Located about 15 km from downtown Vancouver in the industrial area of Delta, Deas Island Regional Park is home to several heritage buildings and walking trails.
Deas Island Regional Park
Named after its first settler, John Sullivan Deas, Deas Island Regional Park is on a small spit of land in the Fraser River. The island was originally home to a cannery built in 1873.
The park is about 300 acres in size, or 120 hectares. It’s a fair size, but smaller than average for a regional park in Metro Vancouver.
The park is easily accessible from Highway 99. From Richmond, follow the highway through the Massey Tunnel and then take the first exit onto 62b Street. The only other way to access the park is via River Road, which runs along the Fraser River all the way into Surrey.
Park Activities
The wetlands around Deas Island Park are home to a variety of natural wildlife including eagles, chickadees, frogs, otters and more. As a result of this, the park is popular for wildlife viewing and bird-watching.
Other activities available at the park include picnic areas, heritage buildings and walking trails. Dogs are permitted in the park but they must be on leash at all times.
Heritage Buildings
There are three registered heritage buildings at Deas Island Park. These include the Inverholme Schoolhouse, Burrvilla Heritage House and Delta Agricultural Hall.
Inverholme Schoolhouse is a wheelchair-accessible one-room schoolhouse built in 1909. The place can be rented for special events. Burrvilla, built in 1906, and the Agricultural Hall, built in 1984, are both unavailable for rentals.
Reservable Spaces
Deas Island Regional Park has three spaces available to rent: Inverholme Schoolhouse, Fisher’s Field picnic shelter and Muskrat Meadow group campsite.
Inverholme Schoolhouse is the only fully enclosed building available to rent at Deas Island. It is wheelchair accessible and suitable for most events including weddings and corporate events.
Fisher’s Field picnic shelter and the Muskrat Meadow group campsite are both located outside. Muskrat Meadow can hold up to 40 people while Fisher’s Field has a capacity of 50. Priority is given at Muskrat Meadow to those with overnight reservations. Each of these sites has plenty of picnic tables and a designated fire ring.
Hiking at Deas Island
Following the loop of hiking trails around the island takes about four and a half hours and is about 2.5 kilometres long. There is minimal elevation gain so these trails are nice for a quiet stroll, not serious hiking. Some trails may be soft and sandy, so those with mobility issues are advised to take caution.
Cycling is permitted only on park roads and not on regional park trails.
Other Information
For more details, visit the Deas Island Regional Park webpage.
Another article you might be interested in is Vancouver Parks & Nature.
Other regional parks in Metro Vancouver include the following:
- Belcarra Regional Park (near Port Moody)
- Boundary Bay Regional Park (near Tsawwassen)
- Capilano River Regional Park (in North Vancouver)
- Derby Reach Regional Park (in Langley)
- Kanaka Creek Regional Park (in Maple Ridge)
- Lynn Headwaters Regional Park (in North Vancouver)
- Minnekhada Regional Park (in Coquitlam)
- Pacific Spirit Regional Park(in Vancouver)
- Tynehead Regional Park (in Surrey)