Quick Facts:
- AllTrails link: Deas Island
- Difficulty: easy, stroller friendly
- Traffic: moderate
- Facilities: flush toilet near the northern tip of the island, pit toilet in the center. Picnic tables, water access.
- View: Fraser River, North Shore Mountains on a clear day
- Overall score: 3/10
Deas Island is a small island (technically a peninsula) at the lower reaches of Fraser River between Richmond and Delta, formed by sediments carried by the river.
The primary reason for us to visit is usually using the public boat launch to access Deas Slough for a peaceful paddle, but we decided to explore the trails in this regional park today.
The trails around this park circle the island and hops over the entrance of Massey Tunnel.
When we visited last summer, the mosquitoes from the swamps were almost unbearable.
We followed the east shore first. The trail was mostly surfaced with fine gravel with some random patches of sand. We had no trouble pushing the stroller through the sandy parts.
We cut across the island and visited Fisher’s Field Picnic Area. 2 pit toilets available with a sizable parking lot and covered picnic tables.
Continuing on the trail, soon we came on top of Massey Tunnel. As expected, the roaring of traffic was pretty pronounced here.
The now-hated Massey Tunnel was personally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on July 15, 1959.
Who would have thought that Massey Tunnel, the bane of many Lower Mainland commuters’ existence, was officially opened by the Queen herself? I couldn’t believe it, but it is true.
Continuing on to the tip of the island, the trail ends at a small pebbly beach covered in driftwood. I wonder if the logs would be cleaned up for the summer.
We took the trail on the west side of the island back, which was a straight, well paved trail.
The whole trail was flat and a little swampy (as to be expected on a river delta). It’s a bit more covered than the Richmond Dykes, so it may be a good alternative for a stroll for people in the area on a hot sunny day. Limited views and the noisy traffic negatively affects the experience.
We will be back but probably only to use the dock for launching our paddleboards.
Follow us as we explore all 23 Regional Parks in Metro Vancouver!
2 responses to “Deas Island Regional Park”
[…] Deas Slough is a well protected section of the Fraser River that is essentially still. It’s easy to launch from a sandy beach or a paddle-friendly dock. There are the occasional motor boats speeding through this blind channel though, so a beginner needs to be on the lookout and probably should brace themselves by kneeling down. The traffic here is lighter than other destinations on the list, which makes it easy to find a parking spot but also increases the chance that you would be alone on the water. […]
[…] most launch point of Deas Slough and a great launching location to explore the entire route. The rest of the park is worth exploring as […]