British Columbia is blessed with spectacularly
scenic wilderness, and you don’t have to be a backcountry hiker to encounter
the region’s natural Pacific charms up close. With good walking shoes and a
curiosity about diverse ecosystems, visiting the city of Richmond – a 20-minute
transit hop from downtown Vancouver – is an easy-access gateway to western
Canada’s great outdoors.
Fringed by the Pacific Ocean and the Fraser
River, the city’s urban appeal – from authentic Asian restaurants to evocative
national historic sites – is well established. But nature-loving locals and
visitors also know Richmond is studded with an array of amazing parks,
wildlife-viewing opportunities and thrilling outdoor experiences.
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Get to know Richmond’s park life
An accessible introduction to West Coast flora
and fauna, the recently renovated Richmond
Nature Park features four short, leafy trails that give visitors a taste of
the area’s lush peat bog habitat. Stroll these walkways and you’ll encounter
wild blueberries, moss-covered birch and pine trees and chittering birdlife –
from finches to warblers to woodpeckers.
The park is also a hotspot for one of B.C.’s
most popular avian critters. The tiny Anna’s hummingbird has been a year-round
resident since the 1990s when locals started hanging sugar-syrup feeders in
their gardens. If you’re lucky, you might also spot the orange-tinged rufous
hummingbird that migrates up the Pacific coastline in late spring and early
summer.
If you want to learn more about urban B.C.’s
multifaceted wild side, the park’s free-entry Nature House is teeming with
exhibits and information on what to look out for in and around the city – and
how to safely and respectfully spot everything from coyotes to bald eagles and
from raccoons to great blue herons.
Herons are almost guaranteed to be seen at
waterfront Garry
Point Park in Steveston Village, located on Richmond’s southern shoreline.
Its sandy coves and grassy interior are popular with picnickers and
sunset-viewers. But head to its quieter western and Scotch Pond fringes and
you’ll likely see scurrying shorebirds plus colorful wildflowers, including
lupines and irises.
Go on a beautiful, natural stroll
Adjoining Scotch Pond is the entrance to the West
Dyke Trail. This wide 2.17-mile walking and cycling route traces the
shoreline from Garry Point to Terra
Nova Rural Park, one of Richmond’s most celebrated outdoor havens. Framed
by distant snow-capped peaks, the trail threads alongside marshy grasslands
where you might spot coyotes and northern harriers.
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It’s not the only Richmond trail worth
connecting to. The city has created a comprehensive trail
system as well as a downloadable walking
guide for exploring. Highlights include the combined 16-mile West
Dyke/South Dyke Trail and the 3.1-mile Finn Slough walk, which winds past a
fascinating historic community founded by Finnish settlers in the 1800s.
When you eventually reach Terra Nova, you’ll
find some short, well-marked trails tracing a pond where coots, American
widgeons and green-winged teals often congregate. Save time (and bring your
binoculars) for the park’s large, tree-lined Natural Area, where you can walk a
perimeter trail and watch for owls, bats, swallows and more.
The best in Pacific birdwatching
Richmond is one of the best places in B.C. to
try your hand at birding. The city is located on the crucial Pacific Flyway
migratory route, which means a huge variety of traveling birds join the
year-round feathered residents here in spring and fall.
One of the best places to view local and
visiting birds is Iona
Beach Regional Park. A ribbon-like expanse flanking the Fraser River, its
habitats range from shoreline to woodland and from ponds to sand dunes. You
might see cedar waxwings, red-winged blackbirds or nesting bald eagles plus
greater yellowlegs, western sandpipers, snow geese and more.
But Iona isn’t just for the birds. Stay alert
and you could also hear a Pacific chorus frog serenading potential
mates from its watery stage. In the park’s sandy areas, look for the painted
turtles who lay their eggs here in early summer.
Get offshore for some aquatic activities
Wherever you go in Richmond, you’re rarely far
from the water. Whale watching – the chance to see dramatic marine wildlife in
its natural environment – is a must-do for many B.C. visitors. Steveston is the
home port for two of the region’s most popular operators: Seabreeze Adventures and Vancouver Whale Watch.
Book ahead for the April-to-October viewing
season and you’ll soon be thrilled with the sight of orcas, porpoises, seals
and sea lions. You might even see humpbacks, minke whales or gray whales. It’s
an exhilarating way to encounter the West Coast’s wild locals alongside some
jaw-dropping Pacific Ocean scenery.
Looking for a gentler watery adventure? Also
departing from Steveston, the summer-only Voyage of the Gikumi tour is a
two-hour Fraser River cruise along the area’s most tranquil waterways. You’ll
slide past grassy riverbanks and colorful boat home communities while hearing
about the beautifully renovated 70-year-old wooden vessel you’re traveling on
and its backstory as a B.C. cargo boat.
A wealth of alfresco festivals
Even older than the Gikumi, July 1’s Steveston Salmon Festival first
dropped anchor in 1944 and is now a much-anticipated annual fixture. It’s a
great way to experience Canada Day – the nation’s biggest party – with the
locals, while also enjoying delicious B.C. seafood and an exuberant street
parade.
That renowned ocean bounty is also the focus
of spring’s Steveston
Spot Prawn & Seafood Celebration, complete with live music, cooking
demonstrations and sales of sweet B.C. spot prawns from the backs of the boats
at Fisherman’s Wharf. Meanwhile, more than a dozen Richmond restaurants support the local fishers by creating one-of-a-kind dishes for ‘Dine About’ – a celebration of the city’s seafood scene.
If you’re visiting in April, Garry Point
Park’s charming Richmond Cherry Blossom Festival
honors the city’s Japanese heritage with traditional cultural displays – while
also showcasing the 255 blooming cherry trees decorating the park like a
walk-through snow globe.
Indoor alternative
While Richmond has less annual rainfall than
neighboring Vancouver, there are still days when indoor activities make more
sense. Built to host speed skating events at the 2010 Winter Olympics and now a
popular community sports facility, the landmark Richmond
Olympic Oval offers a full range of options for weather-avoiding visitors.
Metro Vancouver’s largest climbing wall is here. And
there’s also the Richmond Olympic Experience (ROX),
where you can peruse exhibits such as vintage Olympic medals, torches and
mascots. Activity fans will also love its high-tech kayak, sit-ski, bobsled,
surfing and race car simulators – a great way to feel outdoorsy without
actually heading outd
