowed on the Old Buck Trail from the Old Buck parking lot to the Historic Mushroom parking lot. However, it is not recommended, due to high levels of mountain bike use.
You may need a free day-use parking pass to visit Mount Seymour Park in the winter. See the day-use passes page for details.
For maps, see park and activity maps.
Before visiting, learn about winter safety in the backcountry.
Winter backcountry trails
Between mid-December and March 31 each year, BC Parks installs two winter backcountry ski-tour routes (up-tracks). Both routes begin at the park kiosk at the north end of parking lot P4, near Mystery Peak chairlift. The latest trail conditions and avalanche hazard ratings are posted at the kiosk. Snowshoers, backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and hikers can use the backcountry trails throughout the season.
Navigate using the marker poles (orange bamboo, red plastic). Follow safe practices and always carry appropriate gear.
The Mount Seymour Backcountry Access Trail takes you to the saddle between first and second pump and offers great views. The trail is 7 km return and the trail rating is moderate to difficult, depending on snow conditions. Return time is three hours on skis, four hours on snowshoes.
The First Lake Trail has very little elevation gain, and loops out to the lake, then intersects with the Mount Seymour Trail to bring you back down to the parking lot. This trail is rated easy to moderate, depending on snow conditions. Return time is one-and-a-half hours on skis, two hours on snowshoes.
For trail maps, see park and activity maps.
Mt Seymour ski resort
Mt Seymour Resort operates skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, and tobogganing within an 81-hectare controlled recreation area (CRA) in Mount Seymour Park.
The resort has 39 runs (12 for night skiing), dedicated snowshoe trails, and five parking lots.
The resort has one high-speed quad chair, two double chairs, and a beginner-friendly magic carpet, offering a wide range of terrain. Ski and snowboard school, snowshoe tours, and ski and snowboard rentals are also available. The resort has a licensed restaurant and cafeteria in the Three Peaks Lodge, located at parking lot 4, and a café in the Enquist Lodge, at parking lot 2. All restaurants offer a wide selection of meals and refreshments.
Tobogganing is only allowed in designated areas defined in the CRA, operated by Mt Seymour Resorts Ltd. These areas are located near parking lot 2.
For more information on Mt Seymour Resort, visit www.mtseymour.ca or call 604-986-2261.
Parking
If you are recreating within the Mt Seymour Resort CRA, you must have a valid ski lift, snowshoeing, or other Mt Seymour Resort pass. Park in parking lots P2, P3, P4, and Upper P5. For full resort parking details, visit the Mt Seymour Resort website.
If you are visiting the backcountry outside the Mt Seymour Resort CRA, park in parking lots P1 and Lower P5. You may need a free day-use parking pass to use these lots in the winter. Visit the day-use passes page for details.
Overnight parking is allowed in parking lot P1. If you are parking overnight, Mt Seymour Resort requests that you post emergency contact, departure, and expected return information in a visible location on the dashboard of your vehicle.
For maps of the CRA boundaries and parking lots, see park and activity maps.
The entrance to Mount Seymour Park is on Mount Seymour Road, just north of Mount Seymour Parkway in North Vancouver. It is 15 km northeast of downtown Vancouver via the Second Narrows Bridge and Mount Seymour Parkway. The closest communities are Deep Cove, North Vancouver, and Lynn Valley.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: January 31, 1936
- Size: 3,509 hectares
Park contact
Sea to Sky Park Services Ltd.
604-986-9371
info@seatoskyparks.com
seatoskyparks.com
Nature and culture
History
Established in 1936, the park was named for Frederick Seymour, Governor of British Columbia from 1864 to 1869. Although the first documented climb of Mount Seymour was made in 1908 by a party from the BC Mountaineering Club, Mount Seymour was virtually unknown to most of the settler residents of Vancouver and vicinity until the late 1920s. In 1929, members of the Alpine Club of Canada explored the mountain as a potential skiing area and the following year applied for a 21-year lease covering the primary skiing terrain. The depression years forced the club to drop the lease. In 1984, the controlled recreation area and its facilities were awarded to Mt Seymour Resorts Ltd. under a park-use permit.
Conservation
The park lies in the coastal western hemlock and mountain hemlock bio-geoclimatic zones. Below 1,000 m, old-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar are interspersed with second-growth coniferous and deciduous trees and a variety of shrubs. At 1,000 m and above, forest cover is mostly amabilis fir, yellow cedar, and mountain hemlock. Some of the higher meadows are cloaked with sub-alpine flowers, providing colourful early-summer displays.
Wildlife
A variety of large and small mammals inhabit the park. Coyotes and deer are often seen close to the access road. Black bears, bobcats, or cougars may be sighted in the backcountry. Bears, cougars, and bobcats are wild animals and should never be approached, offered food, or tormented.
Among the smaller species and birds to be found in the park are varying hare, Douglas squirrel, and pine marten. The Canada jay, identified by its raucous call and social manners, is a frequent visitor to hikers’ lunching spots. Other indigenous birds include the raven, Steller’s jay (the official bird of British Columbia), chickadee, kinglet, sapsucker, grouse, and siskin. During their annual fall migration, several species of hawks may be spotted.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.