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Mystery Lake – Mt Seymour Stunning Kids-Friendly Hike, North Vancouver

Living in Beautiful British Columbia is truly a blessing. There are plenty of easy hikes in and around Vancouver to enjoy with your kids, many offer spectacular views. Mystery Lake Mt Seymour hike has been on our list of “hikes to-do in North Vancouver” for quite a while now. Rightfully so, as the colours we've experienced, both water and sky, when getting up there are unbelievably vivid and beautiful! Visiting Vancouver? Get your hiking shoes ready and follow our photo-journey to the most unbelievable colours of Mystery Lake. (TOO MANY PHOTOS ALERT!)

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First – Directions. Mystery Lake Photos will follow

GPS / Google Maps anchor point:
Mt Seymour Resort, 1700 Mt Seymour Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7G 1L3

If you are heading to Mystery Lake at Mt Seymour from Coquitlam Centre, it will take you about an hour to get there.

Careful though, as we've almost gone the wrong way – as Alex put in Mt Seymour into our GPS and it took us to the other side – to Lower Mt Seymour at the Lynn Valley Canyon. This is NOT where you should go – you need to specify Mt Seymour Resort to get to the right place to hike Mystery Lake.

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There is a large parking lot at the top of Mt Seymour next to the ski resort. Right next to it you'll find proper washrooms with running water, as well as a convenience store aka cafe The Bear's Den which sells snacks – everything from soup to sandwiches to ice cream.

Some of the very best hiking trails with stunning views are located here on Mt Seymour. Mystery Lake trail is just one of them, but definitely is worth a visit! The trail-head to Mystery Lake is located right behind The Bear's Den Cafe.

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Mystery Lake – Mount Seymour, BC – Quick Facts

CAUTION: this trail was marked as an “Easy” one in AllTrails Mobile App. We have found out that to be not exactly true… As we thought this would be an easy few hours hike, we ventured out with our 3yo Cosmos and our 50+yo grandma, who was visiting for a few weeks.

Below is the original trail map – the actual trail as outlined in AllTrails App.

The original hike is 4.5km, goes around the lake and adds a hill climb to the agenda. That is NOT what we've done.

We are just happy we had our hiking shoes packed for the whole family! We got awesome toddler hiking shoes just a few weeks before the hike, glad we did and you'll soon learn why!

On June 2, 2019 most of the trail was still covered with snow. Some spots were quite dangerous – as the snow was melting from beneath and it was very easy to go down under. The snow was quite slippery, at times covered with an icy core, and at times becoming a slushy mash…

Most of the trail is rough terrain, routs and stones, with few steep climbs here and there. Once again – good hiking shoes is The Key to Mystery Lake trail. Preparing for a visit – pack a pair for sure!

So instead of completing the full trail as described, we've done the following (against the clock direction):

We've just made it to the Mystery Lake itself, tried to find a path to go further.. unsuccessfully. All were covered in snow and did not seem safe to proceed with our son and our grandma “at hand”.

As a result, we decided to simply hang out next to Mystery Lake for a bit, take some pictures, play snowballs… We even built a full-sized snowman! What a blast for our 3yo to be building a snowman in June 🙂

Still, we would say that the Mystery Lake trail IS kids-friendly. Just maybe wait till August-September to take your little ones for this walk – so there is no more snow on the trail. You could always take an alternative easier route uphill.

The path we took to go down (left side of the map above) – is an actual skiing hill. If you simply walk up the hill here instead of taking the foresty trail path, you'll get up to the Mystery Lake fairly quickly.

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Trail Essentials – Good Hiking Shoes is KEY

All gear is important of course when venturing out into rough landscapes and uncertain trail conditions. You may be looking for perfect hiking poles, jacket, comfortable hiking shirts, and pants. But one item you should pay most attention to – the shoes.

GOOD SHOES are an absolute must for anyone loving adventure in BC! Even easy trails near Vancouver can be a bit challenging depending on the weather. Good shoes are something we've been thankful for with every step in this particular case. As mentioned, the Mystery Lake trail conditions were unexpectedly the worst. …and Yes, we've been prepared!

My mom and I (Alexandra and our grandma Elena) were wearing slightly differing variations of Merrell Waterproof Hiking Shoes. I got one of the pairs about 5 years ago when we were getting ready to hike Grand Canyon.

Not only these Merrell boots survived Grand Canyon and this hike, but also numerous other hikes throughout the US and Canada, India, and Nepal, but they are the most convenient pair I've ever had!

Alex, as usual everywhere, is also wearing a Men's version Merrell Hiking Shoes. As opposed to me, who wears these for hiking adventures only, Alex is scoring his Merrell shoes as day-to-day footwear – all because of the phenomenal comfort and durability.

When it comes to footwear – Merrell is our absolute favourite hiking shoes brand. Ever.

What does Cosmos wear?!… The best choice of baby footwear for Cosmos' age is OshKosh Baby Bumptoe boots. Very convenient to use, durable, comfortable, and have non-slip soles. We did find a summer version of Merrell toddler hiking shoes for him too, used those on a number of hikes already but not in the snow.

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Choosing the right hiking shoes for kids

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Was The Walk to Mystery Lake Worth It?

Absolutely! Mt Seymour hikes are always inspiring and offer unexpected gifts of most cool #nofilter photos! All photos you see have been taken on my regular iPhone!

The crisp vivid colours of the water alone are magical… How can ice be all shades from navy blue to bright lemon all at the same time?

Cosmos was excited to find natural rainbow-colour rocks under one of the little streams making its way into the lake. How is it possible?

I personally was AWED by a little lake-pond we've encountered on the trail. How is it possible to create such a perfect natural mirror? Answers to all of these questions remain a Mystery!

Would we do it again? Absolutely! August-September is perfect for a visit as most of the snow is gone. We'll also take a different trail – there are so many spectacular hikes on Mt Seymour! Stay tuned 🙂 Maybe you could even join us on our next North Vancouver hike!

More kids-friendly easy all-season hikes near Vancouver here: Gorgeous & Easy Winter Hikes Near Vancouver To Absolutely Enjoy

Stay SAFE when hiking Mount Seymour with kids + Outdoor Ethics:
8 Best Natural Sunscreens For Kids. Organic. Chemicals-Free.
Hiking With Kids: 12 Simple Safety Rules Every Parent Should Follow
Leave No Trace & Outdoor Ethics – Zero Impact Family Adventures

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Fun Family Outdoor Learning

Want to have even more family fun hiking outdoors exploring Vancouver trails? How about a Treasure hunt? Check out our PerfectDayToPlay FREE printable Scavenger Hunt sheets!

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Photo Gallery of Mystery Lake Hike

Check out our full Mystery Lake gallery – the colours are unbelievable! Once again #nofilter!

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Are you an outdoors enthusiast who loves spending time on Vancouver trails? We are always on a lookout for easy kids-friendly hikes near Vancouver! Send us your best hikes with views!

Speaking about vies, make sure to check out Hunter Trail near Mission – some of the best views of Stave Lake and Mt. Baker!

By the way, if you are looking for lakes near Vancouver you can swim in, check out this post: Best Kids-Friendly Swimming Lakes Near Vancouver For Your Awesome Family Summer Experience!

Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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