Diez Vistas Hike at Buntzen Lake

Hiking the Diez Vistas Loop (The Buntzen Lake Hike)

Thinking about hiking the Diez Vistas trail at Buntzen Lake? This popular hike near Vancouver is known for its steep climbs, forested trails and 10 incredible viewpoints overlooking Buntzen Lake, the surrounding mountains and all the way out to the city.

Also called the Sendero Diez Vistas, meaning “ten views,” this loop trail is located in Anmore at Buntzen Lake. It’s one of the best day hikes near Vancouver if you are looking for a bit of a challenge with rewarding scenery. The trail takes you up above and around Buntzen Lake, offering a higher perspective from the flat Buntzen Lake Trail below.

The full Diez Vistas loop is 15km long and will take you approximately 6-7 hrs depending on your hiking ability. The hike is dog friendly. We saw some very happy puppies along the way and I can’t wait to take Winnie there some day soon.

Buntzen Lake is a great place to relax at either after or before your hike as there is a nice picnic area and swimming area at the lake which is also perfect for paddle boarding.

Read on for everything you need to know before hiking the Diez Vistas trail at Buntzen Lake, including trail difficulty, parking permits, route options and tips to help you plan your hike.

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Where is The Diez Vistas Trail located

The Diez Vistas hike is located in Anmore at Buntzen Lake around a 1 hour drive from Downtown Vancouver.

How to get to Buntzen Lake via Public Transport

It is possible to get to Buntzen Lake via public transport from Vancouver but it is a little bit of a trek, taking around 2hrs. There are a few different options to get to the final bus stop but the bus that goes all the way into the Buntzen Lake area is the 179. The shortest way to get there would be to catch the Expo line to Lougheed Town Centre and change to the Millennium line. Then you can catch the 179 from the Inlet Centre Station @ Bay 2.

Finding the Trailhead

The trailhead for the Diez Vistas hike is located in the carpark, on the end furthest away from the lake entrance. The trail is to the right of a no parking sign as shown in the picture above.

Click here to open the map in Google Maps!

How Hard is the Diez Vistas Trail

We would rate the Diez Vistas hike as moderate. There is quite a lot of steep hiking early into the hike which could also be described as a bit technical. This steep part of the hike starts about 40 minutes in and takes about 1hr to get to the top.

We definitely felt our knees a little on the way down but did it without hiking poles. Once you have reached the top however, there is definitely less elevation to deal with as you hike around the lake.

The Trail

The Beginning of the Trail

The trail starts from the carpark and is super easy to begin with. Enjoy this section as it doesn’t last. You will walk on a flat, pretty wide trail through the forest. Follow the signs for the Diez Vistas trail and you will shortly come to a floating bridge that will take you over the lake.

After you cross the lake, you will cross a service road and follow the trail uphill. The trail from here becomes more wild and you will notice more roots and a bit of mud that you have to navigate.

The Climb up Buntzen Ridge

After about 40-45 minutes of hiking, you will reach a wide clearing next to a powerline with a fork in the path. Here you will need to continue straight along the Diez Vistas trail and this is where the elevation really starts and where you hike up Buntzen Ridge.

When you reach the top of the hike up, you will notice that you can choose to go right to a viewpoint called Punta del Este or continue along the path to the first Vista. We checked out Punta del Este, thinking it was the first Vista and would note that the view probably isn’t worth it as it is quite obstructed by trees.

The rest of the hike takes you around the lake, where you will be able to stop at each Vista to check out the view before heading back to the carpark. Some of the viewpoints you will have to look hard as they are kind of hard to find. The hike follows a loop so if you are planning on doing the whole thing, you won’t need to retrace your steps to end up back at the parking lot.

Other things to do at Buntzen Lake

Buntzen Lake is a great place to spend half a day or even a full day with friends and family. There is a large grassy area next to the lake where you can set up a picnic space. There is also a smaller sandy area right next to the water. When we were there we saw a lot of families setting up their picnics on the grass. They had day tents, picnic rugs and paddleboards and kayaks to use in the water.

During the warmer season, there are lifeguards at the lake which is nice to know. There is also a netted area for swimming in the shallower water. The lake is absolutely beautiful to swim in in the warmer months. We actually saw a group having a cold water dip in the Winter too while there was snow on the ground! It should be noted that dogs are not permitted in the main picnic area but there is a dedicated dog section to the right of the lake.

Buntzen Lake does get extremely busy in the Summer so make sure you plan your trip ahead of time and book your free permit nice and early! It is probably also worth arriving when the gates open in the morning.