Minnekhada is a 211-hectare Metro Vancouver regional park in northeast Coquitlam — freshwater marsh, forested slopes and rocky knoll viewpoints beside the Pitt River and the Pitt-Addington Marsh. High Knoll gives you the Pitt River, Burke Mountain and the Golden Ears in one panoramic; the historic 1934 Lodge is the heritage layer most people miss. This is the complete local guide: trails, viewpoints, the Lodge, wildlife, parking and directions. Written by Craig Johnston, REALTOR® V99960 — a 47+ year Coquitlam resident who has hiked it dozens of times.
Updated: July 7, 2026 · License: V99960 · Brokerage: Royal LePage Elite WestMinnekhada Regional Park is in northeast Coquitlam, BC, beside the Pitt River and the Pitt-Addington Marsh. The main entrance is at 4000 Quarry Road (primary trail access); a secondary Oliver Road entrance serves the historic Lodge. It is a Metro Vancouver regional park covering roughly 211 hectares, with about 12 km of trails and five named lookouts. Parking and entry are free. High Knoll (about 180 m) is the summit reward, and the marsh dike is the best wildlife-viewing spot in the park. Its signature hike, High Knoll, is roughly 5 km round-trip, and the historic Minnekhada Lodge (built 1934–1937) opens to the public on the first Sunday of each month.
The essentials for planning a visit — the size, the setting, the summit, the Lodge, and the cost. Every tile links to a deeper page where it makes sense.
Minnekhada is one of my favourite Coquitlam hikes — quieter than Buntzen, more open than Burke, and rich with wildlife in a way few Metro Vancouver parks can match.
It's a rugged 211-hectare Metro Vancouver regional park at the northeast edge of Coquitlam, where the forested slopes meet the flat expanse of the Pitt River and the Pitt-Addington Marsh. The landscape is a mix of three things: a large freshwater marsh split into an Upper and Lower basin by a dike and footbridge; rocky knoll viewpoints that rise out of the forest; and a network of well-marked trails threading between them. This is not a manicured city park with playgrounds and sports fields — it's wild country, and that's the whole appeal.
The signature reward is High Knoll: a roughly 5 km round-trip climb to a rocky bluff at about 180 m, with a panoramic that takes in the Lower Marsh, the Pitt River, Pitt Meadows, Burke Mountain to the north and the Golden Ears to the east. The Mid-Marsh dike is the easy, flat counterpoint — the most reliable wildlife-viewing spot in the park. And tucked in the forest is the historic Minnekhada Lodge, a Scottish-style country hunting estate built in the 1930s that most weekend visitors never realize is there.
Minnekhada sits just north of the Burke Mountain area and adjoins Pinecone Burke Provincial Park to the north. It's a genuine destination hike — pack water and a snack, keep the dog leashed, and give yourself a couple of hours to do it properly.
Minnekhada's trail network is compact and well-marked, and most trails connect at the Quarry Road parking area. The marsh is split into an Upper and Lower basin by a dike and footbridge; Low Knoll gives you a lower-marsh view, and High Knoll is the summit reward. Here are the named trails and what each one delivers.
The summit of the park. A moderate climb of roughly 140 m of gain to a rocky, exposed bluff with panoramic views over the Lower Marsh, the Pitt River, Pitt Meadows, Burke Mountain and the Golden Ears. Careful footing near the top in wet weather.
Tri-Cities trail guideA rocky knoll overlooking the Lower Marsh — lower than High Knoll and often quieter. A good alternative view when High Knoll is busy, and part of the popular Lodge–Fern–Mid-Marsh loop.
Tri-Cities trail guideCrosses the dike between the Upper and Lower Marsh on an elevated footbridge. The most reliable wildlife spot in the park — geese, mergansers, buffleheads, beavers, bald eagles and great blue herons.
