Rocky Point Park: Port Moody's waterfront playground

Ask a Port Moody local where to spend a summer evening and the answer is usually Rocky Point Park. Sitting where Murray Street meets Burrard Inlet, it is the city's best-known park: part beach, part pier, part trailhead, part patio destination.

What is at the park

The city lists a long run of amenities for one site:

• A recreational pier with views up and down Burrard Inlet
• An outdoor pool, open in the summer season
• A spray park for kids
• A skateboard park and a bike trials park
• A boat launch
• The Old Mill Boat House
• Artists in the Park installations
• The Shoreline Trail, an easy waterfront walk that connects the park to the rest of the inlet path
• Wildlife viewing along the shoreline and mudflats

On a warm day you can rent a kayak or paddleboard from the outfitter by the pier, grab fish and chips and an ice cream cone, or sit on the patio at a waterfront restaurant. Park and picnic shelter bookings are available through the city for groups.

Spray park season

The spray park usually opens for the May long weekend and typically stays open until September. When it is running, hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting. By mid-October the spray park and pool are done for the year, but the pier, trails and playgrounds carry the park through the off-season.

Rules worth knowing

Recreational drones are not allowed in Port Moody parks. The city's parks bylaw also bans activities involving high-speed projectiles, including golf, archery, war games and radio-controlled aircraft or cars, unless specifically authorized.

The Shoreline Trail

The paved Shoreline Trail is the park's spine and one of the easiest pretty walks in the Tri-Cities. It is flat, stroller-friendly and runs along the water in both directions: west toward Old Orchard Park and east back toward the Murray Street strip, which puts Brewers Row within easy walking distance. Combining a trail walk with the park's pier at golden hour is about as Port Moody as it gets.

What is changing

The park is in the early years of a long refresh. City council endorsed the Rocky Point Park Master Plan in 2024, a framework that will guide new park features and upgrades to existing infrastructure over a 10-year outlook and beyond. Expect phased changes to facilities, trails and open spaces as the plan is implemented.

Getting there

Rocky Point Park is at 2800 Murray Street, a short walk from Moody Centre Station on the Millennium Line and the West Coast Express. Driving works too, but the parking lot fills fast on sunny weekends; arrive early or come by transit.

In season: pool and spray park

Summer transforms the park. The outdoor pool opens for the season with lane and public swims, the spray park runs daily for kids, and the grass fills with picnic blankets. Kayak and paddleboard rentals operate from the waterfront, and the boat launch sees steady weekend traffic. If you are planning a group day, the city takes bookings for picnic shelters.

The Old Mill Boat House and the arts

The Old Mill Boat House anchors the park's boating life and nods to Port Moody's mill-town past. The city also programs Artists in the Park here, part of Port Moody's City of the Arts identity, so it is common to stumble into live painting or craft stalls on a summer weekend.

Events on the point

Rocky Point is Port Moody's outdoor stage. The park hosts the city's big summer celebrations, including the long-running Golden Spike Days festival over the Canada Day period, plus concerts and community events through the warm months. Event weekends bring road closures and packed lots, which is another argument for arriving by SkyTrain: Moody Centre Station is a short, flat walk away.

A walker's route

For the classic visit, park yourself at the pier end and walk the Shoreline Trail west toward Old Orchard Park, then double back as the light drops behind the inlet. The whole out-and-back takes under an hour at a dawdle, flat the whole way, with benches and viewpoints throughout. Add a loop through the park's interior to take in the skate park, the pool building and the boat house, and finish with food on Murray Street or fish and chips by the water.

Sunset is the magic window: the inlet catches the light, the paddlers come in, and the pier fills with photographers. It is the single most photographed spot in the Tri-Cities for a reason.

Good to know

The park address is 2800 Murray Street, and parking is on-site but limited on sunny weekends and event days. The pier and trails are the year-round draw; the pool, spray park and rentals are seasonal. Dogs are welcome on-leash in most of the park. And the park's own master plan means some areas will evolve over the coming years, so expect occasional work zones as the 2024 plan is carried out.