Mt Fromme Hike Guide North Vancouver BC
The Mount Fromme hike in North Vancouver is a fairly challenging hike on the North Shore.
The hike winds up through the forests of North Vancouver near popular biking trails like Bobsled, and other Vancouver hiking trails like Kennedy Falls, until you come out to the peak of Mount Fromme.
Fromme sits between Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour. It’s a hike that’s accessible on public transit, and it makes a great year-round hike as most of the year it’s not too snowy.
You can do this as a fun hike in Vancouver in spring, or in the fall.
Given the number of peaks and hikes on the North Shore with stunning views and easier access, it’s perhaps not surprising that the Mt Fromme hike is often overlooked.
It’s smaller than the likes of Mt Strachan and Mt Seymour but it’s a great hike nonetheless.
Plus, there’s no day pass required for Mount Fromme (you’ll just have to keep watch for people mountain biking)!
About the Mount Fromme Trail
Mt Fromme isn’t within any provincial or regional parks, which means it’s exempt from the day pass you might find at other nearby mountains.
You can also start the trail from several different points, we started from the end of St. Georges Avenue, but you could also start from the Mt Fromme parking lot where you begin the Kennedy Falls trail.
Though quieter than many of the nearby peaks, Fromme is gaining in popularity so don’t expect to get the trail completely to yourselves! Plus, the Mount Fromme parking lot gets busy since it’s so popular for mountain biking.
Trail stats:
- Distance: Around 10 km
- Difficulty: Intermediate – Difficult (long, mostly uphill, but no true scrambling)
- Elevation: Around 840 m
- Mount Fromme Trailhead: Various options. We started from the end of St Georges Avenue but you could also hike it via the peer gynt trail.
- Mount Fromme trail map: I used AllTrails
For the most part, you’ll be climbing uphill, there are very few flat sections on this hike near Vancouver.
There also isn’t much in the way of views until you come to the summit.
Since we hiked this on a misty day that didn’t matter for us. In fact, the misty forests were the view!
AllTrails is my go-to hiking app for finding, planning, and navigating while I’m out on the trails. With offline maps on AllTrails+ you can be confident you’re still on the right track, even without mobile signal.
Important things to know about the Mt Fromme Hike
- 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!
- Download the Mt Fromme trail map via the AllTrails app as there are numerous Mt Fromme trails in the area and you’ll want to make sure you stick on the right one!
- This is one of my top transit hikes in Vancouver!
The Mt Fromme hike from St Georges Avenue
Starting from the top end of St Georges trail in North Vancouver, look for the trail heading into the forest.
Follow the trail until you cross over a wooden bridge and come out at a clearing under some powerlines. Make a right turn here and walk until you get to a trail on your left.
Follow this left turn on the gravel trail uphill.
You’ll head over a small wooden bridge and then the trail becomes narrow once you’re in the forest. It’s a bit of a steep climb from here on in!
Cross over the Baden Powell Trail and continue hiking uphill. Here there are some tree roots and loose rocks – standard North Shore hiking stuff – and then eventually you’ll come out to the Old Grouse Mountain Highway.
Make a left, head up the gravel road of the Old Grouse Mountain trail, and go around the first corner. On the corner, there’s a junction with several trails.
Look for the wooden signpost, turn right, and follow the trail that heads into the forest and uphill.
You’ll end up coming out to the Old Grouse Mountain Highway again, just cross straight over it and into the forest again.
As you cross over, there’s a bit of a ditch. Luckily, there’s a rope that you can use to help pull yourselves up the other side.
The next part of the trail is a bit more mellow than the first part. There are still some ups and downs but nothing too steep. We saw some awesome bright orange mushrooms on the trees around here!
Continue following the markers on the trees to stay on track.
It’s not long until you start hiking steeply uphill again for the final push to the top of Mt Fromme.
Navigate the tree roots and then pass briefly through an open section before reaching a junction. Go right at the junction and in a few minutes you’ll be at the top.
From the summit, you can see views of Crown Mountain and Goat behind Grouse, Mount Seymour, and even Garibaldi Provincial Park if it’s really clear!
It’s not quite the 360-degree views you get from Mt Seymour or Mt Strachan, but they’re impressive nonetheless.
After enjoying the views, follow the trail you took on the way up here to return to the car.
What to pack for the Mount Fromme hike?
What to pack for this hike depends on what season you’re hiking in.
- Check out my day hike packing list here.
- If you’re hiking in summer you should pack sunscreen, sunglasses, layers, water and bug spray as well as everything in the 10 essentials for hiking list.
- Here is what to wear hiking in hot weather
- Check out this post on the best leggings for hiking or what to wear hiking in summer for more details and my gear recommendations.
- If you’re hiking in winter after the snow has started falling you’ll need microspikes at the very least. If there is a lot of snow you will probably need snowshoes.
- You should also take plenty of layers including a fleece layer, a puffy insulated jacket and a wind and waterproof outer layer. Hats and gloves are also necessary as well as a good backpack to keep everything in.
- You should also pack water and some snacks too to keep you going as they’re part of the 10 essentials for hiking!
- Planning a hiking date? Check out what to wear on a hiking date but still look cool.
Final thoughts on hiking Fromme Mountain North Vancouver
The Mount Fromme trail offers a fun and challenging hike through misty forests on Vancouver’s North Shore.
With multiple places to start this hike from, such as St. Georges Avenue of the Mount Frommer parking lot, so you can make the hike into your own adventure.
This is a great year-round hike and one of the best hikes in Spring since the snow clears early, as well as a great Vancouver hike in winter if you’re well prepared for potentially snowy and icy conditions. Just remember to look out for those doing some Mount Fromme mountain biking as you walk up the old road.
If you’re looking for more hiking guides in Vancouver, or other things to do in Vancouver, be sure to check out my Vancouver travel guides.
Last Updated on December 29, 2023 by Hannah
Hannah started That Adventurer after graduating back in 2013 and has documented all of her adventures since then. From backpacking South America to city breaks in Europe, a 3 month road trip across the USA in a self-converted van and 6 years living in Canada, you’ll find posts on all of this.
Hannah specialises in active travel and on That Adventurer you’ll find hiking, walking, biking, skiing and all sorts of active travel guides to allow you to see a destination in an adventurous way.
Now back in Europe, you’ll find new guides as Hannah and her husband spend the next year ‘digital nomading’ from Norway to Portugal, Switzerland to Scotland and places in between.
