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Minnekhada Park: Discover Cool All Seasons Kids-Friendly Hikes & Trails

Minnekhada Regional Park near Coquitlam, BC is the perfect place for your next daily adventure hiking with kids. Low Knoll hike is easily accessible all year round and the scenery is stunning at every season!

Are you looking for an easy kids-friendly few hours hike near Vancouver? Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam, BC is the perfect place! The Minnekhada Low Knoll hike is beautiful and easily accessible all year round, although there are a few other easy hiking trails you could enjoy. No matter the time of year, or which direction you'd start, stunning serene scenery is guaranteed!

In the summer the whole Minnekhada lake is covered with lilies. There are hundreds of various birds around, including swans. We've seen a few beaver-huts on the water.

In winter the water is covered with a thin glass of ice, which makes Minnekhada Park's views look like coming out of fairy tales. Makes for spectacular pictures, especially when the sun is low and is reflecting on the ice!

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What does Minnekhada even mean?

Minnekhada Regional Park has a unique name. But what does it even mean?

The original name “Minikahda” is a combination of two Sioux words meaning “by the side of” and “water.” So the literal translation of Minnekhada means “water rattling by”.

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Minnekhada Provincial Park

There is a parking right where the Minnekhada Low Knoll trail-head starts – it s a dirt/gravel lot for maybe 4 dozen cars, but we've never seen it completely full. There is additional parking along the road though.

CAREFUL: two times we've visited we've seen black bears right off the parking lot. Yes, indeed of all the hikes near Vancouver this is the place where you'd have the biggest chance meeting a bear or two 🙂 Learn the Leave No Trace seven principles and Outdoor Ethics, including around animal interaction.

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There are a wooden-hut type washroom and a trail-map poster. There is NO water, nor any food options other than the berries along the hiking trail.

You are welcome however to bring your snacks and picnic baskets. In case you decide not to do the full loop but instead to have a nice picnic by the pond – there are some picnic tables available next to Minnekhada Lodge. You can either walk all the way there – about 1km – or you can drive and park right off Minnekhada Lodge (anchor: Minnekhada Lodge )

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Directions

GPS / Google Maps anchor point: Minnekhada Regional Park @ 4000 Quarry Rd, Coquitlam, BC V3E 3H5

If you are heading to Minnekhada Regional Park from Coquitlam Centre, it will take you about 10 min or less to get there. The road is paved and well-maintained. I'd say of all hikes near Vancouver, and all hikes near Coquitlam, this one is most accessible and with the least chance of getting in traffic or not finding a parking spot!

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Minnekhada Regional Park – Low Knoll Trail – Quick Facts

There are few hiking trails around the Minnekhada: Low Knoll, High Knoll, Lodge, Fern trail, Quarry trail, etc… The one that we love to hike, that is absolutely kids-friendly and easy to master is the Low Knoll.

The hiking trail starts as a nice park-like gravel road. If you are here with a stroller – you'll only be able to do a lower part of the loop walking against the clock – I've marked it in Blue on the image below – blue line is what you can hike with the stroller.

Otherwise, the full loop is about 3.5km and it is not stroller-friendly. Once you cross the pond the hiking trail becomes one of those wild foresty-stony trails where you'd need to climb a bit here and there. Despite occasional stairs made of tree-roots, I'd rate this hike as super-easy.

Cosmos, who just turned 3yo at the time we hiked there last in January, was able to walk all the way and complete the full loop. He wasn't even tired too much. Of all hiking trails near Vancouver, this path was the easiest for him to master!

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Stay SAFE adventuring outdoors with your kids!

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Minnekhada Park Photo Gallery

As we live nearby in Coquitlam, we are regular visitors to Minnekhada hiking trails. Our very first time was in July 2017 when we just arrived in BC and Cosmos was only about 1.5yo.

This photo-album is from January 2019 – taken on a regular iPhone. Minnekhada is the place to chill and embrace the serenity of the surrounding stunning scenery…

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Fun Family Learning

Want to have even more family fun outdoors? How about a fun treasure hunt while your kids are adventuring on the hiking trail?

Check out our PerfectDayToPlay FREE printable Scavenger Hunt sheets!

Once again, we are always looking for more suggestions on easy hikes near Vancouver. If you know a kids-friendly beautiful hiking location – send us a note!

In addition, we invite you to join us on Facebook at our British Columbia Outdoors Group

Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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

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