Dog Mountain trail, Vancouver, BC

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One of the best hikes in North Vancouver is the Dog Mountain trail in Mount Seymour Provincial Park. This hike offers great ‘bang for your buck’, with amazing views for limited effort. It’s a great trail for a sunrise or sunset hike near Vancouver and is dog-friendly so your 4-legged best friend can come too! If you want to hike Dog Mountain in Vancouver be sure to check out this hiking guide to make sure you’re fully prepared before you go.

NEW 2020 UPDATE!
From July 27-Oct 1 you will need a day pass to access popular BC parks, including Cypress, Seymour, Garibaldi & The Chief. The passes are free and available on the day of your visit from 6am. All details & information here.

Dog Mountain Trail

The Dog Mountain hike is an easy hike on Vancouver’s North Shore. It offers great views of the city, Mt Baker and Vancouver Island on a clear day. It’s a short hike with minimal elevation that’s the perfect option if you’re looking for a family-friendly hike.

Directions to Dog Mountain trailhead

DO NOT RELY ON GOOGLE MAPS FOR DOG MOUNTAIN DIRECTIONS!

Both myself and friends have been caught out by Google Maps when navigating to the trailhead for Dog Mountain. Google Maps will take you to the parking lot for Lynn Headwaters Regional Park and the Rice Lake trail. It suggests you can drive up to the Dog Mountain from there but this is not true! This road is not accessible and instead, you must head to the Mount Seymour Ski Area.

To get to Mount Seymour from downtown Vancouver, cross over Lions Gate Bridge heading north and then take Hwy 1 eastbound onto Mt Seymour Parkway. Take the exit onto Mountain Highway and follow signs to Mount Seymour ski area.

Know before you go on the Dog Mountain hiking trail

Make sure you’ve got your day pass for the Dog Mountain trail, Vancouver
Dog Mountain gets super muddy after the snowmelt or a day or rain – be prepared and wear hiking boots/shoes rather than sneakers.
Always practice leave no trace ethics. Not sure what those are? Get a refresher here.
Carry bear spray with you on all BC hiking trails. Get more bear safety tips here!
Wondering what to pack for Vancouver day hikes? Here’s a hiking packing list!
Refresh your memory about hiking safety with BC Adventure Smart.
Don’t leave home without your 10 essentials. They could save your life!
Dogs are allowed on leash

Dog Mountain hike guide

The Dog Mountain trail starts from the parking lot at Mount Seymour ski area. Walk to the far end of the parking lot where there’s a big BC Parks sign with a map and some information. Walk along the wide gravel trail with one of the ski slopes in front of you until you spot a small sign towards the left going down into some trees.

Take this left turn as it heads slightly downhill and crosses a small stream. The trail here is well maintained but it soon gets a little harder as you cross over tree roots and through rocky areas. It remains relatively flat with a couple of short inclines here and there.

At the 1km mark, you’ll come to First Lake. You’ll pass to the left of the lake over a couple of bridges to the far side where another sign points towards Dog Mountain. It’s just over another kilometre from here but it’s a little bit harder than the first half with some more technical terrain to cross.

Towards the end of the trail and the outlook that signals Dog Mountain, you’ll head left and continue along the path coming out to a large rocky area. Walk ahead on the rocks and enjoy the views of North Vancouver, downtown, Stanley Park and more. You can roam around the rocks here to take in different viewpoints or just sit and soak it all in.

Return back the way you came.

Here’s a Dog Mountain trail map

Dog Mountain snowshoe

In the winter you can also snowshoe to Dog Mountain, it’s possibly even more beautiful in the snow! It’s a well-marked trail so its hard to get lost and there’s minimal avalanche risk since you’re in the trees. If you’ve never tried snowshoeing before and want to see what it’s all about, it’s the perfect trail to snowshoe near Vancouver. The trail is usually pretty busy so you won’t actually need snowshoes unless it’s snowed a lot just before your hike. You’d be better off with Yaktrax, or similar.