VANCOUVER - With the weather getting colder and days getting shorter, some hiking trails in North Vancouver have now closed for the winter season.
As of Monday, access to the backcountry trails at Lynn Headwaters Regional Park are closed, according to Vancouver Trails.
Several trails are no longer accessible in the North Shore park, including trails leading to Crown Mountain, Goat Mountain, Coliseum Mountain, Lynn Lake and Hanes Valley.
Those trails will re-open next spring.
For Grouse Grind enthusiasts, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks is reminding hikers of a temporary Grouse Mountain Skyride closure from Oct. 28 to Nov. 8 for annual maintenance and winter preparation.
That means all mountaintop activities and facilities are closed until Nov. 8 too. Grouse Mountain's Guest Services at the base of the mountain will remain open.
During the closure, anyone hiking the Grouse Grind will not be able to take the gondola back down. Instead, they'll have to hike down the neighbouring BCMC trail, which adds about two hours to the total hiking time Metro Vancouver says.
Last entry through the Grouse Grind gate will be at 1 p.m. to allow time for a round trip before sunset.
Anyone heading into open backcountry trails is reminded by the province to tell a family or friend that they're planning to go. Hikers should also be prepared for extreme weather such as snow, rain and stormy conditions, especially in the winter season.
Pet owners should keep in mind that some back country trails don't allow dogs and other domestic animals – including Bowron Lake, Garibaldi, Kokanee Glacier and Cathedral parks.
