BC introducing day pass pilot project at Mount Seymour Provincial Park

Mt. Seymour (Marina Poushinka/Shutterstock)

The provincial government has announced a day pass pilot project for Mount Seymour Provincial Park in North Vancouver.

Details of the program were shared on Wednesday by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The pilot project is an effort to address the growing surge of people that visit the provincial park during the winter.

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“Winter is the busiest season for Mount Seymour Park, especially during the holiday break, with downhill skiers and park visitors sharing limited parking,” George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, says in a statement.

From December 15, 2021, to March 31, 2022, visitors will require a free day pass in order to access the park between 7 am and 4 pm. Morning or afternoon passes will be available online at 7 am PST, two days prior to visiting.

According to BC Parks, day passes are required to access upper mountain trails such as the Seymour Main Trail, Mystery Lake Trail, and Dog Mountain Trail. Mountain-goers will also need to print or download a copy of their pass on their mobile device before arriving, since cellphone service may not be available.

“Mount Seymour Provincial Park is among the most popular winter destinations in the province, offering views of Vancouver and facilities for skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and tobogganing,” the Ministry notes.

“In 2020, more than 1.1 million people visited the park, which is an increase of 20% since 2018, resulting in congested roads, parking lots and facilities.”

While the day pass system isn’t necessarily new to British Columbians, this is the first time that the program has been implemented over the winter. A day pass reservation system has been used over the past two summers at popular provincial parks as a means of managing visitor traffic and preventing the overuse of trails.