Dog Mountain, Seymour Mountain, North Vancouver, BC

Seth from England writes:

I should add after watching the video posted that if you go when there is no snow this is a lot harder than you might expect as it is very rooty. Just be prepared for that as those who are less mobile might see it listed as easy and will probably have a harder time with it.

Posted: September 18, 2011 10:31:32 PM PST

Seth from Somewhere in England writes:

Just hiked this today. Was a really fun hike and not too difficult. We ended up getting there quite late so didn't have a lot of time at the lookout point as wanted to get back before it got too dark. There wasn't any snow and it was very easy to know which way to go.

Strange occurrence at the end when we were met by a single big raven that watched us then followed us part of the way back. The mist and impending darkness made this a very eery experience.

Posted: September 18, 2011 10:22:41 PM PST

Chris from Burnaby writes:

Tried this trail on Sept 11, 2011. I wouldn't say it is an easy one. The trail is quite rocky. A lot of trees and bushes are in the way of the trail, and they need to be trimmed down.
The most annoying part there were a lot of flies and mosquitoes bugged us non-stop.

Posted: September 12, 2011 01:29:26 PM PST

Adrian from North Vancouver writes:

Hiked this route Labour Day, early morning around 9am. Beautiful !

Trail is almost completely dry, very few muddy patches and those few that are easy to skirt around.

Still buggy though. Lots of small flies/mosquitoes. I'm sure in previous years there weren't so many around this time of year ?

Lovely morning walk on a sunny day though and the dog loves swimming in First Lake.

Posted: September 6, 2011 02:09:21 PM PST

mahsa from Vancouver writes:

We hiked this trail in july. It was not an easy one at all. There was still a lot of SNOW and the rest of it was muddy. It was actually frustrating for us to climb up that much snow.
I have to say the look out at the end of the trail was spectacular.

Posted: July 25, 2011 10:47:52 PM PST

Chris from Langley writes:

We hiked this today. There is still quite a lot of snow, but it's melting. As a result, sometimes your foot will go all the way down to your hip through the deep snow. I'd recommend that you wear Goretex hiking boots with warm wool socks. I was in shorts and every time my foot would fall down through the snow it scraped up my leg quite badly. There is some brush/trees that also need trimming along the trail that will scratch up your legs, so do wear pants even if it's warm. The view was spectacular at the top and it took us about 45 minutes to hike there. I slipped into a little stream on the slippery rocks and slid on the snow a few times in running shoes. Dress properly and you'll have a blast.

Posted: July 10, 2011 10:26:49 PM PST

Alexandria from Vancouver writes:

Thanks for your feedback. I didn't go in the end, but am eager to learn when it does become passable to the end without snowshoes :-)

Posted: July 9, 2011 06:16:56 PM PST

Caitlin from Burnaby writes:

Alexandria - this is probably too late for you, but we went up on Sunday and there was still quite a bit of snow - did you end up going that day?

We went to the trail head - saw that the first little bridge was still quite snowy and decided to come back again in mid-July. There were some people snowshoeing there.

Posted: June 29, 2011 03:56:17 PM PST

Alexandria from vancouver writes:

any comments out there with more details about how much snow is still there? I'm interested in doing it today, but wondered how deep it is, at what point the snow starts, and if its passable with just regular hikers or trail shoes? It sounded like maybe you couldn't make it to the very end? Thanks

Posted: June 26, 2011 11:06:22 AM PST

Darlene Monette from surrey writes:

I just started hiking this year. The first time it took us a bit of time to get there, now I can do it in almost half the time and that is with snow. I can't wait to do it now with no snow as the view will be so different and I should be able to do it even faster.
But I think it is a good hike for a beginner just take your time.

Posted: June 26, 2011 10:40:36 AM PST

Will from Vancouver writes:

Hiked it this weekend and it was great. Still a few meters of firm snow all the way through so the path is smoother than when you're on the actual trail. Snowshoes help but no problem with just (waterproof) hiking boots. The bridge at the lake was buried by at least 3 meters but there is a crossing nearby so you don't have to wade the stream. The view is spectacular on a clear day. On the descents be careful not to slip off the trail. The softest snow seems to be near the trees so stay clear to avoid sinking deep.

Posted: May 16, 2011 01:53:54 AM PST

Mark from Vancouver writes:

We snowshoed this in mid-April. Constant small undulating hills throughout with no real sense of overall gain or loss of altitude. This took 45 minutes each way, with plenty of rests. The view from Dog Mountain is potentially quite nice, though we had fog and snow. Great experience!

