Urban Trails: Vancouver, BC: Surrey * Langley * Regional Parks * North Shore

By Craig Romano

• Features 55 trails, most with public transit options to trailhead
• Includes trail distance, high point, amenities, and more
• Sidebars on area history, nature, tips, and sights

In this region rich with natural beauty, Urban Trails: Vancouver, BC spotlights 55 trails, parks, preserves and greenbelts within Vancouver and across the 21 municipalities of the greater Vancouver area. Some destinations take readers to old-growth forests, lakeshores, coastal beaches, riverfronts, and wildlife-rich wetlands while others uncover accessible trails and peaceful corners right within urban centers. Whether readers are looking for a spot to walk with the kids, take a midafternoon trail run, or enjoy a weekend adventure, Craig Romano has found the perfect spot. Locals may discover--and gain a fresh appreciation for--parks and preserves that reveal a new corner of their city to them while visitors can energize their explorations with a little fitness and outdoor recreation.

Detailed descriptions and maps feature routes in central Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Richmond, Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Bowen Island, as well as Point Roberts, Washington. Throughout, Romano offers tips on avoiding crowds, finding trails that are accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, and ways to extend the adventure with extra destinations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books
• Release date: Apr 1, 2025
• ISBN: 9781680516869

Craig Romano

Craig Romano is a prolific and award-winning author, an ardent conservationist, and a Northwest trails and hiking expert. He hikes, runs ultra-marathons, paddles, and bikes and has written for more than two dozen publications including Northwest Travel and Life and Washington Trails; and for numerous tourism publications and websites. He provides weekly content for Hikeoftheweek.com and is co-host of the Washington State Hiking podcast. He lives in Skagit County, Washington, but he is most frequently out hiking or trail running somewhere, often accompanied by his wife, Heather, and son, Giovanni. Visit Craig online at craigromano.com, on Facebook at Craig Romano guidebook author, and on Instagram @craig.romano.

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VANCOUVER

Founded on the ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, Vancouver began as a small community called Gastown, established shortly after the Confederation of Canada in 1867, that was centered around a mill and a saloon. It has since grown into one of the world’s great cities. With a population nearing 750,000, Vancouver is Canada’s eighth-largest city, and its metropolitan area is the third largest in the country.

Vancouver also has the highest population density in the country (the fourth highest in North America) and is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, yet it consistently ranks as one of the most livable cities in the world. It is ethnically and culturally diverse, has an excellent public transportation system, and is teeming with cultural attractions, parks, greenbelts, and an extensive urban trail system. The city’s urban planning places a strong emphasis on aesthetics and view corridors. It is bike-friendly and has one of the largest public waterfronts of any major metropolis. Much of Vancouver’s industrial past has been and continues to be transformed into livable neighborhoods complete with greenbelts and trails.

Owing to its excellent public transportation system and network of trails, Vancouver is easy to explore on foot. Its beautiful parks, breathtaking natural surroundings, and culturally dynamic neighborhoods make Vancouver one of the finest destinations in the world when it comes to urban hiking, walking, and running.

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