Local’s Guide to Rice Lake North Vancouver
Rice Lake in North Vancouver is one of my favorite places to go for a rainy day hike or a short trail run at any time of year.
The lake itself is beautiful and the forest goes on and on and is full of trails for you to explore.
The area surrounding Rice Lake – the Lynn Headwaters trails – is the starting point for many great hikes in North Vancouver such as Norvan Falls, Lynn Peak, and Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge; it’s such an awesome place to explore and one that I highly recommend to people visiting the area who want to explore the forests.
If you’re looking for things to do in Vancouver on a rainy day, heading here is a great option. For the most part, you’re walking amongst the forest so it doesn’t matter if you can’t see the views due to clouds.
Rice Lake is also a great family hike near Vancouver since there’s virtually no elevation gain and the trail is well-maintained and accessible. Plus, if you’re looking for hikes on transit, you can get a bus most of the way to this area.
Rice Lake, Lynn Headwaters Regional Park
Rice Lake is part of the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve in North Vancouver.
The loop around the lake is an easy 3 km hike on a well-maintained trail with little elevation. It’s perfect for family hikes near Vancouver.
As a popular fishing spot, you’ll likely see plenty of fishermen along the lake trying to catch some of the rainbow trout that live in the lake.
Rice Lake hike basics
Know the essential hike details for the Rice Lake trail.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 3 km
- Elevation: Minimal
- Time: 1 hour
- Rice Lake AllTrails map
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.
My tips for exploring Rice Lake Vancouver
The trail around Rice Lake Lynn Valley is well-signposted. Look for the trail to the side of the paved Seymour Valley Trailway to begin. It’s a wide, flat trail that quickly comes to a junction at a fenced area.
At this point, take a right in the direction marked for Rice Lake and walk through the forest full of moss-covered trees and plenty of birds flying above.
Follow the trail in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. It’s difficult to get lost here as the lake is always in sight.
There are plenty of areas with some seating and views overlooking the late.
They’re great places to rest and enjoy the sounds and sights of the birds or watch the fishermen.
There’s also a dock and walking out onto it gives you some even better views of the lake itself.
Once you’ve completed the loop, you just need to retrace the first few hundred meters back to the Rice Lake parking lot.
You can also start the Rice Lake loop trial from Lynn Headwaters Regional Park.
If you’ve parked by BC Mills House, just go right once you’ve crossed over the river and that’ll bring you out to the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve.
How to get to Rice Lake BC
To get to Rice Lake from downtown Vancouver takes roughly 40 minutes.
For Rice Lake North Vancouver directions, you’ll need to cross over Lions Gate Bridge and take Hwy 1 eastbound, exciting at Mount Seymour Parkway.
Then, take Lillooet Road north, passing Capilano University and all the way to the parking lot.
From where you’ve parked, head towards the picnic area and you’ll find the trailhead just on the left by the small cabin.
You can also take public transit to Rice Lake making it a great hike on transit.
Know before you go to Rice Lake North Van
- Always practice leave no trace ethics. Not sure what those are? Get a refresher here.
- Just because it’s spring in the city, there’s often still snow in the local mountains until July.
- Dogs are allowed but must be kept on leash.
- Refresh your memory about hiking safety with BC Adventure Smart.
- This map from MEC is great for North Shore hiking trails including Rice Lake in Canada.
- Rice Lake gate hours: There are gates at the bottom of the road up to Rice Lake. They open at 6 am and close at sunset.
What to pack for Rice Lake Vancouver
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.
Last Updated on October 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.