Posted: April 15, 2011 12:05:44 AM PST

Patricia from North Vancouver writes:

We (two seniors) snowshoed up Dog Mountain this morning. The peace and quiet, not to mention the amazing amount of new snow, made for a magical 2-hour hike. The view of the city, always spectacular, was obscured but wonderfully "ghostly".

Posted: February 28, 2011 09:16:41 PM PST

Linda from Burnaby writes:

Dog Mountain is a really nice snowshoe hike and not too long. The weather was perfect today and there was lots of people on the trail. Great view of the city.

Posted: January 9, 2011 10:15:36 PM PST

simon from vancouver writes:

We hiked this yesterday with our two kids (10 and 6). This is no grouse mountain or lighthouse park walk in the forest. It was a real adventure for them (and us). Muddy and icy underfoot (we set off early). Slippery rocks and roots to clamber over. The trail hasn't been taken care of. Lots of careful picking your way along what seemed to just a rock filled stream of mud. We had our share of incidents. Somebody will lose a shoe. Not an easy hike in October. But a great time. We all loved it. The view was spectacular. And the adventure fun.

Posted: October 18, 2010 05:36:37 PM PST

Karlly from Vancouver writes:

hiked it on July 31st and it was pretty easy. There are lots of roots and rocks so it's good to have boots that protects your ankles. I went with two teens and they found it was easy as well. I even saw people hiking with the toddlers! View at the end was FANTASTIC! wouldn't recommend this hike after the summer months though because it will get too muddy and slippery. Its easy in the summer but would be quite a bit harder in the fall.

Posted: August 6, 2010 09:27:13 AM PST

Ben from Vancouver writes:

Hiked Dog Mountain on July 24th and it was easy, yes there are roots that stick up but really this is an easy hike. If you're looking for an alternative hike back I recommend checking out the Suicide Bluffs. The junction for Suicide Bluffs is right at the end of the Dog Mountain trail, instead of veering left and coming to the end of the trail continue straight ahead there will be a metal sign on the tree indicating this is the Suicide Bluffs trail. It also notes that it is a "rough" trail, translation there are some STEEP sections. For the most part the trail is easy with the exception of a couple of spots where you have some steep climbs where there have been cables added to make it easier. However the views are unbelievable and better than the ones provided by Dog Mountain. The trail isn't much longer and the Dog Mountain Suicide Bluff loop shouldn't take more than 2.5 hrs. The trail comes out on Mount Seymour about 1km above the start of the Dog Mountain trail

Posted: July 28, 2010 12:57:41 PM PST

S. Willett from Port Coquitlam writes:

Hiked to Dog Mountain today and it was a fairly easy hike minus the over abundance of flies. We were there at 9am and the flies were crazy. On the way back (10am) they seemed to have become less frequent. Other than that the view is fantastic and it's a good hike if you arent looking to do something too hard

Posted: July 11, 2010 05:53:56 PM PST

Carla from Richmond writes:

Did this hike yesterday. Temp on top was about 10 degrees lower than in the city so you want to make sure you dress accordingly. Still quite a bit of snow, in some parts there was about a foot of snow but its packed so you don't sink into it too much. Walking over the snow makes for some good falls as its pretty slippery. 85% of the trail was mud and at certain points its hard to avoid it. View at the end is definately like a mini chief, just don't know if going through all the mud is worth it though.

Posted: July 2, 2010 12:12:06 PM PST

Christina from Port Moody writes:

The trail is really nice and the view totally worth the walk! But still today, there was lots of snow and the walk was quite difficult. A lot of slippery roots and rocks and on top the snow, which was melting and slippery too, was quite an adventure sometimes. We also would say, the trail is definitely not easy, especially when there is still snow.

Posted: June 5, 2010 09:43:16 PM PST

Brian from Burnaby writes:

Hiked this one yesterday with a friend was totally caught off guard by all the snow but still continued on to the peak. Was quiet the adventure with still about 6ft of snow in areas. It even snowed while we were hiking on this 20th day of May 2010. Will be doing this one again in about a month. trail though is well marked and easy to follow

Posted: May 21, 2010 01:10:17 PM PST

Jenn Goodlad from Burnaby writes:

I have snowshoed this trail many times over the past few years, usually many times each season. Sometimes in the daylight, sometimes by headlamp. I think this is a wonderful trek with an amazing view over the lower mainland. What a reward! I would rate this trail as easy to medium. You can do the loop in an hour round-trip if you are in good shape and can book it. You can easily do it in two hours round-trip if you take your time. I wouldn't recommend doing this trip at night if you don't know it very well by day. However, if you do know it very well by day, it is a TON of fun at night by headlamp.

