Hiking Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp in Belcarra Regional Park
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Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp Hike Information
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 9.30Km
Elevation Gain: 220m
Highest Elevation: 138m
Average Gradient: 4.73%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 3 – 4 Hours
– Moderate: 2 – 3 Hours
– Fast: 1.50 – 2 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°19’32.6″N 122°53’09.0″W
Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp Overview
Sasamat Lake is a popular spot in Belcarra Regional Park in Port Moody. Many people enjoy a leisurely stroll around the lake, as well as swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing in the lake’s waters. Sasamat Lake is known as one of the warmest lakes in Greater Vancouver, hence it’s a popular year-round swimming destination.
As a standalone trail, the Lake Loop is a very simple stroll with practically no elevation gain, meaning it wouldn’t typically be considered a hike for the purposes of this blog. However, if you combine the loop with the nearby Woodhaven Swamp, this becomes a more involved outing, albeit still fairly straightforward.
Sasamat Lake is a year-round hike at low elevation, with much of the trail tree covered. Due to this it makes for a great rainy or overcast day option when you aren’t looking for any views from a peak. The trail is also mostly gravel, so even in rain you shouldn’t encounter a whole lot of mud. It’s also a family and dog friendly affair, though you might need to take a slight detour with your pooch to avoid the beaches, where dogs aren’t permitted.
Parking for the trail is at White Pine Beach, which charges a fee in the peak season as the area is particularly popular with a variety of recreationalists. Belcarra Regional Park does have opening and closing hours, so make sure to check them before heading out.
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Is Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp worthwhile?
As a short, simple outing Sasamat Lake is a nice option. I can certainly see why it’s popular with families and dog walkers, but it likely wouldn’t stir much interest for the more fervent of hikers. Still, on a rainy or cloudy day where you’re just looking to get outside, Sasamat Lake is a good choice no matter your experience. Woodhaven Swamp is a simple extension, albeit without offering a huge payoff in the way of views. Unfortunately the swamp is mostly surrounded by foliage, so views of the swamp itself are few and far between.
How difficult is the hike to Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp?
There is nothing particularly difficult about this hike. The loop around Sasamat Lake is extremely simple and mostly flat. You’ll have a somewhat steep climb on the way to Woodhaven Swamp, but it is mostly on stairs and thus doesn’t seem all that challenging when you do it. There is nothing technically challenging about the hike whatsoever.
Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp Route Information
There are a few access points for this hike, but the easiest place to begin is at one of the many parking lots at White Pine Beach. On a sunny summer day you can be sure this area is very busy, so an early arrival is recommended. Pay parking is in effect during the peak season at peak times.
After parking, head down to the beach where you will find the Sasamat Lake Loop. You can go either way around the lake, but for the purposes of this let’s assume you go counter clockwise. You should see obvious signage for the lake loop and once you’re on the trail there’s only one way to go. The trail soon enters the treeline and hugs the lake for a kilometer or so. Here you’ll reach a staircase which you’ll need to climb, up and away from the lake, joining the Bowser Trail. This is a multi-use trail, so watch out for cyclists.
Continuing on the Bowser trail for a few hundred meters, you’ll soon cross a bridge over Windermere Creek, after which you’ll want to turn right, leaving the Sasamat Lake Loop. You’ll briefly follow a trail before crossing over Bedwell Bay Road and joining the Sasamat-Woodhaven Connector trail. The trail will now begin to climb while passing a few private properties, before briefly leveling off.
Now you will hit the ascent of this hike, where over the next 600m you’ll climb fairly steadily. Luckily most of the ascent is on stairs and it’s rarely that steep, but you’ll be huffing and puffing a little no doubt. At the top of the climb the trail levels off, remaining mostly flat for the next kilometer or so. You’ll now reach a junction in the trail where you’ll want to keep left, before connecting onto the Springboard Trail, which is again multi-use.
After crossing over another road you’ll see Woodhaven Swamp, where the trail now drops down and joins the Woodhaven Swamp Loop. Again you can go either way around the swamp, but most seem to go counter clockwise. The trail around the swamp is again very simple and mostly flat, lasting around 1.3km. Unfortunately you will only have mostly peek-a-boo views of the swamp for the most part. Once you reach the eastern tip of the swamp you will cross a small bridge which will provide a view, but unfortunately you can’t see a whole lot as you’re so far from the middle.
After completing the loop you now start to head back to the lake via the same route you already took. Once you return back to the bridge over Windermere Creek, instead of crossing back over the bridge you will now continue on the Sasamat Lake Loop counter clockwise. Thankfully there are plenty of viewpoints of the lake along the way. Once you reach the southern tip of the lake you’ll cross over a long concrete bridge over the lake. There’s a couple of viewing platforms along the bridge that people use for swimming and possibly fishing. Once you reach the other side of the bridge, take a left and continue on the loop. It’s much the same as before and in around 1km you’ll be back at White Pine Beach where the trail ends.
When should I hike Sasamat Lake & Woodhaven Swamp?
This is a year-round option so it really depends on what you’re looking for. An experienced hiker would probably want to save this for the off-season, as the peak season will be saved for far more interesting hikes. As mentioned it’s a good rainy / cloudy day option as well.
Top Tip
Check the parking requirements before going, at certain times the parking is free, so if you can complete the hike before the paid parking begins, try and do so. If you’re going on a sunny summer weekend you’ll definitely want to be there early.
If you are just looking for a very simple stroll you could easily skip Woodhaven Swamp and just walk around the lake.
