Parks & Facilities

Coquitlam River Park provides a network of forest walking trails extending for 9.8 kilometres within 165 acres of municipal parkland. This ancient river, a tributary of the Fraser, evokes a different experience in each season.

Seasonal Flow of the River

From November to March, the time of heavy precipitation and the spring thaw, the river is at its highest and most dynamic. In summer, park visitors may wade into its gentler flows for a refreshing escape from the heat. Or in Fall, stroll along the trails, with the leaves turning colour, and pause to appreciate the return of hundreds of salmon from the Pacific.

Wildlife Awareness

Black bears travel through the park at various times of the year. While enjoying the trails and river, visitors are requested to be aware of ecologically sensitive areas.

Coquitlam River Watershed

Ten to fourteen thousand years ago, the glaciation process of the last ice age carved the Coquitlam River Watershed.  Archaeological evidence and carbon dating show human activity in the area as early as 9,000 years ago. The Coquitlam River Watershed is part of the traditional territory of the Kwikwetlem Nation, their name deriving from the sockeye salmon, “red fish up the river.” Members of the Kwikwetlem Band continue to live along the Coquitlam River, working to preserve their culture and the local environment. 

More information about the Watershed can be found in: “Fraser Salmon and Watersheds Program - Living Rivers Project Coquitlam River Stakeholder Engagement Phase I: The Story of the Coquitlam River Watershed Past, Present and Future,” Prepared for The City of Coquitlam and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation by: Jahlie Houghton, JR Environmental - April 2008; Updated by: Coquitlam River Watershed Work Group - October 2008.

Fun Fact

The TV series, "Once Upon A Time" and "Blackstorm", filmed scenes in the upper section of Coquitlam River Park.