Hiking Mount Burwell in the North Shore Mountains
Contents
Mount Burwell Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 13.50Km
Elevation Gain: 1,480m
Highest Elevation: 1,541m
Average Gradient: 21.93%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 9 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: July – October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Some light forest scrambling up roots / branches, as well as a few roped sections. No real exposure.
Mount Burwell Trail (From Seymour Valley)
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°21’01.1″N 123°00’53.6″W
Note, these coordinates are where you would park and begin your bike ride to the start of the hike.
Mount Burwell Trail (From Lynn Headwaters Regional Park)
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°21’35.0″N 123°01’40.3″W
Mount Burwell Overview
Mount Burwell is a peak located in the backcountry of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, right on the border of the Seymour Watershed, making for a great hike with some beautiful views.
The hike continues along from the popular Coliseum Mountain trail, however it’s far less busy as most hikers are content with stopping at the lower Coliseum Mountain. In fact, it could be argued Coliseum Mountain is merely a sub summit along the ridgeline of the higher Mount Burwell, and given the nominal effort to add Burwell, you might as well include this on your trip.
The are two standard routes up to Mount Burwell, with the most popular beginning in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, requiring a long, mostly flat and rather boring plod along Lynn Creek before the real climb eventually begins just before you reach Norvan Falls.
The other route, and the one described here, begins at the Lower Seymour Conservation Area, and instead of a long, flat hike to begin, you cycle the first 10km to the trailhead on the paved Seymour Valley Trailway. This is a faster route as cycling the trailway is far quicker than hiking along Lynn Creek.
The hike to Mount Burwell is a challenging one, with very steep, rugged terrain throughout, as evidenced by the significant average gradient. That being said, most of the gain is up to Paton Peak and Coliseum Mountain, with the ridge between Coliseum and Burwell a far more simple, scenic stroll in the alpine.
From the summit of Mount Burwell you will have some exceptional views of the always picturesque Cathedral Mountain, and the nearby Palisade Lake and Cornet Lakes. By passing Coliseum Mountain on the way, you will be treated to an expansive and incredibly varied view of a range of North Shore peaks, notably Mount Seymour, Crown Mountain, Cathedral Mountain, the Lions, the Needles, Grouse Mountain, Mount Harvey, Brunswick Mountain and much, much more.
Since Mount Burwell is in the backcountry of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, it is closed for large parts of the year when this terrain becomes treacherous under snow. Check the Lynn Headwaters website to see if the backcountry is closed, it is typically open once the snow has melted and the terrain is deemed safe, usually opening sometime in July and closing once the snow returns, usually in October.
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Is Mount Burwell worthwhile?
Mount Burwell is a great hike, and by beginning on the Seymour Valley Trailway you’ll be able to summit 3 peaks (Paton, Coliseum, Burwell) in one relatively short outing. Don’t get me wrong, this is a steep and grueling hike, but considering the views you get it’s well worth it. Many people stop at Coliseum Mountain, and I have to say the views from Coliseum are more varied for sure, but adding Burwell is a simple extension that won’t take much time, with some great views of Cathedral Mountain and Palisade Lake that you wouldn’t get from Coliseum.
How difficult is the hike to Mount Burwell?
There’s no doubt this is a physically challenging hike. The trail up to Paton Peak is incredibly steep and rugged. Between Paton and Coliseum it continues to be steep, albeit marginally easier. From Coliseum to Burwell it flattens out for the most part, becoming a more enjoyable ridgeline hike
Technically speaking this hike is quite the adventure. The trail is rugged throughout, with a lot of maneuvering over roots, logs, rocks, branches, bluffs & loose dirt. At times you will be using your hands to climb steep slopes, even pulling yourself up ropes next to bluffs. It’s never really exposed but it’s certainly a technical hike in almost every sense.
Mount Burwell Route Information
Note that there are two linked trails above, the standard route from Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, and the Seymour Valley route. The description below will be describing the Seymour Valley route.
The parking lot for the Seymour Valley route to Mount Burwell is at the Lower Seymour Conservation Area (see coordinates). There are gate hours to access this parking lot, so do check them before heading out. Once you’ve parked you will then have to bike the 10km Seymour Valley Trailway to the trailhead.
