Quarry Rock trail in North Vancouver reopened after nearly 3 years

Quarry Rock in North Vancouver is shown in this Shutterstock image.

The District of North Vancouver is home to dozens – if not hundreds – of well loved hiking trails, but until Friday, the one that is perhaps the most beloved of all had been closed for nearly three years.

In a brief notice posted on its website Friday, the district announced that the Baden Powell Trail from Deep Cove to Quarry Rock had reopened.

The trail was first closed to the public early in the COVID-19 pandemic because officials feared it would be impossible for users to keep their distance from each other on a route that was seeing 3,000 to 4,000 visitors per day.

Signs and a padlocked gate didn't stop everyone from visiting, however. In April 2021, CTV News spent a short time at the entrance on a Saturday and observed several people making their way around the fence.

By that summer, amid further loosening of COVID-19 restrictions across B.C., calls to reopen the trail were growing louder. The district opted to keep it closed, however, citing significant infrastructure work ongoing in Deep Cove at the time, including a sewer replacement project.

In November 2021, the reason for the closure changed again.

The historic storms that damaged highways and flooded communities in the Fraser Valley and the Interior also caused significant damage on the Quarry Rock route.

The trail remained closed to allow crews to repair bridge and stair structures.

"Work is now complete and the trail is open to the public," the district said in its statement Friday.