Pump Peak

Pump Peak on Mount Seymour is one of those classic North Vancouver hikes that keeps people coming back. At 6.9 km return with about 457 m of gain, it’s a steady, moderate grind that most people finish in around an hour and a half to two and a half, depending on conditions. You start right from the Mount Seymour parking lot and quickly leave the ski area behind for a proper North Shore mountain feel.

The trail is rocky, rooty, and consistently uphill, with a few short steeper sections that wake up the legs but don’t really cross into true scrambling for most hikers. You’ll pass Brockton Point on the way, which already gives solid views toward Vancouver and the surrounding mountains, and on a clear day Pump Peak itself delivers wide-open 360-degree views across the city, Indian Arm, and the Coast Range. There are a couple of route options near the little pond before the final climb, with the AllTrails line looping around the back of Pump Peak and a more direct path cutting up and down faster.

Recent reports on Pump Peak mention a mixed bag of conditions: anything from wet, muddy “trail-as-stream” sections to packed snow and ice near the top, even when the lower trail is bare. Microspikes are strongly recommended through winter and shoulder seasons, with poles and waterproof boots making a big difference on the slippery rocks and slushy patches. Expect cold, wind, fog, and whiteout days where you’ll get zero view from the summit but still decent scenery lower down, and be aware this route crosses avalanche terrain, so checking Avalanche Canada before heading up from North Vancouver is smart.