Island life with Peter and Shelagh: Derby Reach Regional Park

Our favourite park is Derby Reach Regional Park in north Langley. It covers some 300 hectares of land that was once the Edge Farm. Derby Reach is recognized as the site of the first contact between people from the Stó:lō first nation and Europeans working for the Hudson Bay Company. A pioneer by the name of Alex Houston built his house on the land that is now part of the park. Houston is credited with starting the Cariboo gold rush. The old barn stood along the trail 'till this spring when it was destroyed by three fallen cottonwood trees during one of our winter storms.

A several hundred year old apple tree

The park has some beautiful walking trails, most of them flat except for Houston Trail which has some steep sections. Houston Trail is a shared path for pedestrians and equestrians, the Edge Trail is a path for pedestrians only, the Edge Farm Trail is a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists and the Fort to Fort Trail is a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists and will take you all the way to Fort Langley. In total there are more than 28 km. of trails to walk, cycle and ride.

There is also a primitive campground with 38 campsites in this park, no hook-ups, and the maximum stay is 10 days. Water taps and pit toilets are provided. The fee for camping is $24.00 per night. The campground is open from March 1st to October 31st. There is also a large day use area for picnicking and two shelters are provided for large group events.

38 Campsites

We love coming here in the summer months to picnic and people watch. Also along the Fraser River's edge there is no shortage of things to see like watching the tug boats ply the waters with their barges. Weekends can be quite busy so we prefer the week days. The park is also very popular with dog owners who make use of the "off leash" area next to the day use area. Someday we'll pitch our tent here and stay a few days. We live close by so going home for a morning shower is easy peasy...