Adventure & Outdoors
A brutally steep start on Burke Mountain that earns you a quiet backcountry lake almost nobody else has picnicked at.
Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, Harper Road / Burke Mountain, Coquitlam
More infoThe Munro Lake trail does not ease you in: the first stretch is brutally steep, gaining a few hundred metres without apology, which conveniently proves you're both the type who date like this. Beyond the ridge the forest softens and delivers a quiet backcountry lake most hikers have never seen. Pack a full lunch, because this 9 to 10 km slog in Pinecone Burke is a payoff-picnic situation.
Start at the Harper Road gate in Coquitlam (off Coast Meridian Rd), park along the road without blocking the gate, then begin the climb. Be warned: the first 1.5 km is brutally steep, gaining roughly 500 m fast, before the grade eases through forest toward Munro Lake; reckon on about 9-10 km round-trip and 4.5 hours of honest work. The standout is the lake itself, still, quiet and almost nobody around, so don't miss packing a proper lunch to eat lakeside as your high-five reward. Not feeling the full grind? Turn it into an out-and-back to the lower Munro Lake viewpoint (about 2.5-3 hours) for a taste of the climb and a view without committing to the lake. This is a real hike: good boots, lots of water, bug spray in summer, and an early start. Best May-October; free, no fee.
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