Mount Seymour Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Mount Seymour Provincial Park is a 35 km² park in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

's North Shore Mountains
North Shore Mountains
The North Shore Mountains are a mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city....

. It is located approximately 15 km from Downtown Vancouver.

History and Geography

Established in 1936, the park is in a mountain wilderness setting and several mountain peaks lie within its boundaries, including Mount Bishop, Mount Elsay
Mount Elsay
Mount Elsay is a mountain in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, located northeast of North Vancouver near the middle of Mount Seymour Provincial Park in the District of North Vancouver. It is a part of the North Shore Mountains, rising from the shores of Indian Arm to a summit of...

, Runner Peak, and Mount Seymour
Mount Seymour
Mount Seymour is a mountain located in Mount Seymour Provincial Park in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a part of the North Shore Mountains, rising to the north from the shores of Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm to a summit of above the Indian River and Deep Cove neighbourhoods...

. The highest elevation in the park is the summit of Mount Bishop at 1509 metres followed by Mount Seymour, for which the park is named, at 1449 metres.

The park contains several lakes, including Elsay Lake
Elsay Lake
Elsay Lake is a lake 15 km NE of North Vancouver, located near the Centre of Mount Seymour Provincial Park in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia. Originally named Mystery Lake and still known to some as such....

 (the largest), De Pencier Lake, Gopher Lake, and Goldie Lake. These lakes drain eastward into Indian Arm
Indian Arm
Indian Arm is a steep-sided glacial fjord adjacent to the city of Vancouver in southwestern British Columbia. Formed during the last Ice Age, it extends due north from Burrard Inlet, between the communities of Belcarra and the District of North Vancouver , then on into mountainous wilderness...

. Other smaller lakes and ponds drain westward into the Seymour River.

Recreation

There is an extensive network of mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...

, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

, and equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

 trails on the lower mountain, while the upper mountain also serves hikers, mountaineers, picknicking, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

, snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....

ing, snowtubing, toboggan
Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...

ing, and backcountry camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...

. The ski slopes on the mountain are managed by a private operator, Mount Seymour Resorts Ltd.

Accidents and rescues

Due to its proximity to a large metropolitan area, Mount Seymour Provincial Park attracts larger numbers of visitors and recreational users than many other rugged, mountainous areas. This in part, has led to hundreds of lost, stranded or injured hikers, skiers and snowshoers requiring rescue, some of whom have died.

Access

Access to the park is by way of the all-weather Mount Seymour Road in North Vancouver
North Vancouver, British Columbia (district municipality)
The District of North Vancouver is a district municipality in British Columbia and is part of the GVRD. It surrounds the City of North Vancouver on three sides.-Geography:The District of North Vancouver is separated from Vancouver by Burrard Inlet...

.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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