Needlesss to say, I need to do this trail in the summer to see what it all looks like without the snow!

Happy trails!!!

Posted: December 30, 2009 08:06:25 PM PST

B from North Van writes:

Very easy as in you don't have to be in great shape to do this hike, but you have to have good footing. There is tons of tripping hazards and it was very slippery (october 09)

Posted: October 3, 2009 04:21:28 PM PST

Nicole from Vancouver writes:

We did this trail on a sunny day in September 2009. We took the back trail by Suicide bluffs to return to the parking lot. This trail definitely has more ups and downs than the trail that passes First Lake. Several of the 'peaks' offer great views of the city and the trail also has great views to Grouse, The Needles and Lynn River. When the trail merged with the main Seymour trail - that returns to the parking lot - we noticed that this back trail to Dog mountain had rocks in front of it as if it were closed.I agree with previous comments that this trail is root-y and slippery and not 'easy'.

Posted: September 23, 2009 10:26:37 AM PST

Chris from Burnaby writes:

Dog Mountain is definitely NOT easy!

We are experienced hikers, but because my son is 5 years old, my wife is 5 months pregnant, and I have an injured knee, my family decided it would be a great Labor Day weekend hike based on the "easy" designation and the description. However, I would not call it "easy," and I had to hold my son's hand for many parts of the trail and had to assist my wife at times. I regret not reading the comments before we headed out.

It was raining, and after going about 20 minutes into the trail, we decided to turn back because of the very slippery roots and rocks and the uneven terrain.

That said, I would like to do this trail again when it was not so rainy, and now that we know what to expect.

Posted: September 6, 2009 03:40:07 PM PST

Robert Werner from Vancouver writes:

I took 11 people up this trail today. It was a good hike and the view from the top was most enjoyable.

But several of my friends rightfully complained that much of the trail was not "easy". It involved walking over slippery roots and rocks and some people slipped & fell on occasion.

I do think you should consider changing the hike to "Medium" difficulty or at least noting the obstacles along the way.

Posted: August 23, 2009 10:30:02 PM PST

Annie Boudreau from New Brunswick writes:

very nice trail to hike! amazing view on top of the mountain!!

Posted: August 20, 2009 09:45:26 PM PST

Malcolm from Burnaby writes:

June 14 - The trail does still have some snow, but it should keep you from hiking it. It's usually pretty clear where to go, and how to get around the patches. Lovely view at the end, and lots of great break-out sections in the forest. Well worth the trip!

Posted: June 14, 2009 09:01:50 PM PST

Jeffrey Ai from Burnaby writes:

Tried the trail on June 7, 2009. The trail is still almost covered by snow. It's very hard to find the trail head. We did see some snow holes, so we feel unsafe to continue and abort it after about 200m.

Posted: June 9, 2009 10:50:49 PM PST

jeff from vancouver writes:

Yes, this is a short, but beautiful hike. To add interest, instead of returning the same way, continue on the trail that loops around the back alongside Suicide Bluffs. It is a bit longer, but at the end, merges again with the main Mount Seymour Trail. From here, it's not a long walk out to the parking lot. This trail provides beautiful panaramas of the mountains in behind as the trail, for the most part, follows along the bluffs. It's a good, well-worn trail, but there are a few areas that have ropes to help get you up and over the exposed root inclines. (my dog had no problem). Enjoy.

Posted: May 3, 2009 12:49:12 PM PST

Shasta Rees from Vancouver writes:

This is a great trail to do if you're looking for a short hike. You can go up in the morning and hang out for a while at the peak and enjoy the view and still be back in time for lunch and have the whole day ahead of you! Nice easy trail, great snowshoeing.

Posted: January 17, 2009 03:06:21 PM PST

Elisa from Vancouver writes:

One of my favourite trails to snowshoe in the winter in Vancouver. We went snowshoeing along the Dog Mt. trail after last weekend's first dump of snow and it was beautiful, with all the snow still clinging to the trees. Looking forward to trying a few more trails this winter.

Posted: December 24, 2008 01:42:15 PM PST

Rob from Vancouver BC writes:

Great trail! Not too long so take your time and enjoy the view from the top. As mentioned above it too was quite muddy but for me it hadn't rained in at least 5 days so keep this in mind if you prefer more stable terrain.

Posted: September 28, 2008 09:37:49 PM PST

Jordan McDonald from North Vancouver writes:

Nice easy trail with a spectacular view of the city. We did this hike after a few days of rain, so the trail was really muddy and the tree roots slippery. But really easy trail to follow and a great hike for those getting a late start on the day.

Posted: August 9, 2008 06:15:27 PM PST