Tri-Cities trail guideThe main artery from the Quarry Road parking lot, connecting to every other trail in the park. Old quarry remnants are visible along the route — the natural starting point for most visits.
Coquitlam parks & trailsConnects the Quarry Road parking lot to the heritage Minnekhada Lodge through a cedar and Douglas-fir grove. An easy family walk with a genuine historic destination at the end.
Coquitlam history & heritageCircumnavigates the developed park area, hitting the Lodge, the Lower Marsh and a section of the knoll forest. The best ‘show me everything’ route if you're new to Minnekhada.
Coquitlam parks & trailsMost weekend hikers never realize it's there: a Scottish-style hunting lodge tucked into the forest, built nearly a century ago.
Minnekhada Lodge was built 1934–1937 by Eric Hamber, who served as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1936 to 1941. Designed by architect Bernard Palmer as a Scottish-style country hunting estate on a substantial $50,000 budget for the era, the Lodge reportedly hosted King George VI and Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) during their 1939 royal visit. The Metro Vancouver Regional District acquired the farm and Lodge in the mid-1990s, expanding the existing regional park to its current 211 hectares.
The Lodge is open to the public on the first Sunday of each month, February through December, from 1:00–4:00 p.m. (closed in January). It's also available for rental — weddings, events and meetings — through Metro Vancouver at 604-432-6352. The Lodge Trail from the Quarry Road parking lot makes an easy family walk out to it. For more on the area's heritage, see the Coquitlam history & heritage guide.
Minnekhada is one of the richest wildlife sites in Metro Vancouver — a 1993 Burke Mountain Naturalists survey recorded 151 bird species in the park. Between the marsh and the forest there's birding, hiking and photography in equal measure. Here's the honest read on the wildlife and the activities.
The freshwater marsh is the draw — the Mid-Marsh dike is the highest-success wildlife-viewing spot in the park.
A compact park that packs in a genuine summit hike, easy marsh loops and heritage — plan a couple of hours.
Free parking is the headline. There are two main entrances — Quarry Road for the trails, Oliver Road for the Lodge — plus a secondary northwest entrance with no parking. Cell coverage on the knolls is unreliable, so download offline maps before you go.
The primary trail access for hikers and birdwatchers, and the natural starting point for High Knoll, the marsh loops and the Perimeter Loop. Fills first on weekends — arrive before 10 a.m. for an easy spot. Metro Vancouver does not charge for parking.
The secondary entrance for access to the historic Minnekhada Lodge and some connecting trails. The Lodge is open the first Sunday of each month, 1–4 p.m. (February–December). A quieter alternative when the Quarry Road lot is full.
Generally accessible around 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; gates close overnight and closing times vary seasonally — confirm before a late-day hike. Leashed dogs are welcome on all trails (no off-leash area). Vault (outhouse-style) toilets at the Quarry Road lot and near the Lodge — no flush washrooms.
Minnekhada itself has no homes — it's a wild regional park. But the residential pockets closest to it are the northeast-Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam neighbourhoods just to the south and southwest. If a park like this is part of what you're buying for, here's where to look.
The newer-construction Coquitlam-side residential area just south of Minnekhada, with strong trail access and family-oriented streets. The closest residential neighbourhood to the park.
Burke Mountain guideAn established family neighbourhood in northeast Port Coquitlam, on the PoCo side near the De Boville Slough dike network that links toward Minnekhada.
Oxford Heights guideA quiet, established pocket in northeast Port Coquitlam near the river and dike trails — one of the nearest residential areas to the Minnekhada side of the Pitt River lowlands.
River Springs guideThe questions visitors ask first about Minnekhada — answered straight, from someone who has hiked it dozens of times.
About 5 km round-trip from the Quarry Road parking lot, with roughly 140 m of elevation gain to the summit at about 180 m. Plan 1.5–2 hours total. The trail is moderate — dirt with roots, plus rocky scrambles near the top. From the summit you get panoramic views of the Pitt River, the Pitt-Addington Marsh, Burke Mountain to the north and the Golden Ears to the east. Compare it to other Tri-Cities hikes.
