Belcarra Regional Park

Belcarra Regional Park is a 1100 hectare Metro Vancouver Park that stretches from the Village of Belcarra to Buntzen Lake and the Village of Anmore, and encompasses the very popular Sasamat Lake. There are hiking, mountain bike, and trials bike (dirt bike) trails twisting throughout the park as well as very popular beaches and marine areas. There are also several summer camps, industrial and residential areas. The park is within the Port Moody Police Department’s area of responsibility.

Trails

The main trails in the park are hiking trails and are divides into two general areas that are connected.

Admiralty Point

This 5km long trail runs south from the Belcarra beach area toward the feature that bears it’s name.

Jug Island Beach

This 5.5 km long trail runs north from the Belcarra beach area, climbing over granite bluffs, giving good views of Indian Arm, and ending at a beach with views of the North Shore.

Springboard / Woodhaven Trail

This small lake / swamp has a boardwalk around it, and trails connecting from the Belcarra beach area to Sasamat Lake, for a total distance of about 8km.

Sasamat Lake Trail

The main trail at Sasamat Lake is 2.5 kilometres long and circumnavigates the lake.

Sugar Mountain / Buntzen Ridge

These trails ascend the ridge to the east of Sasamat Lake that separates it from Buntzen Lake, and connects with the trails in that area,

Types of Calls

Calls in this area are usually for lost or missing people. Hiking trails are typically well marked, but there are a complicated maze of mountain bike and dirt bike trails, and the forest is very mature with few features visible from beneath the canopy. Cell phone coverage is generally good, with some intermittent areas near Woodhaven.

A memorable call in 2010 was for two missing women with developmental disabilities. This search lasted four days and involved several hundred SAR members, helicopters, and emergency response agencies from all over the area and southwest BC.

Other calls include injured mountain bikers. These usually involve carrying a medical component and stretcher. Carrying someone out from this area has taken upwards of two hours.

Cautions

As mentioned above, most park trails are very well marked and maintained. Mountain bike and dirt bike trails are often very rough and have no signs. These are easy to get lost on. People visiting this area are cautioned to stay on the trails as there are very few features to navigate by, and some of the terrain is very steep. Consider the search, mentioned above, where it took four days to find someone.