iona beach regional park

I grew up across the river from Iona on the Vancouver side of the Fraser River and have been coming here for almost 50 years. Yes, that is indeed Metro Vancouver's largest sewage treatment plant beside the park - the sewage lagoons are behind the chain link fence and the causeway that runs several kilometres out into the Salish Sea is where the leftovers are disposed of at the end of the process. Now you know.It's a little oasis of sanity in the increasingly hectic area around the Vancouver airport. The area around the pond is a nature reserve that attracts several unique species of birds, both resident and transient. The booming grounds on the north arm of the Fraser River are located on the north side of the park area, where logs that have been towed down from Vancouver Island and further up the coast are waiting to be taken to the remaining mills further up the Fraser. The log storage area on the east side of the road allows the logs to be stored in fresh water, which drives the salt-water toredo worm out of the logs before they can eat up the profits.

Just a quick jaunt out of the hustle and bustle, Iona Beach Regional Park is a relaxing break. Despite being so close to the airport, especially for bird-watchers, this area is a peaceful place to relax and get back to nature. Forested area, beach nearby, and the jetty nearby that takes you a couple miles out into the water, looking back on civilization. Be on the lookout for cyclists though, as the road is narrow and somewhat twisty, and therefore it is not always easy to see them.

Lived in Richmond for years and this was my favourite place to go for walking dogs. We have seen various wildlife and quite often: coyotes (early in the morning), bald eagles (very common), hawks, cranes, and many other birds that I can't name. The swamp area by the parking lot is nice to do bird watching and photographing. Dogs need to be leashed on those trails. If you go further out towards the ocean, it may take one hour or so to reach the tip. I was told by the park patrol officer once that the open area way out there is ok for dogs to be off leash because there are very few people go that far. Our dogs enjoyed running in that huge open grass and beach area. It is very peaceful and yet you can see the planes come and go. It also has nice views. You can see some hills and mountains on the Vancouver side of Fraser River side. In fall/winter, it can be very windy and in summer time hot as there's no shade. This is what I missed most after we moved out of Richmond.

I like to come here to relax on a late summer day and listen to the birds. the beach isn't that great but the location means it can be secluded

Lots of walking trails, driftwood and overlooking the Georgia Strait. Good view of ships and barges passing.

Iona is my spot to be whenever I want some "me" time. What I love about Iona is that it is so peaceful and quiet out here, no matter the time and season. Funnily enough, it is located right next to the YVR airport, which is kind of contradictory or ironic to what I am describing. Even with that, it manages to be an oasis of peace for me.

This park was just a nice surprise! It has the most amazing sunsets and views! This place is great for a date but also nice to walk alone and would be fun for a family! It also has public bathrooms and a water fountain which is nice.

I come to this park about 100 times a year it is beautiful ! You can walk out on the Jetty it's a lovely 8km walk if you walk to the end and back out on the water. There are so many birds to see, I have seen Snow Owls, Eagles, Sandpipers, Hawks. You even see seals in the water Eagles diving for fish and the planes flying right over your head as you are in flight path and the airport is right there as well. Early morning walks you find lots of Eagles perched everywhere. Can't say enough about this beautiful spot, it's busy in the summer months but fall and winter it's beautiful as very few people come out. Highly recommend if you want a nice walk away from the city but great scenery.

Well, I did not know what to expect going here and was a little turned off on the drive out as the smell from the sewage treatment plant was not pleasant to say the least, I kind of wondered why they would build a park such as this. It did occur to me though that the wind would normally be blowing in from the water so the smell seems to be isolated closer to the plant.This is a nice 'in the rough' park and not a bad place to kill off a little time while waiting to go to the airport. Unfortunately the Iona Jetty was closed as they were doing repairs so I was not able to walk out, it looks like it is only open on weekends(?) for the time being.

A real nice surprise. Visited for a walk after supper and was impressed with the park . The walk along the pier takes you 4 km out into the bay and affords great views across the Strait towards the islands or back towards UBC and Howe Sound.Great place to watch the airliners approach and land at YVR. Make sure that you leave enough time for the return journey in the daylight as the pier is not lit and the park closes at 9pm.Use the washrooms before setting out on your walk !

This is an interesting place as the outfall for the sewage treatment plant is actually a great walk out into Georgia Strait. This park is near the airport and important bird staging and migration area. The road out to Iona is not heavily used and is popular with cyclists. It can be a bit windy but still a nice place for a picnic and a walk

Not sure why people would walk in this area. The path is at the end of the airport runway and close to the water treatment station.Didnt like it.

If you want a nice level walk by the ocean with a million dollar view, this is the place. A total distance of 8 km round trip. I enjoy jets, which is an added bonus because of the proximity to YVR.

If you are visiting Vancouver hopefully you have rented a car because Iona beach is not accessible by public transportation.The beach itself is not huge but most of the time there is barely anyone there so you can enjoy a nice and quiet time with ocean view in front of ya. There is also a very long walk-way that extends about 4-5 kilometers towards the ocean that you can take. If you plan on taking that walk-way be mindful of park's closing time because that is a LONG walk.

Check it out....great place to sit and watch the sun set, walk the duck ponds or take a stroll umongst the driftwood on the beach. If you are a plane watcher you will see lots of them too.