From the parking lot you can ride a loop around the lake. Head north (left) out onto the trail. This is the North Academy trail. This leads to the service road. Turn right and follow the road all the way around the north end of the lake. It gets a bit tricky here. You want the Old Buntzen trail on your left. And then the Lakeview trail. There is a corral along this trail for a break, with a nice viewpoint. Follow the Lakeview trail south all the way to another service road. Follow that service road around the south of the lake. Now you will be on the South Academy trail. This leads back to the parking lot. You can do the trail in reverse, however on a hot day it is better to go the north way first and get the hot dry road part over with first. Horses should be shod all round and be reasonably fit. Pack a lunch. It's a nice ride, about 3 1/2 hours. Varying scenery.

Ride Time: 3.5 hr

Parking: Limited

Connecting or nearby trails: Belcarra Park

Camping: No

Watch out for Mountain bikes and bears. The B.C Hydro Dog policy is that they must be under control. They should be on leash on the service roads but they don't usually enforce this unless there is a problem. Basic common sense should prevail. The parking lot is small and there is only the one available for horse trailers. Get there early in the summer as they often have to close the park early in the day if too many people come. No matter how busy the park is, you see very few people and almost no horses on the horse trails. Which makes for a nice ride!

From the Fraser Valley head west on Hwy 1. Take the first exit after the Port Mann bridge and follow Hwy 7 East (Lougheed). When you get to the big intersection at Coquitlam centre, turn left onto Barnett Hwy. Next turn right onto Ioco. Follow the signs to Anmore, Buntzen Lake. It will seem like you are driving through some fancy subdivisions. Don't get put off. This is correct. Once in the park, the Horse Staging (and Overflow parking) is about 1 km in on the right. The parking lot is small, squeeze in.

Originally constructed and maintained for equestrian use, most of the following trails are open to hikers and mountain bikers as well. Some sections of these routes were constructed as trails, while other portions follow old logging road tracks and powerline rights-of-way.

Mountain bikers are permitted on access roads, transmission line roads, the short trails linking the two parking areas with the floating bridge and on the trails to Sasamat Lake and Eagle Bluff. Mountain bikers are requested to obey all posted signs.

Bear Claw/Saddle Ridge/Horseshoe Trails

Leading steeply up the mountainside into the cool, dark cedar and hemlock forests that blanket the slopes around Buntzen Lake, these trails form loops with Powerhouse Road and the Lakeview Trail and provide access to the Diez Vistas Trail and the trail to Sasamat Lake.

Lakeview Trail

• Hiking time: 5–6 hours return. Distance: 6 km (one way). Elevation gain: 150 m.

Portions of this trail are very steep. Equestrians and mountain bike riders should only use this trail if experienced in steep mountain terrain riding. Providing an alternative route along Buntzen Lake's western shore, this trail weaves its way along Pumphouse Road from the main entrance gate, then connects with the transmission line heading north before slipping into the dense forest that enfolds Buntzen Ridge. The trail ends where it joins the Old Buntzen Lake Trail near North Beach.

Academy Trail

• Hiking time: 2–2.5 hours (one way). Distance: 4 km. Elevation gain: 100 m.

The Academy Trail begins at the main entrance gate and extends north through a fern-filled forest paralleling the main access road to the equestrian parking lot. The trail then follows Rogue Creek to an open transmission line access road that joins with Powerhouse Road about halfway to North Beach.

Old Buntzen Lake Trail

• Hiking time: 45 minutes (one way). Distance: 1.5 km. Elevation gain: 20 m.

Before the suspension bridge was built, this trail portion completed the loop around Buntzen Lake. Follow the transmission line north where it leaves the Buntzen Lake Trail. This leads you to a concrete water intake building. Here the trail cuts through the forest, joining Powerhouse Road immediately northwest of the dam.

View in Google Earth (must have Google Earth installed on your computer):  belcarra.kml

Printable Map: buntzenmap.pdf

NTS map sheet reference: 92G7

Lat/Long @ Trailhead: 49.339 N 122.8575 W