Hiking Killarney Lake on Bowen Island
Contents
Killarney Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Easy
Distance: 4.10Km
Elevation Gain: 102m
Highest Elevation: 73m
Average Gradient: 4.97%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2 – 3Hours
– Moderate: 1.5 – 2 Hours
– Fast: 1 – 1.5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Killarney Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°23’17.3″N 123°21’16.8″W
Killarney Lake Overview
Killarney Lake is a scenic spot in Crippen Regional Park on Bowen Island that is a popular hike thanks to its easy and well maintained looped trail around the lake. This is a local favorite and is also popular with visitors to Bowen Island looking for a scenic and mellow stroll in nature. Bowen Island is easily accessible from the mainland thanks to the short 20 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay.
If you are visiting from the mainland you can either drive onto the ferry and park at the trailhead (you’ll have to pay a lot more to take a car on the ferry) or you can walk onto the ferry and walk to the trailhead (much cheaper ferry, fairly long walk each way to the lake)
There are a number of starting points to hike the loop around the lake, with the easiest option beginning from the southern tip of the lake. For some reason AllTrails overcomplicates this hike by starting further south in Crippen Lake Regional Park and following a number of trails before reaching the lake, even though you can park directly at the lakes shore and immediately begin the loop. This is why the linked trail is significantly longer, which you’re welcome to follow if you are looking for a longer outing, but it’s not necessary if you are just wanting to see the lake. The description in this post will follow the shortest route beginning at a parking lot right on the southern shore of the lake.
Hikers can follow the loop either clockwise or counter clockwise, it doesn’t really make any difference. The majority of the hike is flat, but once you reach the northern side of the lake the trail enters the forest and undulates a fair amount, hence there is a little bit of elevation gain.
Due to its low elevation Killarney Lake is obviously a year-round hike, and it’s also dog friendly and 2WD accessible.
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Is Killarney Lake worthwhile?
Killarney Lake is a low commitment hike, taking around 1 – 1.5 hours at a moderate pace. It’s a bit of a stretch to even consider this a hike given the relative ease of the trail, with the majority of visitors simply going out for a stroll with their family or dog. You won’t see many people with a hiking backpack, let’s put it that way.
If you are just looking for a simple trail, perhaps you’re visiting Bowen Island anyway and this is one of several stops, or maybe you came over for Mount Gardner like myself, Killarney Lake is a nice little addition to your visit. I don’t see many avid hikers making the trip out to Bowen Island just to follow this loop around Killarney Lake, nor would I advise it. Overall if you’re on Bowen Island and you’re looking for something to fill an hour or so, this looped trail fits the bill nicely and the views of the lake are pleasant.
How difficult is the Killarney Lake hike?
Killarney Lake is about as simple of a hike as you will ever see on this website. It’s suitable for all ages and abilities and the trail is very simple to follow even without a map. Most of the hike is completely flat, though there are some undulating stretches around the northern side of the lake that might elevate your heart rate at times.
Killarney Lake Route Information
The AllTrails route linked above notes that the start of this hike is a fair way away from the lake itself, followed by a number of trails before reaching the lake itself. This is all unnecessary if all you are looking to do is the lake loop. If that’s the case you can park at a parking lot on the southern tip of the lake on Mt. Gardner Road (see coordinates above) and begin the loop there. This reduces the hike to 4.1km and 102m elevation. I am confident that if you are going on a sunny summer weekend that these parking lots will all be quite busy, so I’d advise an early start if possible.
After parking you will immediately be on the lakes shore where there are several picnic benches to sit and enjoy the view or have a bite to eat. From here the trail will be very obvious and you can go either way around the lake, for the purposes of this post I’ll assume you go clockwise like I did.
The trail initially is a spacious gravel path that hugs the shore of the lake, offering plenty of opportunities to stop and get a photo. After a few hundred meters you will reach a bridge over a creek leading into the lake, and here you can actually access a small pebbly beach on the lake’s shore. This was quiet when I went but I’m sure it’s busy with kids and dogs on a sunny weekend. Either way it offers some nice views once again.
Back on the trail it remains much the same as you work your way up the western side of the lake. As you approach the northwest point of the lake you will reach the first of a couple of boardwalks over some marshland. The trail re-enters the forest but once you reach the northern tip of the lake you’ll again pass over another boardwalk over more marshland, this time offering some nice views and a bench to rest on.
Up to now the trail has, for the most part, been flat and simple. Following this boardwalk the trail now departs the lakes shore, entering the forest and climbing gradually up to a viewpoint overlooking the lake, with another bench for sitting. Continuing on, the eastern side of the lake remains much the same, several ups and downs through the forest, never really that steep though. You don’t get many lake views here but the forest scenery is pleasant.
After passing by most of the eastern side of the lake you’ll eventually reach a paved road where you will now want to turn right, heading back towards the parking lot. After following the road for a couple of hundred meters you will pass by a dam on the southern tip of the lake while crossing a bridge over Killarney Creek. You should note a short trail leading towards a bench next to this dam, which offers a very nice viewpoint over the lake. You are now basically back at the trailhead, shortly ahead will be the picnic tables you start at, plus the parking lot.
When should I hike Killarney Lake?
Killarney Lake is a suitable hike at all times of the year. In the summer Bowen Island can get very busy, especially on a sunny weekend and even more so on a long weekend. If you want to avoid crowds I would suggest hiking this in the shoulder season, so spring or fall.
Top Tip
If you’re going during peak season on a sunny weekend you will likely want to arrive at the ferry terminal much earlier than you otherwise might think necessary if you are driving onto the ferry, it can fill up fast. The same goes for returning back to Vancouver from Bowen Island.
If you are walking onto the ferry you may want to consider taking public transit to Horseshoe Bay as parking is quite limited and quite expensive. It doesn’t cost a lot more to drive onto the ferry than it does to park your car at Horseshoe Bay all day.
It’s easy to combine Killarney Lake with Mount Gardner if you want to make this into a full day outing.
