Hiking Trail Review: Deas Island Trail, Delta, BC

October 24, 2023

Location: Deas Island Regional Park, BC
Park Here: Five parking lots within the park
Public Transport: Yes, the 640 Ladner Exchange via Industrial goes directly to Deas Island

Hike Distance: 5.5 km loop
Hike Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Elevation Gain/Loss: 20 m
Difficulty: Easy

What makes it easy? Nice, flat trail on the quaint, stunning island; minimal elevation gain

Trail website: Click here

Finding the Trailhead

Park your car at the first of the five parking lots you’ll find once you enter through the park entrance. From there, the trailhead is a few metres away, depending on how far your car is parked. You’ll see a board reading Deas Island Regional Park, along with some informative pamphlets for the hike.^{Dania Rashid}

The Hike Itself

You begin the hike on a gravel path, perfect for bikes and strollers. This gravel road carries on throughout most of the trail. You are surrounded by greenery and trees throughout this hike, the Fraser River providing occasional whiffs of a sea breeze.^{Dania Rashid}

There are benches located approximately every 200 metres for a quick break. You’ll want to wear mosquito repellant in this marshy area because those little critters will be your hiking partners for this hike.^{Dania Rashid}

This loop goes counterclockwise. After the first kilometre, you’ll encounter a bridge to the left of the trail, leading to one of the parking lots and restroom facilities. Throughout the hike, you’ll encounter many fellow hikers, dogs and some eagles resting among the trees.^{Dania Rashid}

A few more metres ahead and you’ll reach the first fork of the trail, giving you the option of a shorter loop or the Riverside Walk. I took the Riverside Walk.^{Dania Rashid}

This option was a great choice; the large gaps between the trees provided some nice landscapes and great photography. The weather was on the rainy side, but the views made up for it.^{Dania Rashid}

Next, you’ll walk across a large plaque indicating the George Massey Tunnel entrance behind it. You’ll hear the traffic sounds mingled with the chants of the birds overhead. The trail will begin to clear out, providing a closer look at the river to your right.^{Dania Rashid}

Carrying on, you’ll come across a mini loop within the main loop. There will be two paths ahead of you, and both return to the same starting point (hence the loop), so it doesn’t matter which path you take.^{Dania Rashid}

I continued to my right, walking down a slightly muddier trail now. This is a good place to mention that proper footwear is a must for this hike. The proximity of the trail to the river means you’ll walk across some slippery, marshy and rocky areas. Despite the mud, the trail was peaceful and quiet, a perfect place to reflect and reconnect.^{Dania Rashid}

You’ll encounter another fork at the halfway point of the hike. Taking a right, you’ll find a prime scenery area, perfect for an Instagram-worthy picture. Then, walking back to the original fork, take a left towards the second half of the trail. About another 100 metres ahead, you’ll find yourself at the beginning of the mini loop.^{Dania Rashid}

Then, you’ll walk down the same trail above the George Massey Tunnel. The next fork will show up about 300 metres later, where you can take the right path to complete this trail.^{Dania Rashid}

The muddy road will start to become a gravel path again, and the trees will begin to grow thicker. The fresh autumn leaves will crunch beneath your shoes and the gentle hum of the river will guide you towards the last leg of the hike.^{Dania Rashid}

Eventually, you’ll come across a clearing and a quick double take will indeed reveal a field overfilled with stunning yellow wildflowers. It was the highlight of my day!^{Dania Rashid}

The final fork arrives about 200 metres before the end of the trail. You’ll see a bridge to your right leading to the Tidal Pond. If you choose this path, you’ll be greeted by a nice, dainty area right out of a fairytale. The pond is shrouded by bright red autumn leaves and trees with low-hanging branches. This fork leads to another bridge and straight back to the parking lot where the trailhead started.^{Dania Rashid}

Everyone knows that the perfect way to end the day at Deas Island is with a picnic. The park is filled with picnic tables. However, due to the rain, they were all soaked. I decided to have a more traditional picnic under a tree, which served as an umbrella for the rain. Explore Magazine’s On-the-Go Dining Set and Outdoor Blanket were a lifesaver, keeping my meal fresh and my pants dry.^{Dania Rashid}

Before you go:

The parking lot tends to fill up during the summer, especially on weekends; it’s best to grab a spot earlier in the day during those months
The only restroom facilities are located near three of the five parking lots
Dogs are allowed on a leash
Garbage disposal areas are located every 500 metres within the trail