Mount Underhill via Old Elsay Lake Trail

Mount Underhill via Old Elsay Lake Trail is one of the more serious missions you can take on from the Mount Seymour side of North Vancouver. The stats you’ll see online don’t tell the full story; most hikers are clocking way more distance and elevation than listed, and they’re out there all day. Expect a long, committing out-and-back with real route-finding, scrambling, and a wild, remote feel compared to the usual Seymour crowd.

The Old Elsay Lake Trail is rough, mixed terrain from the start: rooty singletrack, creek beds, washed-out sections, and stretches where the “trail” barely looks like one. You’ll weave through dense forest, tackle a few rope sections, and then grind up toward Mount Underhill for big views over Indian Arm and the surrounding North Shore mountains, with a quirky chair at Russell’s Viewpoint marking one of the best lookouts. It feels more like an off-the-beaten-path adventure than a standard North Vancouver hike, and you need to stay on top of navigation with a GPS app and the scattered markers.

Current reports say water levels and creek crossings are a real factor, especially at spots like Shone Creek where high flow can turn you around, so avoid this route right after heavy rain or during spring melt. The trail is overgrown and slow in places, muddy when wet, and easy to lose in the middle, so give yourself way more time than you think and start early. Parking near Mount Seymour fills quickly and there’s some confusion and friction around private lanes, so use official parking where possible, carry extra layers and a filter, and treat Mount Underhill via Old Elsay Lake Trail as a full-day, advanced outing best done in stable weather from late spring to fall.