Devil’s Peak is one of the small sub-peaks of Mount Seymour on Vancouver’s North Shore. The beautiful trail through the forest will take you to a rocky outcrop with great views over Vancouver and Burnaby. This is one of those trails where the fun is in the entire walk, rather than just the view at the end of the trail. It’s also one of the ones I discovered from Peak Bagging, so if you are lucky, you might find some hidden whiskey on this peak.

Devil’s Peak trail map

Devil’s Peak trail – the basics

Distance: 8 km
Cumulative Elevation gain: All Trails says 270m, strava says 489m
Highest Point: 640m. The viewpoint is lower than that, at 600m.
Time: 3-4 hours
What to bring: The 10 Essentials
Facilities: There is an outhouse at the mushroom parking lot
Dogs: There are some creek crossings which would make this hard for some dogs.
How hard is it?
Intermediate. This isn’t an official maintained trail, so you may need to use route finding skills. It also undulates a lot and includes a couple of creek crossings, so it is harder than you might expect for a small peak. Don’t attempt this when the creeks are high from snow-melt.

Wait, what is Peak Bagging?

Peak Bagging is where hikers and climbers try to reach a collection of summits in one geographical area. Every summer people compete to see who can bag the most North Shore peaks. Last year I joined a facebook group of friendly peak baggers in Vancouver. There are loads of sub-peaks around Mount Seymour! I have trip reports about Mount Underhill, First Pump Peak, Tim Jones Peak, Third Peak, Mount Elsay and Dog Mountain (although that one doesn’t count for peak bagging)

Devil’s Peak – Getting Started

There are quite a few possible trails to Devil’s Peak; But we opted for one of the easier routes, starting half way up Mount Seymour. We parked in the mushroom parking lot (located on the second big switchback as you drive up the mountain.) Cross the Mount Seymour Road carefully and head straight into the forest.

If you zoom into the map, you’ll see there is a whole network of trails in this part of Mount Seymour. Most of them are for mountain bikes, so be ready to step out of the way when people cycle past. We followed the TNT, and then Magic Kingdom trails. Then turned off onto an old logging road that is lined with planks of wood.

Leave no trace

There are quite a few bits of historical rubbish in this area left by loggers. We saw a few kettles, cups, buckets, pans, lids and bits of rusted machinery. Please leave everything as you find it, but don’t add any rubbish!

Crossing Boulder Creek

There are a couple of creek crossings on this route. We visited in the springtime so the creeks were pretty high, but not *too* bad. We crossed at an elevation of about 630m (if you’re looking for a good spot.) If you have poles, use them to help you keep your balance.

My top tip for trails that require creek crossings is getting some waterproof socks. It is sooo nice to keep your shoes on, but your feet dry! We bought some last summer, and they have been great for snowshoeing too (when your feet always get cold/wet.)

Rugged trail

This is not a maintained trail, and it is easy to lose the trail in some places, especially the second half. I’ve seen lots of trail reports where hikers got lost. Watch out for orange flagging tape and keep your eye on your phone’s gps if you are unsure.

Devil’s Pimple?

I should probably mention that this doesn’t feel like a normal peak! You actually lose elevation along the route, so you finish at a lower point that you started! Having said that, the train undulates and does have some steep moments, especially near the “top”.

Whiskey Cache?

If you’re lucky, you might find a whiskey cache at Devil’s Peak (we actually found two bottles of whiskey there.) This is located at the cairn, rather than at the lower viewpoint. We spent longer down at the viewpoint/bluffs.

Marc was a bit hot, so relaxed in the shade while I climbed around the bluffs to see the best views. For such a pimple-like peak there are some fabulous views around Vancouver.

Heading Back

We retraced our steps through the beautiful forest and really enjoyed the entire walk. There is something so invigorating about exploring the temperate rainforests around Vancouver. It still blows my mind that these trails are so close to the city, but feel so wild.

Devil’s Peak is not one of the famous hikes in Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains, but it IS a fun trail with a lovely viewpoint. It’s pretty quiet – we only met one other group of hikers, despite the beautiful weather. Do you like the look of this, or do you prefer more obvious, maintained trails?