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Howe Sound EPIC Views from Jurassic Ridge at Murrin Provincial Park – Squamish Best Hikes

Let The Striking Views of Howe Sound Take Your Breath Away! When Seen From The Jurassic Ridge Trail at Murrin Park. Definitely One of the Best Underrated Hikes Near Squamish

Have you ever found yourself in a postcard? Your friends would look at your photo and won’t believe it is real? This is exactly why you should visit Murrin Provincial Park, and hike Jurassic Ridge trail. Here, you have a chance to breathe in and fully embrace the spectacular Howe Sound with all of your senses at once! …and once the hard part of this awesome hike is done – enjoy a refreshing swim in nearby Browning Lake!

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Murrin Provincial Park – Best Views of Howe Sound!

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Murrin is a tiny Provincial Park that we are passing every time on our drive to Squamish. We could see the shiny water of Browning Lake, but we never really thought much of it.. As we were soon to find out – Murrin Park is a highly underrated wildly beautiful location that should be on every local BC outdoorsy to-do list! Unexpectedly it presents one of the best views of the stunning Howe Sound we've experienced to-date!

Murrin Park offers hikes for every experience level, and it is a popular location for rock climbing enthusiasts.

There are three main hiking trails that you’ll find: Browning Lake trail, The Loop trail, and Jurassic Ridge trail. 

NOTE: only Browning Lake is dogs-friendly. No dogs are allowed on The Loop trail and Jurassic Ridge trail. 

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Directions to Murrin Provincial Park

GPS / Google Maps anchor point: Murrin Provincial Park, Browning Lake Trail, Britannia Beach, BC V0N 1J0

If you are heading to Murrin Provincial Park from Coquitlam Centre, it will take you about an hour to get there.

Luckily when you are coming from Vancouver the Sea-to-sky highway has proper road markings and you can safely turn left into the small parking lot next to Browning Lake.

There is, of course, an option to hike to Browning Lake from Squamish – the town is only 10 minutes driving distance away!

There are bio-washrooms next to the parking lot, but no running water, nor any food options. 

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Browning Lake Trail 

Browning Lake trail goes around the lake, is very well maintained, has some picnic tables right on the lakeshore, and allows you to swim in the refreshing and clean waters.. Priceless on a hot summer day after you do one of the more complex hikes or just finished your rock climbing exercise!

Browning Lake trail is both stroller and wheelchair accessible! The full loop around the lake is about 1 km altogether. 

Want to find Best Swimming Lakes near Vancouver? Check out this post:
Best Kids-Friendly Swimming Lakes Near Vancouver For Your Awesome Family Summer Experience!

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The Loop Trail

One step harder is The Loop Trail. This is still easy, but not a stroller or wheelchair accessible wild forest hiking path that leads to a cool look-out viewpoint.

The Loop hike is about 3km long. There is some elevation gain, and you’ll find pretty steep rock-and-earth steps to climb. 

This path is kids-friendly, and our 3yo Cosmos would have nailed it no problem, if we did not decide to take the hardest (but funest) Jurassic Ridge trail to get the best of it! 

Once you hit the highest point of The Loop trail, you are awarded that first epic glimpse of the Howe Sound. Park staff had even placed a wooden bench on top of the rocks, so hikers can sit down and embrace the spectacular beauty, enjoy warm summer breeze through your hair and meditate…

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Jurassic Ridge Trail – Absolute Best Howe Sound Views!

Jurassic Ridge is the hardest hike Murrin Provincial Park offers – and provides some of the most striking views of Howe Sound we’ve encountered anywhere near Squamish. Of course, we did not want to miss it, no matter that we had Cosmos with us! 

Overall it took us 3 hours of moving time, we've done about 190m elevation and hiked 4.5km. As always, having AllTrails app ON 🙂

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We would actually rate Jurassic Ridge as a medium level – it is not that hard if you are hiking with no kids. Jurassic Ridge adds an extra 1.5km to The Loop. There are steep elevation gains, and in some sections, you’ll need to hold on to (conveniently provided by the staff, thank you!) ropes to get up and down. 

