Best Trails In North Vancouver To Ride Your Electric Skateboard / longboard
Trails in North Vancouver are easy to find because there are so many of them! The following locations are some of the best places we’ve had the opportunity to ride in North Van over the past couple of years. So put on your helmet, turn on your remote, and let’s ride!
If you live in North Vancouver, you’re probably already familiar with all of the amazing trails and scenery. If you’re not from North Van or don’t live there now, then we’re giving you another reason to head there and check out some of the incredible trails where you can ride your e-board.
North Vancouver Trails
The trails throughout North Vancouver can be used to commute or for recreational purposes, so if you live there, you can hop on these trails to ride to work or the gym. If you’re visiting, then be sure to check out some of the trails listed below that we love to ride throughout the year.
We know North Vancouver for its Mountains, Rainforest and amazing hiking trails. The District is less developed than the rest of the greater Vancouver area, which means more trees, wildlife and a great destination to adventure outdoors.
City planners have done a great job of placing paved trails throughout the city that are important for commuters who use PEVs like electric skateboards, electric mountainboards, electric bikes, electric scooters, etc.
A great example of this is the Spirit Trail that runs through the Southside of the city. But North Vancouver also has some amazing paved trails that were developed with recreation in mind – a great example is the Seymour Valley trail, which runs right through dense rainforest.
Spirit Trail
The Spirit Trail runs all the way from East 4th Street and Gladstone Ave, near Lynn Creek to Ambleside Park in West Vancouver. The trail covers approximately 9 km and connects North Vancouver’s densely populated Southside with popular attractions like Lonsdale Quay.
It’s an important trail for people who use alternate modes of transportation like electric skateboards, bikes, etc. This trail links North and West Van to Lion’s Gate Bridge which gives commuters easy access to Downtown Vancouver.
Essentially, this trail connects three major cities in the Lower Mainland, which makes it extremely important for people to commute on PEVs.
Although The Spirit Trail is important for commuters, it also passes by some amazing scenery. There are areas throughout the trail that run right along the waterfront, where it’s easy to spot blue herons, otters and seals. It’s a great place to unwind after a long day and go for a rip on your board.
Most of the trail system is smooth pavement. There are some spots where the trail runs on the roadway, but there is always ample space for pedestrians to avoid traffic. We highly recommend riding this trail if you haven’t checked it out yet!
There are big plans for the Spirit Trail in the future! The word is that the trail will run all the way from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove. This will cover about 35 km along BC’s amazing coast. Rest assured that Shaboardz will have an e board to take you full distance and back once the trail is fully completed.
Accessing the Spirit trail
Because the trail covers such a vast area, it’s easy to access from a number of different areas. If you live in West Vancouver, you can jump on the paved Trail at Ambleside park right beside the railway track.
If you’re in the Lonsdale Quay area of North Vancouver and want to head West, a great place to hop on the trail is on the West side of the BCIT Marine Campus, which is right by Waterfront Park. You can also access the trail on the northside of BCIT and head East towards the Shipyards.
If you live on the East side of North Vancouver, a great access point is East 4th Ave. This is a pretty quiet street, and the trail in this area begins with some nice tree cover, so it’s one of our favourite places to begin the ride.
Seymour Valley Trailway
Let’s get into the recreation side of riding and explore one of the coolest places to ride your e-board in not only North Vancouver but all of the Lower Mainland.
This trail is frequented by joggers, bikers, walkers and e-skaters!
The Seymour Valley Trailway is a smooth paved trail surrounded by dense rainforest. It runs North from the top of Lillooet Rd, for about 10 km. This trail is also known as the “Seymour demonstration forest trail.”
One of the coolest things about riding your board on this trail is that you’re in a forest surrounded by nature and wildlife, but you’re riding on a smooth paved surface. You don’t need a mountainboard here; you can ride your electric skateboard with polyurethane street wheels.
When you reach the end of the trail and the beginning of the Old Growth Trail, you’ll want an all-terrain board to continue riding as the trail becomes dirt and gravel.
