A perfect fall hike on Mt. Seymour—C.Helbig
My very first blog post was about being thankful for a great local hike called Mt. Seymour in North Vancouver. I’ve hiked this trail many times since I wrote that post, most recently a couple of days ago with my sister. I never get tired of hiking Mt. Seymour trail with its phenomenal views. On this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend I am again thankful for Mt. Seymour and all the other amazing hikes and parks on Vancouver’s North Shore.
The Details
Distance: 9 km (5.6 miles) return. This is an out and back hike.
Elevation Gain: 450 m (1476 ft)
High Point: 1455 m (4774 ft)
Time Required: 4-5 hours including breaks
Difficulty: Moderate (gnarly and slightly exposed sections, especially beyond 2nd peak)
Access: Mt. Seymour Provincial Park (west end of ski area parking lot)
3rd peak Mount Seymour, looking east to Indian Arm—C.Helbig
My favourite thing about Mt. Seymour trail is that there are so many gorgeous views along the way. There is no waiting until you get to the top for “payout”. The trail has three peaks and while I always like to get to the third (Mt. Seymour Peak), turning around at 1st peak makes for a great shorter hike with outstanding views.
Fall colours on Mount Seymour Trail—C.Helbig
The hiking season is drawing to a close by mid-October when rain, snow, ice, and fog can all play havoc on the trail. October also has its share of crisp, sunny days and it’s my favourite month for hiking Mt. Seymour. The crowds have thinned, especially on the weekdays, and the fall colours are stunning against the rocky terrain.
Views as far as Mt. Baker, Washington (the snowy mountain top right)—C.Helbig
One of the best geography lessons for understanding convoluted Vancouver and surroundings is sitting on top of Seymour Peak. On a clear day, looking south, you can see well beyond downtown to the snowy mass of Mt. Baker in Washington. To the west, the mountains on Vancouver Island are clearly visible; and to the north, the distinctive peaks of Garibaldi and Sky Pilot provide reference to the vast Coast Mountain range.
Being up close with the ravens is a special treat—C.Helbig
View to Vancouver and Vancouver Island in distance—C.Helbig
The colours of nature at their finest—C.Helbig
Tiny pool on 3rd peak—C.Helbig
I love Mt. Seymour’s panoramic views, but I’m equally enchanted by the pretty little pools and ponds that are scattered along the route. If you’re up on 3rd peak, make sure you explore around the perimeter where there are all sorts of hidden gems.
Ponds, views, fall colours on Mt. Seymour—C.Helbig
The trail up to 1st Peak—C.Helbig
A yummy reward at the top—M.Helbig
What better reward for making it to the top than a tasty salmon sandwich. Of course it was probably a stupid thing to take for lunch in bear country. Almost every hiker we ran into that day had seen a mama bear (Black Bear) and her cub, but no sightings for us.
My beautiful hike to Mt. Seymour reminded me that it’s always a good time to be thankful. To all my readers, Canadians and others, Happy Thanksgiving!
Writes of Passage 
Love your pics of your hiking trip…Makes me want to travel to Canada and hike there!…Happy Thanksgiving…I wish everyone much love and happiness this Thanksgiving!…https://www.nearariver.com/a-message-about-love-near-river-bj-rae-eagle/ BJ Rae, author, near a river…
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Thanks! Glad you like the photos. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
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lovely landscapes
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Such amazing photos and what a lovely hike. Makes me want to tie on my hiking boots and go climb a mountain. 🙂 Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! Anita
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Thanks Anita. It was pretty idyllic and not too many good weather days left,so glad I got out there. Cheers , Caroline
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Beautiful photos, I kinda like your yummy reward idea.
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Haha, I thought you might like the reward. Thanks!
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Happy Thanksgiving (a bit late) to you too Caroline. What a beautiful hike, and gorgeous photos!
Alison
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Thanks Alison and it’s never too late!
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So, so lovely. I’m a huge fan of exposed rock. What a fantastic local hike this is!
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Yes, you describe the raven experience much better than I can! I had heard the word hygge but had to look it up. Yup, hygee is exactly what I try and do around the house. Thanks for adding to my vocabulary!
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A fantastic hike in beautiful country, and the fall colors are splendid. Thanks, Caroline. Next time I visit Vancouver, I won’t forget Mount Semour!
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Thanks Mike. Yes, put it on the list and let me know if you ever need more info.
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Those lichen-stained rocks near the top brought back a bit of PTSD from my rock scrambling in Slovakia a few weeks ago … ha! Seriously, this looks like such a perfect day hike, and I will add it to my notes on Vancouver for a future visit. I would especially like the geography overview; I love maps and views and the connection between them! How lucky you are to live in a place where a world-class city and this kind of nature coexist – reason to be thankful indeed. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Sorry did not mean to induce PTSD. Thankfully this hike involves only some minor scrambling! Did you write about your Slovakia hike? I’m behind in my reading. I’m a map and geography person too. Trying to make sense of Vancouver and surrounding mountains, islands, inlets etc brings me endless joy…what a geek!
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Posted our latest hiking story in the last day or two … it’s impossible to keep up, I know! And put me happily on the geek list!
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Thanks. I look forward to reading it once I get some “real” work done.
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Hah I am glad you did not have to sacrifice your tasty salmon lunch to a bear. What a gorgeous trail – the starkness of the boulders & rocks makes a great contrast with the vivid colours on the trail. The sight of the raven perched upon the rocks, ah. He looks like a meditative fellow.
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We were a bit on edge as we walked back down the trail hoping we had not left too much of the salmon scent on our hands.I really love that contrast too…makes me re-think about home decor options. The raven was huge (hard to tell from the photo), and the sound of his wings on takeoff was grand.
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No no you can tell the size of the raven … I know that in person he would have surely overwhelmed you. The sound of the takeoff sounds grand. Like a sight that would leave you in awe of nature and her many creatures.
I like the way you transpose your experience outdoors to the indoors. Like the concept of hygge, right? Bring nature into your home. xx
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