Can you do a Belcarra Regional Park day trip from Vancouver without a car? Yes. Use TransLink Trip Planner for your door-to-park trip. Ride SkyTrain to Moody Centre Station, then #182 (Moody Centre Station / Belcarra). Alight near White Pine Beach on Sasamat Lake or continue toward the Belcarra Picnic Area on Belcarra Bay Road. Walk lake loops, swamp boardwalks, or inlet trails. Prefer the bus on sunny weekends when park lots fill. Confirm Trip Planner times and posted park hours at the entrance before you leave.
Snapshot
| Piece | What to plan | | --- | --- | | Best transit | SkyTrain to Moody Centre Station, then #182 to Belcarra. Park-area TransitDB stops include Bedwell Bay Rd @ White Pine Beach Rd (stop 60271) and Southbound Belcarra Bay Rd @ Salish Rd (stop 58758). Confirm Trip Planner. Times are typical, not guaranteed. | | Park location | Metro Vancouver regional park in Belcarra, Anmore, and Port Moody. Ocean picnic area near Belcarra Bay plus Sasamat Lake / White Pine Beach. | | Easy trails | Bedwell Bay Trail about 1.2 km return. Woodhaven Swamp Loop about 1.2 km return. Sasamat Lake Loop about 3.2 km return. | | Hours | Park open at 7 a.m. Hours posted at entrances. Earliest closing 5 p.m. Gates lock when closed. | | Washrooms | Wheelchair-accessible washroom buildings. Picnic shelters, wharf, and floats at Belcarra Picnic Area are wheelchair accessible per brochure. | | Parking (if driving) | Prefer transit. Seasonal pay parking since 2021. Lots fill early. No parking on Bedwell Bay Road. Do not invent a free all-day stall. |
Why Belcarra works as a half day
Belcarra packs lake swimming, forest loops, and Burrard Inlet / Indian Arm views into one regional park. You can ride SkyTrain to Moody Centre, transfer to the Belcarra bus, and walk without gambling on a scarce stall.
That is the point of this planner: one park, clear transit, trail and dog-sign honesty.
If you liked the Port Moody waterfront of Rocky Point and Shoreline or the Point Grey forest of Pacific Spirit, this is the Tri-Cities lake and inlet sibling. For a North Shore waterfront contrast later, pair with Ambleside.
How to get there without a car
Moody Centre Station, then #182 (preferred)
TransLink lists route 182 as Moody Centre Station / Belcarra. TransitDB route 182 maps weekday, Saturday, and Sunday service, with inbound headsign 182 Belcarra and outbound 182 Moody Centre Station.
Typical park-area stops from public TransitDB listings:
- Westbound Bedwell Bay Rd @ White Pine Beach Rd (stop 60271) for Sasamat Lake / White Pine Beach access
- Southbound Belcarra Bay Rd @ Salish Rd (stop 58758) near the Belcarra picnic corridor
- Terminus area toward Belcarra Bay Rd @ Whiskey Cove Lane (stop 58960)
Use TransLink Trip Planner for the return trip to Moody Centre Station. Treat door-to-park times as typical, not guaranteed. Build a buffer for the transfer and the last walk to your trailhead.
Summer service note (confirm live)
The Village of Belcarra transit page summarized TransLink summer 2026 changes starting June 8, 2026: more weekend and holiday trips on #182 until September, plus a seasonal weekend/holiday extension of #181 to Belcarra until September. Those boost windows were time-limited. On Sept. 30, 2026, do not assume summer weekend frequencies. Confirm the live Trip Planner trip and headsign the morning you go.
Bike access
Cycling is permitted on Springboard Trail per the brochure. Sugar Mountain, Saddle Ridge, and Bear Claw trails are open to cyclists but are rugged with steep sections. Cyclists yield to pedestrians. Stay on designated trails.
Driving and parking (if you skip transit)
Prefer the bus so the half day is not a parking hunt. Metro Vancouver's brochure says sunny summer days fill lots quickly at White Pine Beach and the Belcarra Picnic Area. Seasonal pay parking was introduced in 2021. Respect parking restrictions on adjacent municipal streets. There is no parking on Bedwell Bay Road.
This guide does not invent hourly pay-parking dollar amounts. Confirm live rates and lot rules on site or on metrovancouver.org before you go.
Park gates lock when the park is closed. Do not leave a car inside a gated lot past posted hours. Village of Belcarra notes Metro Vancouver's after-hours number 604-432-9483 for cars locked behind the park gate.
