Dog Mountain

June 19, 2024

Distance: 4.8km round-trip

Elevation gain: 165m

Time required: 2 hours total

Dog Mountain is a very popular trail located in Mount Seymour Provincial Park. Dog Mountain is aptly named as many people take their dogs on this trail. For a relatively short hike, it offers a nice view of the Burrard Inlet and North Shore.

I have hiked Dog Mountain more times that I can count. My seasonal job requires me to patrol it almost every week. I know every inch of the trail by heart. Yet despite (or perhaps because of) hiking it every week, I hadn't actually taken any pictures of the view. I finally did that this week for the purposes of adding it to my blog.

The trail is well-marked and easy and follow. It has a little bit of undulating elevation gain and loss. It passes by First Lake on the way to the viewpoint, which is more of a pond than a lake. The viewpoint isn't actually a mountain itself, despite it being named Dog Mountain, but a rock bluff.

Overlooking the Burrard Inlet and surrounding cities of Burnaby, Vancouver, and North Vancouver from the rock bluff that is Dog Mountain

Snow persists on sections of the trail until late June. As of the current time of writing, the snow has melted and the trail is now fully clear of snow.

The amount of garbage that people leave behind on this trail is unbelievable. Dog Mountain attracts hoards of people who generally do not come prepared, are not hikers, and treat this place like it is their home. It find it very disrespectful. It leaves people such as myself to pick up after them like they are children. It is too bad that people do not treat the outdoors with more reverence. I guess that is the consequence of city life.