Robert Burnaby Park (and Mythical Creatures!)
Markus roaring as loud as the dragon behind him
What an adventure! Since it was Easter last weekend, we thought we would bring Markus to do a little hunt of our own. We made the trip out to Robert Burnaby Park (which is just on the other side of the highway from Burnaby Lake) where an artist - Nickie Lewis - had spent the past year during COVID putting up sculptures located in various areas throughout the park. These sculptures - made out of sticks, twigs and various vines and moss found at the park - are shaped into mythical creatures (and a couple more well-known characters) that you'll have to scavenge the park to find.
Luckily we had a handy little map (yes, we cheated) that plotted out where each of the characters were so we didn't have to wander around the park for too long. This map brought us towards the area, which made things a lot easier and we were able to find most of the sculptures. The only ones we weren't able to find were the Ewoks, which supposedly get moved around to keep us on our toes. If you're looking for an adventure with your family that's dog-friendly as well, we'd highly recommend doing this little sculpture scavenger hunt!
About Robert Burnaby Park
Markus getting to meet one of his fur heroes Chewbacca
Type: Park & Trail
Length: 2.4 km
Traffic: Moderate
Route Type: Multiple Trails/Loop
Robert Burnaby Park is just off of 4th and Edmonds and it's a multi-use park that includes an outdoor swimming pool (closed during COVID-19), a playground, a picnic area, tennis courts, disc golf and great trails for exploring. Even if you're not on the hunt to find the mythical creatures, there's a big grassy area to spend an afternoon with your family.
While the outer perimeter of the trail around the park is about 2.4km, you're likely to be logging more steps going in and out of the trails if you're in search of the sculptures. I should mention that there are some steeper hills that will get your heart rate up and some of the sculptures are located in areas that aren't as easy to get to. Even though it's quite literally a walk in the park, be prepared to exert a little bit of effort to climb the steeper areas and to get close ups of the sculptures.
Markus trying to wake Lillith the Sleeping Fairy with his bushy tail
From a dog's perspective (as in, more about the actual trail rather than looking for neatly arranged sticks), the park was a great walk. There were a few areas where we had to stray off of the path in search of the sculptures to cross a small/lightly flowing creek. Our dog had no problems crossing, but keep in mind that you might have to balance on top of the rocks so your feet don't get set with a leashed dog pulling you to go faster at the same time. The creek's not deep at all, but a misstep can definitely leave you with wet feet.
There is one clearly designated area of the park that's dedicated for dogs that want to run around off-leash. If your dog is reactive and not great with off-leash dogs, I would recommend steering clear of this area just because it is not fenced. Well, there is a fence, but the fence only runs about halfway and the dogs are freely running in and out of the area so it's not all that useful. If you bring your dog into that area, there's a very good chance that the off-leash dogs will come and greet your dog, so be warned. The off-leash dog park is towards Hwy-1 by the corner close to Hill Ave. and there are certainly enough paths that you can take to go around and you won't have to go through to access all the sculptures.
Markus standing by a small bridge over top some muddy paths
You'll also want to be mindful of the disc golf section of the park. There are big signs that warn you as you're entering the area, but it's generally pretty safe. That said, it's also not inconceivable to think that someone could throw off target, so just keep your head up if it's busy. To get to some of the trails to see the sculptures, it will be easier to go through the disc golf area. The off-leash dog park is located just beyond it, but you can peel off onto another trail before that.
In regards to parking, we had actually parked our car by Wedgewood St., where there are limited spots. Even though it wasn't too busy while we were there, there weren't many spots left. As it turned out, there was more parking at a lot, but the entrance isn't the most obvious. The lot is immediately next to the outdoor pool, but the entrance isn't on the road off of 2nd St. The entrance to the parking lot is actually off of Hill Ave. where the road cuts through the field and past the tennis courts. You'll have to cut through the field to get to the trailhead from either one of these lots.
The Sculpture Hunt
Markus isn’t usually a fan of water, but he’s okay with the Forest Water Spirit (Mermaid)
The sculptures are evenly scattered throughout the park and you're going to have to do a bit of walking to find each one. If you're planning on making this trip, we recommend taking a look at the map beforehand and plotting your stops so you're not having to go back and forth while you're there. The park is pretty big and especially if you're bringing a dog that likes to stop and sniff, it could end up taking a while. Unfortunately, there isn't a perfect loop to view them all, so you'll likely have to weave in and out at least a couple of times.
While most of the sculptures are viewable from the main trails, not all of them are as accessible if you're hoping to get a close up picture. Depending on the day, each sculpture can draw a small crowd as there are plenty of other scavengers doing the same thing. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the ones that we did (although we couldn't find the Ewoks!) and enjoyed the walk with our dog. The sculptures are very well-done and it's a good way to keep the kids pre-occupied while getting some fresh air.
What we liked
The sculpture hunt was a lot of fun!
The trail is a nice walk in the park and the paths are wide, which is great for reactive dogs.
What we didn't like
The off-leash dog area isn't closed off, so you'll want to be cautious if your dog is reactive.
Although it's not too bad, some of the sculptures weren't the most accessible especially if you're hoping to get a close up with one.
Be mindful that there are some steeper areas and even steps at some parts that's sure to raise your heart rate!
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
Even though the sculptures are more for humans and don't really do much for the dogs, the trail was a lot of fun. In general, it is long and the paths are fairly wide for reactive dogs that aren't the most comfortable with other dogs passing by. If your dog is reactive, you'll likely want to avoid the off-leash dog area altogether since it's not gated and the dogs are freely running on and off the trail. While there were some dogs that weren't leashed outside the off-leash area, we didn't have issues with any of them.
Disclaimer
Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.
Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.
