The name derives from the twin peaks of a mountain in the park, which from the south are said to resemble a pair of ears sticking up. The name has also been borrowed by the toll bridge across the Fraser River to the south.
I went to Golden Ears once before, but on a cold, cloudy fall day when there wasn't much to see. This time it was a sunny, hazy, hot summer day, and the park was busy even though it was midweek.
You need a lot of patience and persistence to get to Golden Ears Park. It's reached by way of some narrow country roads on the outskirts of Maple Ridge, and signage isn't great. Fortunately, a new road called "Golden Ears Way" leads you from the bridge right around most of Maple Ridge and then you only need to make two more turns to get to the destination.
The road into the park makes a steady climb up into the mountains before descending into the Alouette Valley. It's a well-laid-out parkway without any sharp curves or sudden steep grades -- and without shoulders. Caution required, as it's popular with cyclists!
The main facilities of the park are concentrated along the west shore of Alouette Lake, which is a large power reservoir. There's a sizable day-use area with large parking lots, picnic tables, a boat launch, a broad gravelly beach, and a marked swimming area.
Farther north along the shore there are campgrounds with their own waterfront access. This valley represents a very small percentage of the total size of the park. Most of the area of the park has been left as wilderness. The forests are threaded by hiking trails, including mountain trails for those with the urge to climb!
After paying the sizable day-use fees at national parks, and at provincial parks in my home turf of Ontario, it comes as a positive surprise that there is no charge for use of the day area here!
And as if that isn't enough, there's the spectacular scenery of this alpine valley to add to the impact of this special beauty spot! Even after the hot summer that British Columbia has had this year, there's still snow on some of the peaks beyond the north end of the lake.
Starting from downtown Vancouver, the drive to Golden Ears will take about 1.5-2 hours depending on the time of day and the traffic, but it's definitely worth the effort!
This quite remarkable beauty spot doesn't make the cut in a lot of tourist guides to the Vancouver area because it's a bit out of the way. It's definitely worth the effort to get there!
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