The main entrance is at 4000 Quarry Road, Coquitlam, with a secondary entrance at Oliver Road for Lodge access. Metro Vancouver does not charge for parking at Minnekhada — it's free year-round. The Quarry Road lot fills first on weekends; arrive before 10 a.m. for an easy spot. See all Coquitlam parks & trails.
About 12 km of trail network with five named lookout points. The named trails include High Knoll, Low Knoll, Mid-Marsh, Quarry, Lodge and Fern, plus a Perimeter Loop that combines several trails into an approximately 5 km circuit. Most trails connect at the Quarry Road parking area.
Yes. The historic Minnekhada Lodge, built 1934–1937 by Eric Hamber (later Lieutenant Governor of BC), is open to the public on the first Sunday of the month, February through December, 1:00–4:00 p.m. (closed January). It's also available for rental through Metro Vancouver at 604-432-6352. More on the area's story in the Coquitlam history & heritage guide.
Minnekhada has an active black bear population — it's the subject of an ongoing WildCAMS wildlife-camera study because of the density. Leashed dogs are welcome on all park trails; there's no off-leash area, a rule tied directly to bear activity. Travel in groups, make conversational noise, keep dogs leashed, and never approach wildlife. Always check Metro Vancouver Regional Parks advisories before you go.
One of the best in Metro Vancouver. A 1993 Burke Mountain Naturalists survey recorded 151 bird species in the park. The freshwater marsh hosts mergansers, buffleheads, wood ducks, mallards, Canada geese and great blue herons; beavers maintain the marsh, black-tailed deer browse the forest edges, and black bears patrol the slopes. The Mid-Marsh dike is the most reliable wildlife-viewing spot.
It's a Sioux (Dakota) word meaning “rattling water”, given by Harry Leroy Jenkins, a Minnesotan who acquired the land in 1912 to establish the Minnekhada Dairy and Stock Farm. Despite a common misconception, it does not mean “many beaver,” though the marsh does host beavers. Minnekhada sits within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the kʰikʰəƛ̭əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation.
Minnekhada sits adjacent to Pinecone Burke Provincial Park to the north, accessed via Quarry Road past the park entrance. The Traboulay PoCo Trail connects to Minnekhada via De Boville Slough on the south side, making it possible to loop the park with the longer Port Coquitlam dike network.
I'm not going to pretend to be a park ranger — but I've hiked Minnekhada dozens of times, and I know this corner of northeast Coquitlam the way only a 47+ year local can. If a wild regional park on your doorstep is part of the lifestyle you're buying for, I can tell you honestly which nearby neighbourhoods actually deliver that access, what they trade against Burke Mountain and the Port Coquitlam pockets, and what's moving in the area. That's the read a fly-in agent can't copy.
Tri-Cities Move-Up Specialist · 47+ year Coquitlam resident · Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® · Top 2% Team Member — Royal LePage nationwide · Medallion Club Team Member since 2021 · The MACNABS Team · Royal LePage Elite West · BCFSA #V99960. Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore, Belcarra.
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David Catterall · Google ReviewEvery fact on this page is drawn from Metro Vancouver Regional Parks information, the park's documented history, and first-hand visits — never fabricated. Trail distances and elevations are approximate working figures; always check current park advisories and hours before you go. Sources below.
Authored by Craig Johnston, REALTOR® V99960 · Royal LePage Elite West · 47+ year Coquitlam resident. This page is editorial commentary, not legal or tax advice. Always verify current park hours, advisories and trail conditions with Metro Vancouver Regional Parks before visiting.
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Burke Mountain and the northeast-Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam pockets are the closest residential neighbourhoods to Minnekhada. If a wild regional park on your doorstep is part of what you're buying for, the next step is a 20-minute call — no pressure, every question answered.