Snowshoeing at Mt. Seymour

During the winter, North Vancouver’s Mt. Seymour Provincial Park offers a selection of both free and ticketed snowshoe trails for folks of all skill levels.

There are well-maintained snowshoeing trails at the Mt. Seymour Ski Resort, for which you have to buy a ticket. And there are great free trails within the provincial park right close by too.

Snowshoeing at Mount Seymour

Located within Mount Seymour Provincial Park, the Mt. Seymour Ski Resort offers great opportunities for winter sports such as snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding and tubing. Snowshoeing at Mount Seymour is great because the mountain is home to both free and paid trails.

Mount Seymour Resort maintains the Discovery Snowshoe Trails while BC Parks maintains the free ones.

Mt. Seymour Snowshoe Winter Wonderland — Snowshoeing in the Provincial Park

Discovery Snowshoe Trails

The Discovery snowshoe trails are snowshoe trails run by the ski resort. Folks have to pay to access these trails, and the entrance to them is near the bottom of the Goldie Magic Carpet.

There are about a dozen snowshoe trails within the paid area of Mount Seymour. Trails are rated for their difficulty by their colour, with a green circle meaning easy, a blue square meaning intermediate and a black diamond meaning difficult.

For a map of the ticketed trails at Mount Seymour, click Discovery Trail Map.

Snowshoeing Rates at Mt. Seymour

Ticket prices for the 2023/2024 snowshoe season are shown below. Ticket prices are subject to change, and prices shown do not include taxes and other fees.

Adults (ages 19 to 59) – $17
Seniors (aged 60+) – $12
Youth (ages 13 to 18) – $12
Children (ages 5 to 12) – $11
Tots (under the age of 5) – $6

Snowshoe Rentals at Mt. Seymour

Prices including rentals for the 2023/2024 season are listed below. Prices listed do not include taxes and other fees.

Adults (ages 19 to 59) – $39
Seniors (aged 60+) – $29
Youth (ages 13 to 18) – $29
Children (ages 5 to 12) – $23
Tots (under the age of 5) – $6

Mt. Seymour Snowshoe Tours

Similar to other mountain resorts in the Lower Mainland, Mount Seymour usually offers snowshoe tours. They are for folks of all skill levels and each runs at select times. Tours include the Chocolate Fondue Tour, Twilight Tour, Watershed Tour, Baby & Me, Intro to Snowshoeing and a Private Guide.

Some snowshoe tours, like the Intro to Snowshoeing, are drop-in only and cannot be booked in advance. Others, however, like the Chocolate Fondue Tour, are by reservation only and drop-ins are not accepted.

Mt. Seymour First Lake Showshoe Trail

Free Snowshoeing Trails

In addition to the ticketed trails, Mount Seymour is also home to free snowshoeing routes. These trails are located outside the boundaries of the Mount Seymour Resort and they are maintained by BC Parks instead of by the ski hill.

The free snowshoe trails begin not far from the kiosk near the bottom of the Mystery Express Chair at the end of the upper parking lot. From there, visitors can choose to head up the mountain or down around the First Lake Loop Trail.

The First Lake Loop Trail is a nice, short trail nestled in the trees. It’s good for beginner snowshoers or people looking for a quick walk in the forest.

If you start at the same spot but then continue on past the First Lake Loop Trail, the trail eventually leads over to Dog Mountain. While a slightly longer hike, this trail is still fairly easy and good for all skill levels. Snowshoers are also rewarded with a beautiful view of Vancouver (on a clear day) at the end.

The most challenging of the free trails is the hike up Pump Peak. This trail follows along the side of the ski runs all the way to the top of the mountain. Pump Peak is the southernmost of Mount Seymour’s three mountains. Although some folks choose to hike past the end of this trail, it is not recommended due to avalanche risk and other hazards.

Click Trail Map for a map of both the free and ticketed snowshoe trails at Mount Seymour, as well as the resort’s ski slopes and chairlifts.

DAY PASSES REQUIRED IN WINTER

Unlike in years before COVID, visitors to Mt. Seymour Provincial Park need to get a day-use pass if visiting the park and not planning to ski or snowboard at the ski hill. This is just the case on certain days of the year, in winter, but it includes when using the free snowshoeing trails at the park.

As of late 2023 and early 2024, passes were required every day between mid-December and the first week of January. Visitors also needed a pass on weekends and stat holidays from January until the end of March. Passes are free, but you still need to get one.

To learn more about the passes, see the BC Parks website.

First Lake at Mt Seymour — Snowshoeing Around First Lake

Mt. Seymour Snowshoeing Video

The following video is of the free snowshoeing trail that goes to First Lake and Dog Mountain.

As you’ll see at the beginning of the video, the trail starts at the side of the downhill skiing area at the resort. Near the entrance to the trail there is a small bridge. From there the trail meanders through the forest. There are ups and downs along the way, but for the most part the trail is quite easy.

The video shows just the beginning part of the trail, plus the end when returning across the small bridge. Further along you come to First Lake. And if you continue on you come to the main Dog Mountain Trail.

BC Parks manages the trail in the video. The trails in the provincial park are free to use. The trails within the ski resort, however, require a pass for which there is a charge. Both types of trails are beautiful!

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your snowshoeing experience in Metro Vancouver.

TIP #1: If you’ve never been snowshoeing before, you should try it. It’s lots of fun, and the winter scenery can be magical. It can also be great exercise.

TIP #2: Especially on sunny days, don’t forget to wear sunscreen! It might be winter, but the sun can still be strong, and doubly so when it reflects up off the snow.

TIP #3: Wear layers of clothing that you can peel off as you warm up. It might be cold at the start, but after hiking up a slope you’ll heat up nicely. Take a backpack and you can either wear your extra sweaters or put them in your bag as needed. Carry water and a snack in your backpack too.

TIP #4: Be extra careful when snowshoeing the trails in the provincial park after periods of heavy snowfall. The trees look especially pretty when covered with mounds of white, but branches can sometimes break due to the weight of the snow. You don’t want to be under a falling branch and mounds of snow!

TIP #5: When out in forested snowy areas in winter, stay away from tree wells. A tree well is the area under a tree at its base where less snow accumulates compared to the surrounding area because of the tree’s branches. When there is a lot of snow, and it’s deep, snow in the tree well can be loose and hard to climb out of if you fall in (which can make them dangerous).

Other Information

For more details regarding the ticketed snowshoe trails, see the Mount Seymour Ski Resort website.

Click Mount Seymour Ski Hill to learn more about the ski resort in winter time, or check out our article about Mt. Seymour Provincial Park to learn about the park and its year-round activities.

For more information regarding the free trails on Mount Seymour, see the BC Parks website or the Metro Vancouver Trails site.

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