Pacific Spirit Regional Park — Attraction in Electoral Area A

A comprehensive review for dog owners, cyclists, walkers, and parents!

Pacific Spirit Park is an oasis within our city.

DOG OWNERS: this is heaven on earth for dogs! There are many off leash trails to choose from, all of them are clearly marked at the junction points. Please note that Park Rangers frequent the off leash trails because your dog must be under your complete control when off leash; meaning they have no aggression issues and have excellent recall. I have seen fines issued to pup parents who should not have had their pups off leash, they are steep! For dog owners with pups that don’t have good recall, or have anxiety/aggression issues: there are many leashed trails to choose from and these are the safest for your pup and for all the dogs enjoying the park. If you are working on off leash manners or recall with your pup who is anxious/aggressive I would highly consider you choose to muzzle them for their safety and for the safety of everyone else. I have personally witnessed several dog attacks within the park, where the dog parent of the anxious/aggressive dog never thought their dog would take it as far as an attack; but this park has a lot of foot traffic, a lot of dogs and it’s a lot of stimulation for a dog who’s trying to work through these issues.

CYCLISTS: this is NOT the park for you if you want to feel like you’re mountain biking. ALL of the cycling trails are shared with dogs and pedestrians. I have witnessed a cyclist who was going way too fast for this environment and took out a toddler stumbling along the path. It was horrible to witness and awful for both the parents of the very hurt child and for the cyclist who felt embarrassed at how insanely fast they were going. I have also seen cyclists going way too fast downhill and fly off their bikes because a dog appears on the path from being in the woods, again this is not the place for ‘mountain biking’ type of cycling. Having said that, it is a great place to take your children or enjoy the park yourself for a beautiful scenic ride. There are many trails that bikes are allowed on and they all connect to main roadways so no dismounting is needed.

WALKERS: this is probably one of the most beautiful parks to walk through. Some of the trails are breathtaking in all seasons. If you are someone who is afraid of dogs: stick to the leashed paths. If dogs make you scream, jump, hide behind trees, or people, the off leash trails are not for you. This behaviour is not fair to anyone trying to have a nice relaxing walk with their pup who is behaving perfectly normal, but are simply just walking past you.

WALKERS WITH MOBILITY ISSUES: there are many paths in the park that have rough terrain, tree roots sticking out, plus dogs who are off leash either running or walking with their owners. If you are someone who needs assistance when walking, it is safest to stick to the Powerline Trail. It is nice and wide, tightly packed with gravel and has fences on both sides for extra assistance.

PARENTS: this is something so magical to share with your children within Vancouver. However, on a busy sunny day it can be packed. If your children are not used to animals, stick to the leashed trails. Dogs are curious creatures by nature and will approach to smell, especially small children, it’s completely normal behaviour and they keep walking after but having a screaming parent run towards their child ‘fearing for their life’ is not conducive to a peaceful environment. If you are trying to expose your children to dogs, this is the place to do it! I have had countless lovely experiences with parents who ask if my dog is friendly enough for their child/toddler to approach (he is the gentlest dog ever) and they have had an opportunity to pet and cuddle and play with him and everyone walks away happy!

This park is a MUST DO...

Pacific Spirit Regional Park is a 874 hectares (2,160 acres) park located in the University Endowment Lands, on Point Grey to the west of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. It surrounds the endowment lands of the University of British Columbia on the shores of Georgia Strait in the Pacific Ocean. It is a nature preserve of the British Columbia government and classified under Electoral Area A.

The park contains over 73 km of walking/hiking trails, 50 km of which are designated multi-use and available for cycling and horseback riding as well. There is a Park Centre which is located on W 16th Avenue.

In 1975, BC Parks established ninety hectares of Pacific Spirit Regional Park as the UBC Endowment Lands Ecologial Reserve. This area is designated for forest research, and is not open to the public.

The entire section of beach in Pacific Spirit (running from Acadia Beach in the north to Trail #7 in the south), including Wreck Beach, is designated as clothing optional.

There are free parking lots in Canada, Spanish Bank and Jericho beaches, and at the information center on 16th Avenue. Pay parking can be found in a lot near Gate 7 to UBC (see map), at the UBC Museum of Anthropology, by the UBC Botanical gardens and in various visitor lots around UBC. Additionally, parking is available at different places along 16th Avenue, on SW Marine Drive from Gate 8 to the Museum of Anthropology, and along Old Marine Drive. Many of the UBC buses stop along the trails.

"Dogs must be under control at all times. There are on-leash and leash-optional areas in the park. Check local signs for details. Please show courtesy to other park visitors by removing your dog’s droppings."

There are washrooms at the head of Trail #7, Acadia Beach and at the head and base of Trail #6. "The washrooms and picnic table at the Park Centre on 16th Avenue are wheelchair-accessible. Other accessible facilities include Cleveland, Heron and Imperial Trails, as well as the Clinton Meadow picnic area. However, trails are subject to use and weathering which may degrade them to the point where their original accessible design has been compromised. It is advisable to take an able-bodied person with you."

"Pacific Spirit Park Society is actively involved in Pacific Spirit Regional Park. For more information or to get involved with this association, contact the Community Development Coordinator at the West Area...

Pacific Spirit Park is as beautiful as it is big.  I only explored a small part of it on the northwest corner, near UBC Wesbrook Village.  The condos beside the park, on Bennington Road, are 20 stories high (I helped build them) and they are just a little taller than the trees.  Those trees are huge, to say the least.

There are miles of trails if you really want to do some serious walking.  I walked down the Douglas Fir Trail and then came back on the Sword Fern Trail.  It was a really nice day for a walk, with lots of sunshine.  But it was also a Saturday and the trails were busy, so keep that in mind.

Some trails are walking only, which is very nice, because then you don’t have to deal with all the bikes and other wheeled devices.  However, one thing you can’t avoid is the small army of dogs which seem to outnumber the people at times.  Most of the dogs are off-leash so be prepared for a lot of dog encounters.

I got jumped on by a very excited dog and was thoroughly sniffed and slobbered on, but I didn’t get bitten.  Which is a good start to any canine relationship, and most human ones too.  I actually thought the dog was happy to see me and I was feeling pretty good about myself until the owner said the dog was just looking for treats.  That was humbling because I got rejected by a dog and now I have muddy paw prints on my jacket to remind me that I’m a loser.  It was a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” moment.

Overall the Pacific Spirit Park experience was positive and I think everyone should check it out.  If you’re into photography then you should definitely check it out because there’s a lot to see.  It’s really nice to have green spaces like this in the city and we need more.  They’re good for your physical and mental health, and good for the...