Dog Mountain
49°22′ N 122°57′ Wall year
Dog Mountain on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver suits families and snowshoers who want a short forest walk past First Lake to a viewpoint over Greater Vancouver, and BC Parks gives it 1 km to the lake and 2 km more to the top. On peak winter days you'll need a free BC Parks day-use pass to park in the backcountry lots, and BC Parks releases them at 7 am two days ahead.
Road closure
Culvert work narrows Mount Seymour Road to one lane from 19 to 23 October
Crews replace a culvert on Mount Seymour Road from Monday 19 October to Friday 23 October 2026, and DriveBC lists the work from 7 am to 4 pm each weekday. Traffic takes turns through a single lane while they're on site, so allow extra time on the way up to the park.
Checked 2026-10-16 · api.open511.gov.bc.ca
Road closure
Mount Seymour Road's gate closes overnight from November to April
Mt Seymour closes Mount Seymour Road at the gatehouse from 10 pm to 7 am every day from November 2026 to April 2027, and it can shut the road at other hours in extreme weather, with notices on its website and on lit signs below the gatehouse. BC Parks gives the same nightly hours from mid-November to mid-April, so plan on the longer window and drive down before 10 pm. Lot P1 is the winter lot for overnight parking, and Mt Seymour asks anyone leaving a car there to put an emergency contact and the expected return time on the dashboard.
Checked 2026-10-16 · mtseymour.ca
Photo David Abercrombie · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Hike · No. 003 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Winter parking passes open at 7 am two days ahead.
Book the free day-use pass before you go
The pass window runs Jan 9 to Mar 29, 2026 (ended).
BC Parks releases the free passes online at 7 am two days before your visit, and from 22 September 2026 booking one needs a BC Parks account with a verified identity. Each vehicle needs one pass and may carry up to 12 people, and you choose a morning slot from 7 am to noon or an afternoon slot from noon to 4 pm. No pass is needed after 4 pm. Mt Seymour Resort pass holders and visitors who arrive on the resort's shuttle don't need one.
Is it for you?
Dog Mountain gives you a mountaintop view over the city for a short, moderate forest walk in any season.
You’ll love Dog Mountain if
- You want a first snowshoe outing on a marked winter route.
- You have a car and a free morning, and you can book a pass on a busy winter weekend.
Think twice if
- You're relying on transit, since BC Parks describes the way up Mount Seymour Road only by car.
- You missed the 7 am pass release for a peak winter day.
Pick the right months for this hike
BC Parks marks a winter route to Dog Mountain on its Mount Seymour winter map, so the hike works in every season. From November to April, anyone heading into the backcountry outside the resort's controlled recreation area must park in lot P1 or Lower P5, and those lots need a free BC Parks day-use pass on peak winter days. Metro Vancouver says Mount Seymour Road's gate closes from 10 pm to 7 am in the winter months.
Plan how you get back down
Dog Mountain is an out-and-back, so you return the way you came. For a change on the way down, BC Parks' First Lake Loop rejoins the Mount Seymour Main Trail and brings you back to the parking lot with about 60 metres of extra climbing.
Know what catches hikers out here
- BC Parks warns that gullies and creeks lead away from safety, so stay on the marked trail, above all when cloud or snow hides the way.
- Keep back from the edge at the summit viewpoint, which looks down into the Seymour River valley.
- In winter, BC Parks asks visitors heading into the backcountry to check Avalanche Canada's forecast and carry the right equipment for the conditions.
- Mt Seymour Resort runs heavy machinery in its controlled recreation area day and night, BC Parks says, so watch for it near the lots and the ski runs.
- Mountain weather can change suddenly in any season, and BC Parks tells hikers to be ready for a storm or an unplanned night out.
Give the wildlife room
BC Parks' September 2026 trail report says bears are feeding actively in the area, and it asks hikers to carry bear spray and never approach or feed wildlife. Black bears and cougars may turn up in the backcountry, and coyotes and deer are often seen near the access road. Feeding bears, cougars, coyotes or wolves is an offence under BC's Wildlife Act. WildSafeBC says black bears usually den from December to April, and some skip denning where they keep finding food.
Follow North Shore Rescue's advice
North Shore Rescue answers about 130 calls a year, and it asks hikers to leave a trip plan and carry its ten essentials, starting with a light. If you lose the trail, stay put and avoid going downhill, because the ravines below the mountain are steep and unstable. BC Parks says cell service in the park is limited, so start early enough to finish in daylight and call 911 as soon as you know you're lost. North Shore Rescue charges nothing for a rescue.
The Dog Mountain Trail starts just northwest of the chairlift at the north end of the top parking lot and climbs gently through dense subalpine old-growth fir to First Lake. At the junction there it turns west for Dog Mountain, whose summit looks over Greater Vancouver and the Seymour River valley. BC Parks rates the hike moderate and allows 30 minutes to the lake and 40 more to the top.
BC Parks' hiking page calls the elevation change minimal, and its trail report of 29 September 2026 counts the round trip at 4 km with 130 metres of elevation change. That report also says Metro Vancouver manages the trail itself as part of the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. On the way back you can swing around First Lake on the First Lake Loop, which rejoins the Mount Seymour Main Trail.
Snowshoers and winter hikers use a marked winter route to Dog Mountain, which BC Parks shows on its Mount Seymour winter map. From November to April, backcountry visitors park in lot P1 or Lower P5, and on peak days those lots need a free BC Parks day-use pass. In 2025/26 BC Parks required passes every day from 19 December to 4 January and on weekends and holidays from 9 January to 29 March. It hadn't posted the 2026/27 dates by 16 October 2026.
You can get a pass only from the BC Parks day-use website, starting at 7 am two days before your visit. Cell service at the park is limited, so save the pass to your phone or print it. Mt Seymour Resort pass holders and riders on the resort's shuttle are exempt. Check the BC Parks trail conditions report and Avalanche Canada before a winter trip, and remember that Mount Seymour Road's gate shuts overnight from 10 pm to 7 am in winter.
Worth knowing
- Set an alarm for 7 am two days before a winter weekend visit, when BC Parks opens that day's passes.
- Pick the slot that fits your plans, because the morning pass covers only 7 am to noon and the afternoon pass noon to 4 pm.
- Check BC Parks' trail conditions report before you go and make sure everyone in your group has the gear the conditions call for.
Quick answers about Dog Mountain
Do you need a day-use pass for Dog Mountain?
Sometimes. BC Parks requires a free vehicle day-use pass for Mount Seymour's lots P1 and Lower P5 in the peak winter season, which in 2025/26 meant every day from 19 December to 4 January and weekends and holidays from 9 January to 29 March. Passes open at 7 am two days before your visit.
How long is the Dog Mountain hike?
BC Parks gives Dog Mountain 1 km to First Lake and 2 km more to the summit, one way, with 30 minutes to the lake and 40 minutes on to the top. Its September 2026 trail report counts the round trip at 4 km with 130 metres of elevation change.
Can you hike Dog Mountain in winter?
Yes. BC Parks marks a winter route to Dog Mountain on its Mount Seymour winter map, and from November to April backcountry visitors park in lots P1 and Lower P5. Check Avalanche Canada and the BC Parks trail report before you go.
Are dogs allowed on Dog Mountain?
Yes, on a leash. BC Parks requires pets on leash throughout Mount Seymour Park, and it says the backcountry isn't suitable for dogs.
When is the season for Dog Mountain?
Dog Mountain is in season from all year. BC Parks marks a winter route to Dog Mountain on its Mount Seymour winter map, so the hike works in every season.
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