This is a guide to the Shoreline Trail in Rocky Point Park, Port Moody, BC, Canada. This trail offers a pleasant, flat, family bike ride or walk, with beautiful scenery and clear signposting. Facilities include restaurants, food vendors, children’s play parks, a water park, and washrooms at both ends of the trail. Here is a video that shows what the Shoreline Trail is like:
This map shows the entire route of the Shoreline Trail:
This is a short, easy, mainly-flat, well sign-posted bike ride for the whole family. It’s part of the still disconnected Trans Canada Trail. When all of the dots of this Trail are one day connected, it’s going to one of the great wonders of the cycling and hiking world!
Details of the Shoreline Trail in Rocky Point Park, Port Moody, BC
Route: Shoreline Trail in Rocky Point Park, Port Moody, BC, Canadas
Surfaces: mostly paved, some boardwalk, smooth
Distance: 2.75 km (1.7 miles), one way
Difficulty level: very easy, almost completely flat
Type of bike required: any kind, but mountain or hybrid would be best
Safety level: very safe, completely off road
Suitable for: the whole family, including trikes and wheelchairs
Congestion: can be very busy during peak hours
Dogs allowed? Yes
Average Joe Cyclist Rating: Gold Bike-Star for a pleasant family bike ride with beautiful scenery and clear signposting
Route of the Shoreline Trail in Rocky Point Park
Set next to the picturesque Burrard Inlet, the almost 3 km horseshoe-shaped Shoreline Trail follows the inlet between Rocky Point Park pier and Old Orchard on the north shore. The trail connects Port Moody’s six waterfront parks: Rocky Point, Inlet, Town Centre, Shoreline, Old Orchard and Tidal Park.
The Shoreline Trail has two separate but parallel trails: a dirt trail designed for walkers (which includes some boardwalk and some stairs) and a paved pathway intended for cyclists, roller bladers, baby strollers and wheelchairs.
Expect a slow, leisurely ride: the presence of young cyclists and strollers make speed dangerous. On sunny weekends it can be insanely busy, but on early weekday mornings it’s a joy.
The walking trail is somewhat more picturesque than the cycling trail as it hugs the water more tightly and includes quite a lot of boardwalk; nonetheless, the cycling trail is also very pleasant and does meet up with the water at times. The route is so short you could do both trails, leaving your bike locked up when you do the walking trail!
This video gives you an idea of the scenery of the Shoreline Trail:
Afterwards, there’s a great Boathouse Restaurant right next to the water, to replace lost calories and enjoy the view from indoors! There are also food vendors in the summer.
Also when you get to the furthest point of the trail, you will find a quiet beach, small children’s park, water park, and washroom facilities – a great spot to stop for a picnic. There are not as many facilities as at the start point, but there are far less people.
Amenities along the Shoreline Bike Trail
There are children’s play parks and washrooms at both ends of the trail. However, the Rocky Point Park pier end has far more amenities, including concessions, a water park, a small outdoor swimming pool, a Boat House restaurant, and an ice-cream parlor. Best of all for cyclists, there is a small SK8 park where you can do tricks if your bike happens to be a BMX!
Sk8 park near Shoreline Trail, Rocky Point ParkAccess to the Shoreline Trail in Rocky Point Park
The Shoreline Trail is open all year round, and has several access points. The most popular are at Rocky Point and Old Orchard, on Murray Street (green balloon on map above). Just get yourself to Murray Street: once you’re there, you can’t miss it. Once there, it is lovely for both cycling and walking, and it’s 100% AAA (all ages and abilities). I have frequently seen people in wheelchairs on the bike trail, and children on their own, just enjoying the trail.
Children cycling on Rocky Point trailThere is ample car and bike parking. Cyclists from Burnaby can access the Shoreline Trail via the Barnet Highway and Clarke Street. The Barnet Highway has a separate bike lane (a lot of fun to ride, reviewed here). Clarke Street is supposed to be shared by cars and bikes, but is really not a lot of fun on a bike, not at any time of the day. I usually use the alleyway parallel to and south of Clarke Street, as it is much quieter.
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Thanks for this Average Joe. I am looking SO forward to trying out this bike trail just as soon as this rain stops!!!
Could I do this trail on a road bike or do you hve to have a mountrain bike?
Definitely a mountain bike or hybrid is best. But you could certainly do it on a road bike. I have done it on a road bike myself. Just bear in mind that you will not be able to go fast – the trail has a lot of bends, and you may suddenly come across things such as groups of moms pushing strollers. So you really have to ride with care. It’s a kind of slow but really relaxing and fun ride.
In the summer there is a really nice fish and chips concession (cnt remember the name) right next to a icecream concession – always easy to persuade my boys to go to Rocky point with the promise of so much food. This year I will make them do the bike ride FIRst