Barnston Island Barge

Located on the Fraser River between Surrey and Pitt Meadows, Vancouver’s Barnston Island is a perfect place for rural cycling.

Rural Barnston Island

Barnston Island is mostly farmland. It’s a tiny community of around 155 inhabitants. It’s a peaceful place and is especially perfect for bike rides for young children, as it has a flat perimeter road with almost no traffic. On the island are a number of farms, plus a First Nations reserve. It’s probably close to 10 kilometres or so around.

Barnston Island is only accessible by a free barge, which runs just whenever you arrive. The ferry ride takes about five minutes and ferries run from about 6:00 am until late at night. This is a great place for city people wanting to get into the country. If you’re from the country, however, then it’s nice, but nothing special.

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your trip to Barnston Island.

TIP #1: There are no amenities on the island (i.e. no food for sale and no stores). Pack a lunch (and Band-Aids just in case for the little ones).

TIP #2: This is a good place to take the kids for a bike ride in the spring and fall, and in the summer – but not on really hot days. There is very little shade on the road, so if it’s a scorcher, then it’ll be no fun riding.

TIP #3: If you are looking for other places to take the kids for a bike ride, then consider North Vancouver’s Seymour Demonstration Forest, which has lots of shade, so is ideal on hot days. Also, the Stanley Park seawall is probably the #1 “best place” for level pavement cycling, absolutely anytime of the year, except for when it’s raining.

Barnston Island