The Spirea Nature Trail – Golden Ears Provincial Park
Distance: 0.8km Time: 15-20 mins Elevation: nil From Vancouver: 1hr 10mins Dog Friendly: Yes Toilets: Yes
The Spirea Nature Trail is a walk that takes you through the most magical forest you probably have ever laid eyes on. The forest surrounding the trail is the sort of place where you can imagine a fairy popping out from under a mushroom. If you have kids they will have a blast looking for fairies! The Spirea Trail is located in Golden Ears Provincial Park about 1 hour from Vancouver.
This is one of the easiest Golden Ears hikes with no elevation and is only 0.8km which will take you around 15-20 minutes. The trail is wheelchair accessible, dog friendly and there is a pit toilet located next to the car park. If you are visiting Vancouver, and thinking about visiting Golden Ears Provincial Park, make sure you stop by the Spirea Nature Trail! For more beautiful but easy hikes in Vancouver, check out our 10 Easy Hikes Near Vancouver Guide!
Where is the Spirea Nature Trail?
The Spirea Nature Trail in Golden Ears Provincial Park is located in Maple Ridge and is approximately 1 hour 10mins drive from downtown Vancouver.
To get to the Spirea trail, once you have passed the Golden Ears sign at the park gate, continue driving for around 5.8km or 6mins. You will eventually see a small carpark that fits around 20 cars on your right. There is a pit toilet at the trailhead next to the carpark.
Once you have parked your car, you will find the trail right next to the toilet. As soon as you enter the forest, you will feel as though you are in the middle of the wildness! Parking is free and you don’t need to register however in the Summer you will need to reserve a day pass from the BC Parks website.
Golden Ears Provincial Park Day Passes
During the off season (aka Winter), you can visit Golden Ears without needing to book a permit. During Winter the park is extremely quiet and you will probably have it almost to yourself.
In Summer, however you will need a day pass to visit Golden Ears Provincial Park. You only need to book a permit to visit Golden Ears if you are visiting between 7am and 3:30pm. Outside these hours, you can come and go as you please as long as the gates are open.
The day pass is free and can be obtained from the BC Parks Reservation Website. These passes can be booked only two days before visiting and the booking system opens at 7am.
There will be some available spots at the Spirea Nature Trail carpark which you do not need a pass for however these usually fill up shortly after the parks gates open.
Golden Ears Opening Hours
The entrance to Golden Ears Provincial Park is Golden Ears has different opening hours depending on the season. It is open much later in the Summer and closes earlier in the Winter. You can check the current opening hours on the Golden Ears Twitter Account.
Light Rays on the Spirea Nature Trail
You may have seen stunning photos on Instagram of beautiful lights rays shining through the forests in Golden Ears. A lot of these photos are taken along the Spirea Nature Trail. If you are looking to catch these beautiful light rays, there are a number of things you will need to look for.
- Visit the Spirea Trail in the colder months – Fall, Winter or early Spring. The temperatures need to be 0 C degrees or colder.
- Visit first think in the morning shortly after the sun has come up. In the Winter, it will be later and in the Spring it will be earlier.
- The humidity will need to be 90% or higher. Check the Weather Network website for Alouette Lake, Golden Ears Provincial Park as this will be the most accurate weather reading.
Our Thoughts
Golden Ears Provincial Park is one of our favourite parks in Vancouver and the Spirea Nature Trail is definitely one of the most beautiful forests we have ever seen! Golden Ears has lots of other hikes as well. If you are looking for a more family friendly hike that is longer than this one, we can recommend Gold Creek Falls which runs along the Lower Falls Trial. The Gold Creek Falls hike is 5.5km return and relatively flat. The trail is also pretty wide so its a great choice if you are going with a group of friends or family.
For more things to do in Golden Ears Provincial Park, check out our guide on 8 Fun Things to do in Golden Ears Provincial Park or our hiking guide on Gold Creek Falls!
