r/vancouverhiking • u/ProfessorDelicious • Jul 07 '25
Conditions Questions (See Guide before posting) Wondering about the Hanes Valley trail from Lynn Headwaters to Grouse.
From what I can see on Alltrails and the Metro Vancouver Parks website, the trail is still closed. Does anyone have details about when it will open this summer, or if it will open at all?
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u/Djj1990 Jul 07 '25
Best to heed the warnings on this trail. The part connecting Lynn creek to the top has killed its fair share.
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u/jpdemers Jul 07 '25 edited Jul 07 '25
All the backcountry routes of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park are annually closed during the winter season, until the park authorities judge that the hazards have subsided. Monitor the Metro Vancouver website for updates.
The backcountry remains CLOSED. This applies to routes beyond Norvan Falls (including Hanes Valley, Coliseum Mountain and Lynn Lake) as well as routes in the Grouse subalpine beyond Dam Mountain and Thunderbird Ridge (e.g. Crown Mountain, Goat Mountain, Little Goat and Goat Ridge).
When the backcountry routes are open, it's also usually posted on the subreddit. You can look at the dates of those posts to have an idea of when it typically opens.
| Season | Open | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | July 10? | Nov 11 |
| 2017 | July 31 | Nov 2 |
| 2018 | July 11 | Oct 29 |
| 2019 | June 17 | Oct 28 |
| 2020 | July 30 | Oct 26 |
| 2021 | ? | Oct 21 |
| 2022 | Aug 5 | Nov 9 |
| 2023 | July 6 | Oct 30 |
| 2024 | July 16 | Nov 3 |
In early season, some places to be careful includes:
The crossing of Lynn creek, because the fallen tree logs that sometimes serve as makeshift bridges can have shifted during winter.
Any ice or snow remaining on the boulder field below Crown Pass: your foot can easily punch through some of those 'snow bridges'.
A similar question was asked recently: 'Crown Mountain hike open by July 12th?'
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u/ProfessorDelicious Jul 07 '25
Ah, okay. Thank you for the info!
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u/realmrrust Jul 08 '25
I recommend it as a September hike. It is an all day hike, get an early start.
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u/Infamous-Echo-2961 Jul 07 '25
All trails says it’s closed, someone I know did crown last weekend and said conditions are sketchy.
Recent reviews also say Hanes valley how some spots that are currently close to impassable.
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u/PragmaticBodhisattva Jul 08 '25
I’m imagining a weather report:
CONDITIONS ARE SKETCHY.
No further details. Just a grim-looking anchor staring directly into the camera.
Behind them, a radar spins in confused circles.
The forecast map is just a shrug emoji.
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u/moonstone_light Jul 07 '25
I hiked Dam this weekend and ran into two groups that were just completing it. All the signs say it's closed.
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u/Innofthelasthome Jul 08 '25
There was a sign on the trail to Dam Mountain that said Hanes was closed due to the logs that people use to cross the river having washed away, making it difficult to safely cross.
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u/datrusselldoe Jul 08 '25
If that's the case, I expect three years until Metro Van puts in a bridge that washes away first season. Time for someone to go for a midnight trip with a chainsaw and get this done lol
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u/ProfessorDelicious Jul 08 '25
Thanks for the info. Hopefully it opens this summer. Does that river dry out and get easier to cross as the season goes on? Or are log bridges always required?
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u/jpdemers Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25
Yes, when it's dry you can cross by hoping from rock to rock.
See this video from BC AdventureSmart: AdventureSmart Trail Specific Safety Video - Hanes Valley Trail
When I hiked the trail, it looked difficult to keep balanced using the logs. I decided to cross the creek a few metres upstream.
Like the video suggests, if you can't cross safely, it is best to turn around.
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u/This_is_a_burner_112 Jul 08 '25
I did Hanes on June 30th, very little snow left, consistent patches past the boulder field up the ridge
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