The Forever Young Club has chosen the best five walking routes – all five kilometres in length – for our Best of Richmond readers. We hope you enjoy walking these routes.
1. McDonald Beach – 5K
To find McDonald Beach, take the exit to McArthurGlen Designer Outlets, stay on the road, which then becomes Ferguson Road. When you reach the Canada Post Office terminal, McDonald Road takes you straight to the beach.
There is plenty of parking and a convenient public washroom here.
This little-known dike pathway follows the North Arm of the Fraser River from McDonald Beach to McArthurGlen.
An alternative path is along the sandy beach by the river, then back up to the dike pathway.
At one point on the route, you will enter an awe-inspiring over-canopy of trees sheltering the path.
After your walk, you can have a well-deserved coffee at the McArthurGlen.
2. No. 3 Road to No. 4 Road on the South Dyke – 5K
Follow No. 3 Road south to the dike.
Start at the parking lot and head east on this beautiful river’s-edge pathway where you can see Mount Baker in the distance.
Often you will see huge freighters hauling cars to be unloaded near No. 6 Road.
The highlight of this route is walking through the picturesque wood-cladded cabins along historic Finn Slough.
When you reach No. 4 Road, turn around and retrace your steps.
3. Steveston Village to London Farm – 5.5K
This is one of the most popular walkways in Richmond and deservedly so.
In the early morning mist, you will see dozens of fishermen along the pier hoping for a bite.
Once across the wooden bridge, you are on a true boardwalk leading to Britannia Shipyards.
At the Chinese Bunkhouse you turn left, then turn right on Westwater Drive.
At Trites Road stay on the pathway (not the road) where, just before No. 2 Road, you will find a beautifully kept pet cemetery.
Following the pathway across No. 2 Road, you will find another pathway on the north side of the apartments. Looking north on a clear day you will see the North Shore Mountains.
Follow this pathway and road back to the dike. Within minutes you will be at historic and quaint London Farm where you turn around and head back.
Instead of taking the same route back, follow Dyke Road to look at the variety of boats in the harbour, to Trites Road, then home to Steveston.
4. Steveston to Garry Point, through the neighbourhood and return – 5K
For this route, the Forever Young Club starts at the parking lot on First Avenue and Bayview Street. Walk west toward the Steveston Harbour Dock and take a stroll out and back to look at the interesting boats and the river.
Go around the Cannery Museum and head west where you will pass the best mural (in our opinion) in Richmond, showing huge red salmon swimming in a green stream.
Enter Garry Point Park at the Japanese Garden and walk by the memorial of Richmond fishermen who have lost their lives at sea. At this point you often see fishing boats heading out for a day’s catch.
After rounding the Point, carry on north on the west dike to Steveston Highway and follow the map through the unique Steveston neighbourhood back to Bayview and First Avenue.
5. Terra Nova to Blundell Road – 5K
To find the start/finish, follow River Road west to Terra Nova. The large parking lot is across the road from the public washroom.
At the south-west end of the parking lot, a path will take you over a bridge to the large playground – a challenge for kids of any age. Stay on the treed path going south and parallel to the dike until you get to Westminster Highway where you will join the dike south to the washroom at Blundell Road.
Turn around here and head back to the parking lot.
But, instead of taking the same route back, turn east on Westminster Highway to the entrance of Terra Nova Gardens. The gardens are a spectacular sign of success and cooperation between the city and its citizens as part-time “farmers” grow vegetables to distribute to local food banks.
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