Coquitlam Trails
A 2.9 km climb up a BC Hydro right-of-way in northwest Coquitlam, 261 metres of elevation, and 894 stairs across two flights. The City of Coquitlam clocks 52,000+ users a month at peak — roughly 1,700 a day. Written by a Coquitlam REALTOR® who walked it with his family, and dirt-biked the same hill at 13 — before the stairs were built.
Quick Answer
What should you know about Coquitlam Crunch Trail Guide?
The Coquitlam Crunch is a 2.9 km trail that gains 261 metres of elevation along a BC Hydro right-of-way in northwest Coquitlam. Two sets of stairs totaling more than 890 steps. At peak, up to 52,000 users a month. A Coquitlam REALTOR® Craig Johnston, Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® and 47+ year Tri-Cities resident, can walk you through the local context. Free Strategy Call ends with a written one-page plan in 24 hours.
Verified facts · Coquitlam Trails
Distance
2.9 km one-way to the top of Westwood Plateau
Elevation gain
261 m (860 ft)
Difficulty
Moderate — stair-heavy
Total steps
894 across two stair sets (City of Coquitlam)
Peak monthly usage
52,000+ users per month at peak season
Daily visits
~1,700/day at peak; ~230/day in the off-season (derived from City monthly counts)
Trailhead
Lansdowne Drive / Eagle Mountain Drive area
Managed by
City of Coquitlam
Cost
Free
Before the Crunch was the Crunch
A lot of people who climb the Crunch today have no idea what this hillside looked like before the City formalized it. I do. Long before there were 894 stairs, two viewing benches and a digital parking counter at the Lansdowne lot, this was a BC Hydro service road through second-growth forest — and when I was 13, growing up in Coquitlam, it was where my friends and I would push our dirt bikes up the gravel and ride back down through the cut.
The right-of-way was always there. The transmission towers were always there. The view of the Fraser Valley and Mount Baker on a clear day has always been there. What changed is that the City put a name on the route, cleared a proper path, and added two flights of stairs — and a quiet local shortcut turned into one of the most-used recreational trails in the Tri-Cities.
These days I walk it as a parent. My family and I do the lower stair set on weekday evenings; on weekends we sometimes push for the full climb to the top of Westwood Plateau. It is not the same hill I knew as a teenager. But the bones are. Knowing what it was — and what it has become — is part of why I write about Coquitlam neighbourhoods the way I do on the rest of this site.
What the climb actually feels like
Section 1 — Lower stair set
From the Lansdowne Drive trailhead you hit the first staircase within the first few minutes. It's the steeper of the two and it gets your heart rate up fast. Most casual walkers stop, breathe, and reassess at the top — that pause is the most photographed spot on the trail.
Section 2 — The gravel grade
Between the two stair sections, the route follows the BC Hydro right-of-way up a gravel grade. Open sky, transmission towers overhead, and the city view opening up to the south. This is where regulars settle into a rhythm — and where most people decide whether they're doing the full climb today.
Section 3 — Upper stair set
The second flight tops you out near the Westwood Plateau bench plateau (David Avenue / Panorama Drive area). On a clear day you'll see the Fraser Valley to the south and Mount Baker on the horizon. From there it's an easy descent back down — or a connector onto Westwood Plateau trails if you want to keep going.
Trail data: City of Coquitlam (parks & facilities, Coquitlam Crunch Trail). Step count and access points verified May 2026.
Local rituals · Crunch Day
One of the most underrated traditions in this part of Coquitlam: every Monday through spring and summer, Mariner Brewing — Coquitlam's first craft brewery, at 1100 Lansdowne Drive, a short walk from the trailhead — hosts the Coquitlam Craft Crunchers. Climb the Crunch, walk down the hill to the taproom, and you get $5 off your first bill. The event is hosted by a local regular, Mark (@paletrails), and it has quietly become one of the better ways for newcomers to actually meet their neighbours.
It is the kind of detail buyers don't find on REALTOR.ca. It's the reason families on Westwood Plateau and Eagle Ridge can do the Crunch as a Monday-evening ritual instead of a once-a-month workout — the brewery at the bottom of the hill makes the habit stick.
Where
Mariner Brewing — 1100 Lansdowne Drive, Coquitlam
When
Monday evenings, spring & summer
The deal
Climb the Crunch → $5 off your first bill
Host
Mark (@paletrails)
Event details current as of publication — Mariner Brewing publishes the schedule on their events calendar. Confirm before you go.
Coquitlam Trails · Real estate connection
The Crunch is one of the strongest hyperlocal lifestyle factors for buyers in Westwood Plateau, Eagle Ridge, and Burke Mountain-adjacent neighbourhoods. Walk-to-the-trailhead homes (the streets feeding into Lansdowne Drive and Eagle Mountain Drive, plus the David Avenue / Panorama Drive top entry) trade differently than otherwise-comparable homes a five-minute drive away — because the trail becomes part of the daily routine instead of a destination.
When I help buyers shortlist homes in this catchment, "minutes to a Crunch trailhead" is a real filter — alongside school catchment, commute, and slope. When I list a home within walking distance of an access point, I treat it as a feature, not an afterthought.
If you're trying to figure out whether a specific street is genuinely "walkable" to the Crunch — versus marketing copy that just mentions it — that's a 10-minute conversation. Book a strategy call or request a home evaluation and I'll show you the map I actually use.
Frequently asked
894 in total, split between two stair sets — the lower flight near the Lansdowne trailhead and the upper flight closer to the top of Westwood Plateau (City of Coquitlam, Parks & Facilities).
The City of Coquitlam reports peak-season usage of over 52,000 users per month — roughly 1,700 a day. In the slower winter months, monthly usage falls to about 7,000, or roughly 230 a day. Weekend mornings and weekday evenings are the busiest windows.
Most people complete the full up-and-down in 45–75 minutes. Regulars who train on it can do the climb in under 25 minutes; first-timers often take 50+ minutes up.
The Lansdowne Drive trailhead has dedicated parking with the City's digital counters showing live availability. Eagle Ridge Park and Bramble Park (Panorama Drive) are secondary access points with washrooms.
Yes — leashed dogs are welcome. Be mindful that the gravel surface gets hot in summer, the stairs are tough on older dogs, and busy weekend mornings can be tight for reactive dogs.
Mariner Brewing — a short walk down Lansdowne Drive from the trailhead — runs the Coquitlam Craft Crunchers every Monday through spring and summer. Climb the Crunch, head to the taproom, and you get $5 off your first bill. Hosted by Mark (@paletrails). Confirm dates on Mariner's events calendar.
The trail sits along the boundary between Westwood Plateau (top of the climb) and Eagle Ridge / Lansdowne (bottom). Burke Mountain residents typically drive 5–10 minutes to the lower trailhead.
Walking-distance access is a lifestyle premium buyers ask about by name in the Westwood Plateau and Eagle Ridge catchments. Whether it shows up in a specific home's price depends on slope, age, and comparables — happy to walk you through the math on any address.
A 47-year Coquitlam resident and licensed REALTOR® at The MACNABS, Royal LePage Elite West. The local context that makes the numbers make sense.
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