Pinecone Burke Provincial Park is an outdoorsman’s haven spreading over 38,000 hectares off Village Lake Trail. The park’s expanse is located approximately 12 kilometres or 18 minutes’ northeast drive from Coquitlam’s central business district via Victoria Drive and Quarry Road. Burke Mountain is within this park’s area which extends from the southwest edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park and west of Pitt River and Pitt Lake.
Visitors of the park, a former logging and mining area, have to be prepared to rough it out, as it is mostly an unserviced wilderness area. The recreational outdoor activities that the park offers include hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, camping, and backcountry skiing and snowshoeing during winter.
The Woodland Walk Trail One offers one of the most challenging hikes in the park. An out-and-back hike on this trail covers about 8 kilometres of remote wilderness, making it advisable for hikers to group-trek with a knowledgeable team leader.
On a trek, hikers can appreciate the park’s diverse ecosystems supporting various plant and wildlife species on land and in the area’s inlet. Six of these species inhabiting the park have been classified as vulnerable or sensitive.
For visitors less inclined on hard treks, the park has designated trails for e-bikes that meet the BC Parks cycling guidelines.
Paddlers can also enjoy a visit to Pinecone Burke Provincial Park wherein Widgeon Creek is open to day-use for canoeing and kayaking. Water adventure is also a choice on the west shore of Pitt Lake where the day-use area of Defrauder Falls can be accessed only by boats.
Extreme caution have to be exercised though when swimming on the park’s waters as no lifeguards are provided in BC provincial parks.
The park’s Pitt Lake offers the opportunity for cutthroat trout fishing for those with the appropriate British Columbia licence. In the fall, several salmon species pass through the lake on their way to the Pitt River.
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Embarking on our exploration of noteworthy locales in the City of Coquitlam, let’s delve into the vibrant and bustling community of Mount Burke.