Quick Facts:
- AllTrails link: Trout Lake Loop, 1.3km with 6m elevation
- Difficulty: very easy, stroller friendly
- Traffic: heavy on a sunny weekend afternoon
- Facilities: flush toilet at the community centre, two small playgrounds, a few sandy beaches
- View: best view from the south end of the lake (Trout Lake Beach) with the North Shore mountains beyond
- Overall score: 4/10
Tucked away in East Vancouver is the small but beautiful Trout Lake Park (whose official name is John Hendry Park but really no one calls it that). It’s too small to be a destination unless we are meeting with friends or happened to have some time to kill in the neighborhood.
It is one of the only parks in Vancouver that has a lake. The only other ones that come to mind is Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake at Stanley Park. None of these lakes are paddle-friendly nor really clean enough to swim in.
However, the 1.3km distance and an almost entirely flat loop is a pretty good practice loop for beginner bikers.
The two playgrounds in the park were also a nice attraction for the kids.
There were many dogs and most of them were off leash.
A small covered picnic area is found just to the east of Trout Lake Beach at the southern tip of the lake. I suspect this would be very sought after in the summer.
Some other facilities available here include a softball diamond, basketball court, ice rink, and soccer field. As a focal point of active lifestyle in the community, this is a pretty neat park.