Mt. Seymour - Old Buck Trail

This trail provides generally smooth, though at times strenuous, uphill riding and hiking on often gravelled trails, passing through thickets of early season salmon berries, crossing small streams and many trail intersections of the vast Seymour trails network.The lower section of the trail is 2.3 km long taking you to the Baden-Powell Trail junction. Another 3.2 km of trail continues uphill from here to the Deep Cove lookout at the Perimeter Trail junction, giving a total trail elevation gain of 670 metres. The Old Buck Trail follows the course of the original old logging road that also provided early Vancouver tourists with car access to the historic Mushroom Parking Lot. this trip must have been quite an exciting challenge to vehicles of the 1920's. The trail also provided access to the historic cabins built on the upper slopes of Mount Seymour. BC Parks suggests 45 minutes of moderate hiking for the lower section and two hours for the upper section of the trail.From the lower parking lot, follow the gravelled trail uphill. You will pass Bridal path on your left, a trail definitely worth exploring, Horse Loop, the Baden Powell Trail and Power Lines trail before a loose steep section leads you to just after the first switch-back corner of Mt Seymour Road.A short section left along the road you will pass the Vancouver Picnic Area on your right. Behind the barricades on the left of the road, just before the corner is the entrance to Corkscrew and Incline, which also gains you access to the Mushroom Parking Lot via the Old Mushroom Trail.Alternatively, you can continue across the road to the upper section of the Old Buck Trail, heading up to the Perimeter Trail Junction.It should be noted that Old Buck is a busy, multi-use trail, used extensively by hikers, bikers, trail runners and horse riders. Particular attention needs to be taken here to giving way to others.

Directions:

From Mt Seymour Parkway turn north onto Mount Seymour Road. The Old Buck trail head can be found near the park entrance, on the west side of the road. There is day use area, with a information board, a park map park brochures and a pit toilet.The upper section of the Old Buck can also be accessed via the Old Buck Access Trail, found at the east end of the Vancouver Picnic Area, located just before the second switch-back corner of Mount Seymour Road.