Katzie Marsh Loop

Katzie Marsh Loop in Pitt Meadows is more of a flat nature walk than a hike, which makes it a nice, low-stress way to get outside and stretch your legs. The 6.6 km loop is dead flat, with only about 12 m of gain and a max elevation around 11 m, so it’s accessible for almost anyone and usually takes around an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how often you stop for photos or bird watching.

The loop traces a big, flattened triangle through the Pitt-Addington marshlands, starting on a wide gravel dike road with big open views of snow-capped Coast Mountains and the marshy lake beside you. As you swing south, the path shifts to double-track gravel with families biking, people walking dogs, and plenty of birds in the reeds, before narrowing into a single-track section with roots, mud, and some overgrown blackberry and spiky bushes that keep you paying attention to your footing.

Recent hikers say to think of the Katzie Marsh Loop as a casual stroll: regular running shoes are fine in dry weather, but the last third can be muddy, slick, and brushy, and some folks have turned back when the vegetation gets thick. Strong outflow winds along the dike can make it feel surprisingly cool, so bring a layer even on sunny days, and expect parking to be tighter on clear weekends near the boat launch. The loop is open year-round, but watch for seasonal wildlife closures in the Pitt-Addington area for nesting sandhill cranes, and in spring and summer keep an eye out for snakes and overgrown blackberries along the southwest stretch.