Cosmos was wearing a Spiderman hoodie and did a good job pretending he IS the actual Spiderman climbing rocks using ropes! How much fun for the 3yo!

We do caution everyone, however: 

• We would NOT recommend hiking Jurassic Ridge with kids under 5yo. Even if you carry your baby in a carry-on, it could prove difficult as in some areas you’ll literally need to crawl up or down using ropes. If you are still taking a child with you, it is safer to have 2+ adults.
• We also do NOT recommend Jurassic Ridge trail to anyone with mobility concerns, recent injuries, health issues. 
• Ensure everyone has good grippy non-slip footwear, including bringing along proper hiking shoes for your kids.

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Jurassic Ridge Trail – Quick Facts

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Be Safe When Visiting Jurassic Ridge

Hiking With Kids Safety Basics

Jurassic Ridge trail is not an easy one for kids under 10, and we caution you to think Safety prior to your visit. At the end of the day, we explore the outdoors with our kids to make memories, hopefully, good memories only. ..and the Howe Sound beautiful view this trail offers is definitely worth the effort!

We’ve recently posted our 12 simple rules we always follow to stay safe on the trail with our son, so nothing can take away from the ultimate family fun learning and adventure experience! 

Hiking With Kids: 12 Simple Safety Rules Every Parent Should Follow

We encourage you to review these safety precautions before you visit Murrin Provincial Park, any other hiking trail around Squamish, or any other awesome outdoor adventure for that matter!

At the very least here is your list of hints: 

• bright colours
• good hiking shoes for kids and adults alike
• water
• first aid kit 

Another reminder is to always explore as per Leave No Trace principles, so the beautiful outdoors is protected and preserved for future generations.

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Bugs OFF!

No, you would NOT find dinosaurs in Murrin Park! But if you are visiting later in the day, you could be attacked by a blood-thirsty crowd of mosquitoes and flies Browning Lake is home to… 

It is recommended you do use some kind of bug spray. However please always be aware of the fragile ecosystems of Beautiful British Columbia, Browning Lake, and Murrin Provincial Park being one of them. When selecting bug repellent please take preference in natural, organic, non-toxic options.

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Sunscreen

Yes, even in Canada, and as always we caution everyone to use sunscreen when hitting your next trail. The UVA/UVB sun rays can do much damage when you are regularly spending your time outdoors. 

Same as with the bug repellents, we recommend you give preference to natural, organic, chemical-free sunscreens. 

We’ve recently done our research on Best Natural Sunscreens For Kids. Check out our Top 8 brands available in Canada and the USA.  We’ve tried a couple of the listed Top-8 sunscreens with great results, and are currently using the Green Beaver brand. Yes, they too offer natural chemical-free sunscreen options, which smells delicious! 

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Howe Sound Views & Jurassic Ridge Hike – Photo Gallery

We are not going to hide it, we love taking photos of breathtaking views! We have photos of Howe Sound from St. Mark’s Summit, from Sea-to-Sky Gondola, from Shannon Falls trail, from Squamish. 

By far Jurassic Ridge trail at Murrin Provincial Park is the easiest trail of them all, and the spectacular Howe Sound is as breathtaking, and I’d argue even more EPIC than from any other location! Yes, the effort!

Check out our photo gallery from Murrin Park visit and see for yourself!

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Fun Family Outdoor Learning

Want to have even more family fun outdoors when visiting Murrin Provincial Park? or anywhere else, even at an airport or on the street? Check out our PerfectDayToPlay FREE printable Treasure Hunt sheets!

Are you an outdoor enthusiast and love hiking with your kids? Do you know any other cool local hikes near Squamish you could share with us? Any kids-friendly epic hike you know of in British Columbia will be much appreciated! Send us a note!

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Latest outdoors and travel experiences in British Columbia:

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Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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Share your pictures on social media! tag #PerfectDayToPlayHike to be featured on our Instagram! 

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