I’ll be honest, we wanted to post a route this month that started to get into some mid-elevation FSRs, but the weather recently has STUNK and it’s all still partially snowed under. That’s okay, this route is a fun one to try while we wait for the trails to melt out.
In all our searching, we haven’t seen many posted gravel routes that run west of the city. It’s probably because there isn’t much gravel here, and what gravel there is is pretty tame.
HOWEVER, don’t take that as a knock on this route. It’s a fun, mostly flat loop that meanders along the beach, through sections of old growth forest and down to the Fraser River. If you’re confident, you might even be able to get away with a road bike on this one. Because of that, it’s great for those who might just be starting to give gravel riding a try, or are just getting back into shape after a winter on the couch.
A fun game on this loop is to count how many 18-hole golf courses you pass by, all within the city limits of a town experiencing a major housing crisis!
If you want more dirt or more kilometers, you have a few options. Have some fun finding new trails in Pacific Spirit or Stanley Park. Retrace your steps home instead of hopping onto the Arbutus Greenway. OR try this
version t
hat links together a few gravel sections out towards Iona Beach. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER.
Happy trails,
Love Machine
