Pitt River at Dusk

Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge are smaller cities in the eastern part of Metro Vancouver, bordered by mountains to the north and the Fraser River to the south.

Best Places in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge

Pitt Meadows has a population of less than 20,000, and Maple Ridge has slightly more than 75,000. Both suburbs are surrounded by some of the Lower Mainland’s most spectacular scenery and are famous for their dykes and berry farms.

Below are some of the best places to visit in the Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge region.

Pitt Meadows Blueberry Farm — A Blueberry Farm in the Fall

Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Attractions

Being picturesque and fairly rural, the area around Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge is ideal for hiking, walking, cycling, golfing and outdoor adventure and recreational activities. The following are some of the region’s highlights:

Alouette Lake – a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains in Golden Ears Provincial Park that’s popular for boating and swimming in the summer, and fishing year-round.
Delta Force Paintball – one of the Lower Mainland’s best and newest paintball parks at 14448-224th Street in Maple Ridge
Dykes – there are dykes throughout the area which make the region one of the best places for cycling and leisurely walks.
Golden Ears Provincial Park – one of the largest parks in the region with mountains, hiking trails, campgrounds and Alouette Lake.

Alouette Lake at Golden Ears Provincial Park

More Places of Interest

Haney House – a heritage site that’s now a museum in Maple Ridge.
Kanaka Creek Regional Park – a park with walking trails along the Fraser River as well as waterfalls and a hatchery just a short drive east of Maple Ridge.
Laity Pumpkin Patch – a farm and pumpkin patch that’s popular in the fall in Maple Ridge at 21145-128th Avenue.
Maple Ridge Museum – a place to learn about the history and culture of the area.
Maple Ridge Park – not far from the entrance to Golden Ears Provincial Park, this green space has a really nice children’s playground as well as walking trails through the forest and along the river.
Meadow Gardens Golf Course – one of the Lower Mainland’s best golf courses, located at 19675 Meadow Gardens Way in Pitt Meadows.
North Alouette Regional Greenway – a park in Maple Ridge where you can walk along the dykes and past blueberry farms.
Pitt Lake – a stunning lake with dykes that are great for walking and cycling along.
Swaneset Bay Resort – one of Metro Vancouver’s most beautiful and prestigious golf courses, located at 16651 Rannie Road in Pitt Meadows.
Whonnock Lake – a park with a beach and a small lake.
Wildplay Elements Park – a great outdoor adventure park with rope courses through the trees at 23485 Fern Crescent.

Up High on the Ropes at WildPlay — Ropes Course at WildPlay Element Park

Events in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

A number of interesting festivals and events take place in normal years throughout the region, including the following:

Haney Farmers Market – a seasonal market at Maple Ridge’s Memorial Peace Park.
Canada Day – July 1st celebrations at the Memorial Peace Park.
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Country Fest – a community fair at the Albion Fairgrounds in Maple Ridge in late July.
Maple Ridge Rock and Gem Show – an event put on by the Maple Ridge Lapidary Club in February.
Music on the Wharf – a series of outdoor summer concerts on the Port Haney Wharf in Maple Ridge.

Haney Pier Concert Silhouettes — Music on the Wharf at Haney Pier

Maple Ridge Car Free Day – an event celebrating pedestrians and car-free culture in June.
Maple Ridge Food Truck Festival – a community event in June with food trucks, live music and activities for children. (It used to happen in September and be its own independent event. As of 2019, however, it’s part of Maple Ridge’s Car Free Day event on Father’s Day.)
Pitt Meadows Day – a pancake breakfast, parade, live entertainment, vendors and fireworks on the first Saturday in June.
Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival – a music festival at the Maple Ridge Fairgrounds (early August).
Celebrate the Night – a free Halloween event with fireworks at the Memorial Peace Park at the end of October.
Remembrance Day in Maple Ridge – November 11th ceremonies take place in Memorial Peace Park each year.
Remembrance Day in Pitt Meadows – ceremonies happen at Spirit Square on November 11th.

Maple Ridge Caribbean Days Crowds — Caribbean Festival at the Albion Fairgrounds

Christmas Events In Maple Ridge

In addition to the above, the following events take place during the Christmas season:

CP Holiday Train – a CP train decorated with Christmas lights makes its way across Canada and visits communities along the way. The train makes stops in both Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows most years in mid-December. At each stop there is a free concert and volunteers collect donations for the local food bank.
Maple Ridge Christmas Festival – a community festival and Santa Claus Parade take place most years in early December.
Illuminate Maple Ridge – Christmas illuminations light up the downtown core of the city from late November until the beginning of January. (Note: This event used to be called Glow Maple Ridge.)