Snowshoeing at Hollyburn Mountain

Every winter we go snowshoeing as we own snowshoes and it's something that everyone can do at the same level. I've shared several tips here but just remember, comfort and snacks are key! Oh, and don't forget to get there early because parking can be wild on the local mountains. 

We decided to try a new-to-us trail: Hollyburn Mountain. Because it is part of the provincial park at Cypress Mountain, it is free to snowshoe. Just park at the Nordic Centre where they have tobogganing and cross country skiing. The trail is on the far left side of the parking lot (between the main road and the rental building) so the closer you can get to that point, the better.

The trail varies in length depending on how far you want to go. We decided to go 3 km in each direction (about one hour each way) which took us to the top of the first peak and gave us a decent view. Had we wanted to continue, it would have been an extra 20-30 minutes of steep hiking – one day we'll go to the very top!

The trail itself was quite busy so I'm glad that we had arrived close to 9:15 AM. By 11:30 AM when we were finishing, it was a very high traffic trail which is less fun when trying to pass or get by fellow snowshoers moving in the opposite direction.

The trail is very well marked; just follow the red poles. The kids ended up going without snowshoes after a while and decided to slide head first down the downhill sections. There are notices that you are not allowed to use actual sleds on the downhills or there is a potential fine.

The trail was packed enough that they could use their boots but I prefer snowshoes due to the steeper sections; I'm not one to throw myself down head first. You can see in the photo below that after one hour of undulating through the forest you get to a steeper section. It takes about 5-10 minutes to ascend and there is a beautiful view at the top. If you continue for another 20 minutes or so, there is a better view but we decided to save our energy for the trek back. Sometimes when the kids are in good spirits, it's good not to push them too much in my experience.

At the top of this first peak, there are many Whisky Jacks that are very friendly. It's also the perfect location for a snack and photos.

We actually didn't get a great view of the city because of the cloud cover (as seen below) so I'm not sure if it would have been beneficial to carry on. You can see behind us that we climbed a steep section and that there are many people on their way up.

Our kids are great hikers but I wouldn't say they love it. Allowing the time to slide downhill, make snow angels, and throw snow in the air made it much more enjoyable for them.

The boys rated the day 5/10 which is actually much better than I anticipated; five being neutral and a regular type hike. Nya gave it an 8.5 because they ended up sliding down together in a giant train which she thought was awesome. She also loved the hot chocolate.

The hike back down took about 45 minutes. I should note that this is a dog-friendly trail as well.

I'm thankful that we were able to try a new trail, the kids didn't complain too much and that the sun was out the whole time! What a beautiful December day.

Have you snowshoed as a family? What's your winter sport of choice? Here are our experiences at Grouse Mountain and Seymour, too.

Love,
Louise