Traboulay PoCo Trail

The Traboulay PoCo Trail is Port Coquitlam's single best civic amenity and arguably the best urban loop trail in all of Metro Vancouver. Named after Len Traboulay, a former PoCo mayor who championed the trail network through the 1980s, the full loop is 25.3 kilometres long and follows the city's natural perimeter: along the Pitt River on the east side, along the Fraser River on the south, along the Coquitlam River on the west, and through Hyde Creek greenbelt and the Colony Farm dyke on the north. The full loop is technically walkable in a long day (about 5–6 hours at a normal walking pace), but most residents use it in shorter 3–8 km segments.

The trail varies in character dramatically along its route. The eastern Pitt River section is the most scenic — wide river views, Mount Baker visible on clear days, and occasional sightings of sturgeon fishing boats and river traffic. The southern Fraser River section is more rugged, running along dyke tops past log booms and industrial river frontage. The western Coquitlam River section passes through older suburban residential areas and includes the Terry Fox Memorial section, which traces the route Terry ran daily as a high-school student. The northern Hyde Creek greenbelt is the most urban, cutting through residential subdivisions and the Hyde Creek Recreation Centre.

For residents, the trail is the reason PoCo has one of the highest recreation-quality-of-life scores of any Metro Vancouver city. Access points are everywhere — most residential neighbourhoods are within 500 metres of a trail access — and the trail is lit along most of its length. For newcomer families, a weekend walk of a 5–8 km segment is one of the best ways to get to know the city.