Hiking Dog Mountain in North Vancouver
Contents
Dog Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Easy
Distance: 5.6Km
Elevation Gain: 165m
Highest Elevation: 1,054m
Average Gradient: 5.90%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very Low / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2 – 3 Hours
– Moderate: 1.5 – 2 Hours
– Fast: 1 – 1.5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round (Winter Preferred)
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Dog Mountain Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°22’00.4″N 122°56’53.7″W
Dog Mountain Overview
Dog Mountain on Mount Seymour is a classic Vancouver hike and is certainly one of the most popular hikes near the city, especially in the winter when masses of people flock there any time the sun is out.
Thanks to the ability to park above 1,000m at Mount Seymour Resort, Dog Mountain is a simple stroll to a beautiful viewpoint over the City of Vancouver and Burnaby, as well as offering stunning views of mountains to the north and west.
While Dog Mountain is a popular year-round option, it is particularly busy in the winter as it is one of few hikes that is accessible to all levels of experience. It’s physically easy, rarely requires snowshoes, it’s well marked, is relatively risk-free from avalanches, is pet and family friendly, has gorgeous snowy scenery throughout and offers stunning views on a clear day. This hike ticks all the right boxes and as such it’s incredibly popular, so an early start is strongly recommended if going in winter.
Dog Mountain sees far less traffic in the summer, mostly as there are so many other options for summer hiking versus winter, but even then it’s still popular for an easy outing to fantastic views, though he trail can be rough and full of roots.
This has to be one of the better options near Vancouver in terms of effort / reward as frankly the hike is simple and the views are great. I’d have to say this is a far better choice over something like Bowen Lookout, and I’d even say the views surpass those from Eagle Bluffs and possibly even Hollyburn Peak.
It should be noted that if you intend to hike this in winter while the resort is operating, you are only able to drive up to the parking lot once the gate at the bottom of the road opens, typically at 7am. There is no gate in the summer when the ski resort is not operating.
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Is Dog Mountain worthwhile?
For a low amount of effort Dog Mountain offers some stunning views on a clear day. If you are looking for something straightforward, winter or summer, Dog Mountain is perfect. This is the hike any newcomer to hiking in BC should begin with, or anybody looking to get into winter hiking (snowshoeing). While the views from the nearby Pump Peak surpass that of Dog Mountain, that hike requires much more effort than this and as such they’re ranked equally.
This is also a great pre or post work hike as it can be completed so quickly. It makes for a fantastic sunset option. While sunrise would be great as well, the 7am gate makes this difficult in winter.
How difficult is the hike to Dog Mountain?
Dog Mountain is a very easy hike physically, with little elevation spread throughout the entire hike. There are no steep parts on this hike, in fact the parking lot is only 30m lower than the summit, highlighting the fact you basically drive to the top.
Technically in winter this is a straightforward hike. It’s such a popular route the trail is almost always so well traveled you only need micro spikes. The whole trail is well marked with poles and tree markers. In the summer the trail can be a bit rough with a lot of travel on tree roots, but otherwise it’s fine and easy to follow.
Dog Mountain Route Information
The hike begins at the very northern tip of the Mount Seymour Resort parking lot. In the winter you will be forced to park on the side of Mount Seymour Road as the parking lot is reserved for paying guests of the resort. This will add about 500m (each way) to walk to the start of this hike. In the summer you can typically park in the parking lot at the start of the hike.
From the information board at the northern end of the parking lot you’ll descend on the trail briefly before it turns left into the forest. There should be a sign here indicating the Dog Mountain trail. Do not go straight as this will take you on the hike to Pump Peak.
Once in the forest you will descend gradually for the first few hundred meters, before climbing again. The trail will be easy to follow as it is well marked throughout, no matter what season you are traveling in.
At around the 1km mark the trail will begin to open up and you’ll soon reach a large open area with a lake in the middle. In the winter this will obviously be buried in snow. There are many creeks leading to and from this lake, which makes for some seriously deep snow walls on either side, but as long as you stick to the trail they won’t be a concern. In the summer you can go either way around the lake, clockwise or counter clockwise, but in the winter just follow whichever way the markers take you as the resort can change the route each season. When I went the markers lead counter clockwise around the lake.
Be careful around the lake, I found there were a variety of different routes and one of them lead away from the Dog Mountain route towards Mount Seymour. It was fairly easy to take a wrong turn and end up on the wrong trail, so keep your wits about you and if in doubt bring a map.
Once you reach the other side of the lake you are basically already half way to the summit. The trail now climbs back into the forest and is largely uneventful for the remainder of this trip. For the next 1.2km or so you’ll continue to undulate as you work your way towards the summit. Thankfully it’s as simple as it can get, without ever being tiring.
Soon enough you’ll reach a point where you break out of the forest into an opening. This will be the summit of Dog Mountain, and there are a couple of different viewpoints to check out once you’re at the top.
The first and most obvious viewpoint is that of the City of Vancouver and Burnaby, which is where most people stop to enjoy a rest and some food. You’ll also get great views of the Burrard Inlet, English Bay and Stanley Park, I particularly liked seeing all the ships at anchor. My preferred viewpoint was actually behind this area looking north and west rather than south. You get some fantastic views of Crown Mountain, the Needles, Lynn Peak, Coliseum Mountain, Mount Burwell and Mount Cathedral, which were incredible in snow.
There will undoubtedly be a lot of Canada Jay’s knocking around the summit looking to be fed, but do try and resist the temptation to feed them as it is harmful to the ecosystem. As you’ll see in my photos they are more than happy to fly over to your hand if you put it out, even if you don’t have any food there.
Once you’re finished up at the summit you simply head back the way you came!
When should I hike Dog Mountain?
This is a year-round hike but personally I’d say this is a better winter hike through and through. The general winter scenery along the trail is quite stunning, something you wouldn’t get in summer, and frankly there are far better hikes in the summer than Dog Mountain. The trail is pretty rough in summer as well, it’s much easier to travel in winter on a smooth, packed surface.
Top Tip
If you’re going in winter, 99% of the time micro spikes are enough. People even do this hike without spikes and can manage okay as there are no steep parts, though I don’t suggest this. You basically never need snowshoes as the trail is so well packed.
Make sure to go on an assuredly sunny day. The North Shore is famous for being cloudy when everywhere else is sunny, and you wouldn’t want to get to the summit to have zero views. Been there, done that, not fun.
