Difficulty Easy
Time 2 hours
Round-Trip 8km
Elevation Gain minimal
Season year-round
Camping No
From Vancouver 35 minutes
Public Transit No
Dog Friendly Yes

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Iona Jetty is located in Richmond, BC, in Iona Beach Regional Park and is a 4km piece of land that juts out into the Salish Sea. The jetty was formally an island but is now connected to Sea Island and Metro Vancouver's sewage system. A pipeline runs underneath the jetty but the top is a popular path for recreational use, shared between walkers, joggers, and cyclists and offering great views of the region.

The start of the Iona Jetty is on the left side of Ferguson Road next to yellow gates and a wooden map board. Before beginning your walk, you will need to decide whether to take the lower gravel trail, usually for dogs off-leash and bikes, or the upper cement route. If you don't have a dog, the higher cement route is a bit nicer as you are higher up and have slightly nicer views. There are a few points where steps allow for easy crossover between the two trails but they can be more than a kilometre apart.

Walk past the yellow gates and walk up the stairs onto the viewing platform for a view of the Iona Regional Park area. Follow the jetty out into the sea as you veers slightly right and you pass the waves lapping along the shoreline. The route continues at this pace and doesn't really change much throughout the 4km.

You can expect to see some wildlife, depending on the time of year, including several species of shorebirds, seals, nd even salmon jumping on their return. The Vancouver International Airport is located just east of the jetty and there will be several planes landing or taking off.

Around the 2km mark, there is an outhouse on the lower gravel trail and some stairs between the two trails. There are a couple of small weather shelters located along the route too.

As you approach the end of the jetty, there is a large cement structure, which is part of the Metro Vancouver sewage system and likely some sort of pump house. If you're on the cement trail, walk down the metal stairs to the gravel and around the cement structure and continue to the end. At the end of the jetty, walk up the metal stairs to a viewing platform where you will have a spectacular view of the area on a clear day.

Return via the same route, following the Iona Jetty all the way back to the parking areas in Iona Beach Regional Park.

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The start of the Iona Jetty nearing sunset

Both the gravel trail and the raised cement trail of the Iona Jetty

Nearing the end of the Iona Jetty in Richmond, BC

The viewing platform at the end of the Iona Jetty

A view at of the Salish Sea from the end of the Iona Jetty

How to get to Iona Jetty

Estimated Driving Time from Vancouver
35 minutes

Iona Jetty is located in Richmond, BC, near Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

To get to Iona Jetty from downtown Vancouver, drive to Howe Street and turn onto the one-way street heading south. Howe Street will lead onto the Granville Street Bridge. Continue south on Granville Street for more than 6km until it merges onto Southwest Marine Drive briefly. Follow the "Airport" signs onto the Arthur Laing Bridge towards the airport.

After crossing the Arthur Laing Bridge, turn right at the first traffic light onto Ferguson Road. Follow Ferguson Road for 5km to the entrance of Iona Beach Regional Park. Continue driving but watch for the Iona Jetty on the left.

You can park along Ferguson Road in a designated parking spot or continue to the beach area and park in the parking lot.

View a map of Driving directions to Iona Jetty.

Traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish, S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Stz'uminus and šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam) and Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group..

Camping at Iona Jetty

Camping is not permitted at Iona Jetty.

Dogs at Iona Jetty

Dogs are allowed off-leash on the lower, gravel trail. Dogs are allowed on the upper trail but must be on a leash. Please pick up after your dog and throw all poop bags into the garbage bins.

Toilets at Iona Jetty

There are outhouses located near the begging of the trail, at the 2km mark, and near the end of the jetty.

Dogs, Toilets and Camping

Although we try to keep information as current as possible, www.vancouvertrails.com makes no warranty or representation as to the availability, quality, fitness for purpose, conditions or accuracy of the information provided with respect to this trail or trails. The information provided herein is further subject to our Terms of Use.