Hiking Quarry Rock
Looking for a hike in North Vancouver that takes less than 2 hours and dreaming of having a cup of delicious coffee afterwards?
Well look no more! The hike you are looking for might be the one that takes you up to the Quarry Rock.
General details of Quarry Rock
Quarry Rock hike starts off the shores of beautiful town of Deep Cove. Before you put on your hiking boots (note: good runners are enough as well), there are few basic things you might want to know.
Approximately 3.8 kilometers in total (back & worth)
Hiking time 1.5-2 hours, depending how many pictures you want to take along the way
Elevation gain 100 metres
You can do this hike year around
Driving time from Vancouver is around 30 minutes, without traffic
Quite many parking spots near by, but please note that Deep Cove is quite a popular place to spend the weekend due to it’s activities, such as kayaking, and gorgeous mountain views. I would say the earlier you are, the better possibility you have to park your car close by
You can also use bus 212
Read more: Vancouver Trails / All Trails
My own experience of the hike
Quarry Hike was pleasant and quite an easy hike, although there were plenty of stairs especially in the beginnig. The amount of stairs was nothing compared to hikes such as Grouse Grind though, so don’t you worry if you are traumatized by stairs - this hike ain’t too bad and you’ll also go downhill quite often.
The terrain was quite typical with wooded areas and beautiful little water streams dancing down the hills. During the hike you’ll also cross few wooden bridges which would actually make beautiful photo spots, with little less people. Speaking of people - we did this hike on January 1st, when the weather was sunny and pleasant and it wasn’t too crowded. I don’t know if it was because of last night and the New Years Eve, maybe everyone were just hangover. But we mainly hiked alongside with families with smaller children and friend groups. Plus dogs, like always on the North Van hikes. Dogs are living their best life here and I love it.
When you reach the end of the hike, before heading back the same way, you arrive to the beautiful view spot facing down Deep Cove. You can even see Burnaby cityscape on a clear day. I would assume that this spot is crowded during warm, sunnier days, as it is quite ideal for picnics.
After the hike (and Penguin Plunge) we went to get some coffee from Novel Books & Coffee, cozy and small coffee shop which also sells books which is adorable. As it was event day in Deep Cove the queues were extremely long everywhere, but it was all worth it after getting my delicious cinnamon bun latte with oat milk. We’ve actually been to Deep Cove before and then we headed to Honey Doughnuts and Goodies for breakfast, which was a cozy experience as well. I believe Honey Doughnuts and Goodies is one of the most visited cafes in Deep Cove, so if you go there, remember - do not visit that place if in rush.
It’s easy to smile when you are on the top
Overall ranking of the hike: 7/10
Quarry Rock hike is pleasant, relatively easy hike, which I recommend as even only visiting Deep Cove is a must in North Vancouver if you ask me. During the hike, I especially enjoyed the bridge crossings and the viewpoint, but as I’m more of a circle-loop-kinda hiker it always deducts few points for me if I have to walk same way back. I don’t like to know what in head of me, you know? But overall it didn’t bug me that much to walk the same way back as usually - the path kept things interesting with all the tree roots and different landscapes.
Until next time!
x Krista
