The Shoreline Trail in Port Moody is an easy hike with great views. The trail wraps around the eastern tip of Burrard Inlet, starting at Rocky Point Park and ending at Old Orchard Park.
What You’ll See
Some of the features you can see on this hike include:
- The Port Moody Wharf
- A ship wreck
- A saltwater marsh
- Two abandoned sawmill sites
- Boardwalks over the inlet
- Herons
The McNair Cedar Mill Site
One of the most interesting stops along the trail is the old McNair Cedar Mill Site. The mill was run by Robert McNair of the Robert McNair Shingle Company, who partnered with BC Electric to build a rail line hauling cedar logs down from the Coquitlam Lake area to feed the mill, along with a dock to ship out the finished shingles and lumber. The mill operated for decades before it burned down in 1949, and today only a few relics remain among the trees, a quiet reminder of Port Moody’s industrial past. It’s also a favourite spot for birders, since dabbling and diving ducks are often seen in the water nearby. If you’d like to see a piece of the mill’s history up close, the Old Mill Boathouse at Rocky Point Park was built using 100-year-old fir beam trusses salvaged from the original millsite.
The Heron Colony
Another real highlight of this trail is the small heron colony (a “heronry”) located in the trees near the Old Orchard Park end of the route. It’s home to a handful of nesting pairs of Great Blue Heron, the large, long-legged birds you’ll often see standing motionless in the shallows or gliding low over the water on their way to or from the nests. The colony is thought to be linked to a larger heronry that once existed at the mouth of the Coquitlam River, and the birds here have grown accustomed to people passing by on the trail below. The City of Port Moody has installed a protective barrier around the nest trees to keep foot traffic from straying too close, since herons are easily disturbed, especially during nesting season, and may abandon a nest entirely if they feel threatened. Great Blue Herons are also protected under the BC Wildlife Act, so please stay on the trail, respect any barriers or signage, and give the birds plenty of space to watch and admire them. Spring is typically the best time to see nesting activity, with chicks visible in the nests by early summer.
Parking
The only problem with this hike is the small parking lot at Rocky Point. You can park on the street if it’s full — just check first to see if there are any special events going on at Rocky Point.
Trail Stats
- Distance: 6 km (return)
- Time: 2 to 4 hours
- Low point: sea level
- High point: sea level
- Elevation gain: minimal
The Route
The actual GPS track from this hike, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start/end point.
Photos
The New Shoreline Trail Boardwalk
The boardwalk shown in the older photograph below is no longer the current structure. The City of Port Moody completed a major replacement of approximately 440 m of boardwalk, bridge, and gravel trail through Pigeon Cove between 2024 and 2025.
Phase 1, between Murray Street and Suter Brook Creek, was completed in December 2024. Phase 2 continued from Suter Brook Creek to just beyond Noons Creek and was completed in September 2025. The full new boardwalk officially opened on 13 September 2025.
The original timber boardwalks had been built more than 30 years earlier and were increasingly affected by king tides and storm surges. The replacement boardwalk is wider and more accessible, has been raised to better accommodate rising sea levels, and includes handrails and improved ramps. Its design also helps reduce disturbance to the sensitive tidal-marsh environment.
