Green Timbers Urban Forest.

Green Timbers is the forest most Metro Vancouver residents have never visited, and the people of Surrey would be happy to keep it that way. This is the site of British Columbia’s first reforestation project, planted in the 1930s after the original giants were logged, and the second-growth Douglas firs and cedars have now grown tall enough to feel like a proper woodland. In the middle sits a small artificial lake, and in autumn it is the heart of the park.

The lake loop is short, under a kilometre, but it packs in the colour: paper birches and bigleaf maples lean out over the water and turn gold and amber in October, while the wooden fishing pier gives you a clear view across to the far shore. Come on a cool, still morning and there is often mist lying on the water, with the yellow trees glowing softly through it. It is one of the most peaceful scenes in the region and you will rarely share it with more than a handful of anglers and dog walkers.

Beyond the lake, the forest trails fan out in a grid of wide gravel paths and narrower dirt tracks. A pleasant extension is to follow the main trail west toward the 140 Street side and back, which adds half an hour under tall trees with ferns and leaf litter on either side. The park connects to the Green Timbers Greenway and the Surrey Nature Centre, where families will find washrooms and seasonal programs.

The caveats are drainage and wayfinding. The secondary trails hold water for days after rain, and because the forest is flat and the trees uniform, it is easy to lose your bearings; stick to the signed loops with young children. Check the City of Surrey page for trail conditions and nature centre hours.