CANADIAN TRAILS: The Baden-Powell Centennial Trail, North Shore, B.C.

The Baden-Powell Centennial Trail

North Shore, B.C.

Length: 50K

Trailhead: Deep Cove, North Vancouver

Pure Trail-Running Satisfaction

Spanning the entire North Shore Mountains of Vancouver, the 50K-long Baden-Powell Centennial Trail covers all types of terrain and passes through several notable areas in North and West Vancouver. Most of the trail is well covered by second-growth forest and maintained by the municipalities and many volunteers. There are a few times when the route crosses or follows short sections of pavement through a local neighbourhood, but this simply adds to the charm of Baden-Powell’s unique character. All of these features make the BP a very accessible and relatively safe trail, at least on the eastern half. If you’re up for more of an adventure, the western portion will give you mountains to climb and much more of a wilderness journey.

The Start

Starting at the eastern trailhead in Deep Cove, North Vancouver, there is bus access and parking at Panorama Park. You’ll find the first few kilometres easy and scenic. Watch for two types of trail markers: square wooden articles at major intersections with blue and white indicators showing directions and distances, and orange “BP” triangles mounted at irregular intervals on the trees. The first 20 minutes of running takes you up to Quarry Rock, with a view of Deep Cove and across Indian Arm inlet. You can continue on a well-used and at times nicely groomed path until well past Seymour Road, where there is parking and outhouses. Beyond this, you’ll find fewer people and a greater variety of terrain. Make sure to go with a friend and watch carefully for many twists and turns.

The Sights

With many points of interest, you can enjoy the Baden-Powell a trail in different ways with each visit. You’ll pass by Mount Seymour Provincial Park, Lynn Canyon Park with its highly visited suspension bridge, and the ever popular Grouse Grind and Capilano River Park, containing Cleveland Dam with wonderful views of Vancouver’s pristine Capilano Watershed. From there, you’ll enter West Vancouver and rise up Hollyburn Mountain on steep and rolling hillside. If you continue on past the cross-country ski runs on Hollyburn Mountain you’ll enter a long section of ancient trees that are mostly large yellow cedar. This will bring you out to Cypress Bowl where some of the skiing competitions will be held for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Up and Down

There is one final climb to the spectacular views from Black Mountain and Eagleridge Bluffs. You’ll then drop more than 1,000 metres in elevation to the base of the mountain where you can end up in the beautiful trails and greenery of Nelson Canyon Park or make your way to sea level in Horseshoe Bay.

There are many races held on and around the Baden-Powell. If you’re up to a real running challenge on trail, you can take on either the Pure Satisfaction 25K or the Vancouver 100, “The Hardest 100km Trail Run Anywhere,” which takes runners the entire distance of the trail from one end to the other and back.

Craig Moore is an organizer and volunteer for several trail running events in B.C., and has twice completed the Vancouver 100 trail race.