The trailway is a wide, paved path without any vehicle traffic, and makes for a pleasant trip that shouldn’t be too challenging. Large parts of it are flat, with the odd mild hill throughout. It should take most people around an hour each way. At around 9.5km you should pass by a gravel road to your left, which is where the trail begins. If you reach Stoney Creek Picnic Area you have cycled too far and need to turn back. You can cycle or push your bike up the gravel trail about 500m before reaching the actual trailhead, locking your bike to one of the trees along the way (or stashing it in the bushes).
The trail immediately enters the forest and runs adjacent to a dried up creek filled with boulder debris. Almost immediately it becomes a very typical North Shore trail, beautiful forest, pine needles everywhere, lots of fallen trees and very rugged footing throughout.
The first kilometer or so of the hike will climb around 300m and will mostly be steep but technically straightforward. You will soon reach a small viewpoint looking towards Mount Seymour and Runner Peak. This is a great place to take a quick break and catch your breath.
The trail continues before soon reaching some bluffs and rocky outcrops. You’ll be using your hands to climb up roots, and there will be a rope assisted section you’ll need to navigate. The trail continues as a mixture of very steep forest terrain, with the odd light forest scramble here and there. Navigation is largely straightforward, with the trail now well marked and pretty obvious for the most part.
There’ll soon be a couple more roped sections to navigate, and a lot more steep terrain, but eventually the trees will start to thin out. At around 1,000m elevation you’ll break out of the treeline entirely and reach a cairn in the trail. Going left will continue along to Coliseum Mountain, and going straight will take you to Paton Peak. Since Paton Peak is so close it makes for a great stop on the way, and the views from here are actually pretty great. You’ll also be able to see your next objective, Coliseum Mountain, further ahead.
Once you’re ready to continue, head back to the cairn junction and instead continue along the trail. The trail will now descend back into the forest briefly. Most of the technical scrambling is behind you now, but as you continue along the trail you’ll cross over one small boulder field, before soon reaching a much larger boulder field that you will now ascend. At the top of this boulder field you will join up with the standard route coming from Lynn Headwaters. Take care here not to end up descending this trail, instead continuing up towards Coliseum Mountain.
The trail continues to be relentlessly steep, passing through a few more sections where you will need to climb up using roots and branches. Once you reach around the 1,300m mark you will finally break out of the treeline and the views for the remainder of the hike will continue to get better and better.
The remainder of the hike to Coliseum Mountain is now simply following the markers along the ridgeline leading towards the summit. After following the ridge for less than a kilometer you will reach the summit, marked by a cairn. The views will now be breathtaking in every direction.
After resting up and soaking in some views, you should be able to see Mount Burwell to the north. There will be a peak with a radio repeater on it, which is West Burwell. Mount Burwell is to the east of this, the first (nearest) peak of three forming a ridge. You’ll also note the tarn below Coliseum Mountain, which is a great place to fill up on water.
After descending slightly from Coliseum, the trail now continues around this tarn. You’ll briefly climb up to some trees before continuing along the ridgeline towards the summit. Soon you’ll get some views of the Cornet Lakes beneath Cathedral Mountain, with Seymour Lake off in the distance.
The remainder of the hike is simply following the ridgeline to the summit, which should be marked with a cairn. It’s only 1.5km from Coliseum to Burwell and shouldn’t take much longer than 30 minutes to get there. You can continue along the Burwell ridge to the radio repeater on West Burwell if you want to, but the views won’t change too much.
Once you’ve finished, you simply head back the way you came, taking care in the forest on the steep scramble sections.
When should I hike Mount Burwell?
Similar to Coliseum Mountain, hiking to Mount Burwell is restricted for a large part of the year due to the closure of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park backcountry. Usually the backcountry will open in July, and close again once the snow returns, typically in October. Make sure to check the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park website for updates on closures.
Top Tip
There are no water sources anywhere along this hike until you get to Coliseum Mountain, where there is a small tarn that you can use to refill your bottles, make sure to take plenty!
The trail is largely easy to follow, but I still advise bringing a map as this is not a frequently hiked route and you might be on your own to find the way.
Many people choose to stop at Coliseum Mountain as the views there are excellent. If you feel spent by the time you get there, no worries, just head back and come back another time for Mount Burwell.
