With a delightful selection of provincial parks and regional parks, both Pitt Meadows and neighbouring Maple Ridge are well worth exploring for outdoors lovers.
Whether it's a day of fishing and bird watching or a weekend of camping and picnicking, a hiking excursion or a cycling tour, these communities abound with options.
Nature buffs can watch for woodpeckers and chickadees and examine information boards on the Spirea Nature Trail. Love a good workout while horseback riding or hiking? Check out Alouette Mountain Trail and the Incline trail near Mike Lake. Recently, the park was used to shoot action scenes for the movie remake of The A-Team.
Grant Narrows Regional Park
Bird-watchers, rejoice. Grant Narrows Regional Park, located at the juncture of the Pitt River and Pitt Lake, is known as a mecca for ornithology fans. Within the designated Pitt-Addington Marsh Wildlife Management Area, it's possible to view grey catbirds, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, and 200-odd other species at different times of the year. Great vantage points are available from the wooden observation towers in the park.
Aboriginal Pictographs
That's just the start, however. Rent a boat and go canoeing or kayaking around Pitt Lake to spot Aboriginal rock pictographs (paintings). Try fishing for rainbow trout or cutthroat in North America's largest freshwater tidal lake. A day recreation area offers picnicking and BBQ facilities. Laden with cedar, fir, and spruce trees, Grant Narrows Regional Park is a wonderful getaway at the foot of Alouette Mountain.
Kanaka Creek Regional Park
The variety of things to do in Kanaka Creek Regional Park is exceptional. Enjoy a picnic in the Blue Mountain Forest or guzzle ripe salmonberries in the summer. Year-round, the centerpiece of this park is Cliff Falls, where rushing waters dance around sandstone formations that evoke a Henry Moore sculpture. Hiking and horseback riding trails wind around Kanaka Creek down to the headwaters of the Fraser River.
Bell-Irving Fish Hatchery
Salmon fry are released from the park's Bell-Irving Fish Hatchery in April. In October, the park stages a special "Return of the Salmon" day, where children and families can marvel as the chum salmon work their way back up river to spawn. Check out the fish fence at 246th Street and Kanaka Road for best viewing.
To get here, head east from downtown Maple Ridge on Dewdney Trunk Road, and go south on 252nd Street to the parking lot of Cliff Park Playing Fields.
More Parks Information
Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge both boast numerous municipal parks where families can relax while children enjoy playtime. One good example is the Maple Ridge Park (23200 Fern Crescent), which has amenities like a playground, baseball diamond, spray pool, barbecue pit, and more.
Another magnet for visitors and locals alike is Whonnock Lake (27871 113th Ave) with its sheltered sandy beach, play area, washrooms, and picnic tables.
For more information on area parks, contact the Visitor Centre (12492 Harris Rd).
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