If you continue on the Old Growth Trail, you’ll have access to Seymour River, and if you continue going North far enough, you’ll be able to reach Seymour Lake. We haven’t gone this far yet, but we know you’ll need a board with AT wheels or a straight-up mountainboard if you’re travelling this far into the forest.
The Seymour Valley Trail is a great place to explore and connect with nature. It’s amazing how you can be just 15 minutes outside of the city but feels like you’re hours away from civilization.
If you stop and take it all in, you’ll hear no signs of human activity, but instead, you’ll hear birds and get to stand next to amazing old-growth trees. This trail is a great place to go and beat the heat on those hot summer days.
The trees are so tall and dense that the sunlight doesn’t really get through to the trail – you can expect temps to be substantially cooler on the trail. It might be a good idea to bring a sweater and always remember that it will get dark earlier in the forest.
Lights are also a good idea, in case you leave it a little too late to head back to the parking lot.
Accessing Seymour Valley Trailway
This trail is easily accessible! Drive to the very top of Lillooet Road, and there’s public parking with washrooms. The drive up Lillooet Road takes about 10 minutes.
About halfway up, you’ll pass a yellow gate and a sign that tells you what time the gate closes to the public. The gate closes at different times throughout the year. Right now, it’s closing at 5 pm, but in the summer, it will be closer to 9 pm – 10 pm.
Once arriving at the parking lot, it can be hard to spot the trail, but you can access it behind the washrooms & to the left.
You can access Lillooet Road on Mount Seymour Parkway, which is just off the second exit for North Vancouver on Highway One.
Mid-town trail system
Another area worth checking out for a ride on your board is Grand Boulevard Park, which runs from 19th St E to Keith Rd E. It’s basically smack dab in the middle of North Vancouver. There are three paved trails that run through the park.
A bike lane on each side – one of the trails is meant for uphill use, and the other is made for downhill use. The paved trail in the middle is for walkers and shouldn’t be used by bikes or e-boards. These trails are busiest and have the most traffic on nice evenings.
You can access the Green Necklace trail on the North and South sides of Grand Boulevard park. This is a bike path that was developed for people who are using alternate modes of transportation to commute. This trail is great for commuters because, for the most part, it is separate from the road and vehicle traffic. There are points throughout the trail that run on the road, but the bike lane is always clearly marked.
On the south side of this trail that runs along Keith Road, you’ll get to ride through more parks with paved trails as it cuts through Victoria Park. This trail actually connects with the Spirit Trail, around Bewicke Avenue.
The East 19th St side of this trail also has a lot to offer. It’s extremely safe, as it separates vehicle traffic from bikes and people riding PEVs. Toward the top of the paved trail near East 23rd St, you can jump on the Greenwood gravel path and do some off-road riding. You’ll want an all-terrain electric longboard for this because, as the name suggests, it’s a gravel path, and it has a pretty steep incline.
The Green Necklace trail is designed for commuters, but it’s an awesome place to check out for a ride on your electric skateboard. The District of North Vancouver has really done a great job with their trail system. You feel safe when riding because the bike lanes are clearly marked, and most of the time, they’re not on the road.
The paths have their own lane that is separate from the road, and in many cases, they run through parks and greenways. It makes commuting on an e-board in North Vancouver very easy.
Conclusion
Riding an electric skateboard or mountainboard in North Vancouver is a great experience with tons of options, just like the rest of the greater Vancouver area! The whole region has done a great job of developing paths and trails for commuters using alternate modes of transportation, like e-boards and e-bikes.
The Lower Mainland’s trail system goes above and beyond other cities in Canada. Whether you’re commuting on a PEV in North Vancouver or just looking for a new place to ride, there are lots of great options! But don’t take our word for it. Go and check them out yourself!
We know we only scratched the surface with this article. If you’ve found more awesome places to ride or some paths that make commuting in North Vancouver easy, let us know! We’re always looking for new places to ride and would love to hear about your favourite place and share it with other riders in our community.