Hour-by-hour half-day outline
- Morning transit. SkyTrain to Moody Centre Station. Transfer to #182 toward Belcarra.
- Sasamat Lake block (60-90 minutes). Alight near White Pine Beach Rd. Walk the Sasamat Lake Loop (about 3.2 km return) or shorter shoreline sections. Use the Beach By-Pass if you are with a dog and need to avoid White Pine Beach.
- Optional Belcarra Picnic Area block (45-75 minutes). Continue on #182 or walk toward Belcarra Bay. Washrooms, picnic tables, wharf, and floats. Easy Bedwell Bay Trail (about 1.2 km return) to tidal flats.
- Optional Woodhaven Swamp (30-45 minutes). Gently sloped 1.2 km loop around a drowned forest wetland. Watch for wildlife. Stay on the trail.
- Return bus. Ride #182 back to Moody Centre with buffer before evening plans. Confirm Trip Planner.
Swap lake-first versus picnic-first based on your alight stop and weather.
What to expect on the trails
Metro Vancouver's Dec. 2022 brochure describes intertidal life at Belcarra beach, forest glades, Woodhaven Swamp, and swimming at Sasamat Lake.
Easy brochure examples:
- Bedwell Bay Trail: about 1.2 km return, roughly 20 minutes
- Woodhaven Swamp Loop: about 1.2 km return, roughly 30 minutes
- Sasamat Lake Loop: about 3.2 km return, roughly 1 hour
- Springboard Trail: about 8 km return, roughly 2 hours (hardened path for cyclists and pedestrians)
Intermediate brochure examples:
- Admiralty Point Trail: about 6 km return (Admiralty Point about 1.5 hours, Burns Point about 2 hours)
- Jug Island Beach Trail: about 6 km return, roughly 2 hours, steep sections to a pocket beach
- Woodhaven Trail: about 4.2 km return, roughly 1.5 hours
Challenging brochure examples climb toward Buntzen Ridge Viewpoint via Buntzen Ridge or Sugar Mountain trails. Stay on designated trails.
Rules called out in the brochure: no liquor, no cannabis, no camping, no vegetation removal, no shellfish harvesting in Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm. Smoking is not permitted except in designated areas marked by signs. Swim at your own risk. There are no lifeguards at park beaches, including Sasamat Lake. Fires are only permitted in the designated fire ring at Belcarra Picnic Area shelters, and restrictions may apply in hot weather. Confirm live fire danger and park notices before you go.
Area office for təmtəmíxʷtən / Belcarra: 604-520-6442. Park conditions: metrovancouver.org. Emergencies: 9-1-1.
Dogs, beaches, and signs
Dogs are welcome but must be leashed. Scoop waste into dog waste bins.
Brochure prohibitions:
- White Pine Beach
- Swimming and fishing decks of the Floatwalk
- Most pocket beaches along Sasamat Lake
To enjoy the Sasamat Lake Loop and avoid White Pine Beach, follow the Beach By-Pass route. Do not invent a blanket off-leash park. Read the sign at each junction.
Food and cafes
This guide does not quote village cafe hours. Pack water and a snack. Picnic tables sit at White Pine Beach and the Belcarra Picnic Area. Shelter bookings: 604-432-6352 per brochure. If you want food after the walk in Port Moody or Belcarra Village, confirm operator hours the morning you go.
Weather, crowds, and honesty
Belcarra and White Pine Beach see heavy use on warm weekends. Arrive early by bus, or pick a shoulder day. Fall is strong for cooler forest walks, but mud and early dusk matter. Plan to be at your return stop with bus buffer before you are tired and cold. Earliest park closing is 5 p.m. Many days close later, but only the posted entrance hours count.
Bears and cougars live in this landscape. Stay calm and back away if you encounter wildlife. Do not leave garbage or unattended food.
Pairing ideas
- Tri-Cities waterfront sibling: Port Moody Rocky Point + Shoreline
- Point Grey forest contrast: Pacific Spirit by bus
- North Shore waterfront: Ambleside Park by bus
- Classic seawall: Stanley Park by transit
Sources to recheck before you go
- Metro Vancouver: təmtəmíxʷtən / Belcarra Regional Park
- Belcarra Regional Park brochure (Metro Vancouver, Dec. 2022)
- TransLink route 182 schedule
- TransitDB route 182
- Village of Belcarra: TransLink
- TransLink Trip Planner
Ads and newsletter stay off. No invented transit fares or parking dollar amounts. Brochure trail, hours, dog, and parking-season facts checked Sept. 30, 2026.
