Iona Beach Park

My 250^th Unilocal review!
Iona Beach is a secluded getaway amoung the growing city of Richmond. I enjoy cycling out here because the cycling path is frequented by other cyclists so you don’t feel like your totally alone in the middle of no where, the road is generally clear of debris and there aren’t that many vehicles, and if there are, they have plenty of roadway to leave you space.
The beach itself is quite natural with its driftwood laden sandy beach, where you see the occasional driftwood «shelter» seen propped up and providing shade. Low tide provides plenty of interesting exploration for the kids and families to walk out for kilometers and find mini crabs, jellyfish, seaweed or a variety of shellfish. Be careful of high tide, it can creep up pretty fast and comes up pretty close up to the beach line. Plenty of sun and little shade, so bring the hats, sunscreen and sunglasses!
The beach facilities are pretty simple. Clean washrooms and a single change room for females (not sure what the men have), water fountain and hose, picnic tables, bike rack, and LOTS of parking.
The sewer jetty also provides an interesting 4 km out and 4 km back in walk, bike or run. When you get to the end be warned, it gets pretty windy out there! That being said, the waste management plant resides next to the beach so you’ll get the occasional waft of treated sewage. Very unpleasant but the wind usually carries it away and the sight and soft caws of the seagulls bring back the zen of the beach.
Overall, I quite enjoy this close sandy beach. So come out and relish this spot if you’re close by YVR!

Awesome walk! Awesome views! Take sunscreen! Worth it! I travel a lot and I would come back to this again. I wish I had more time. If you find a good spot to see down and just listen to nature (when airplanes are not around) it’s worth it. Romantic and a healthy way for couples to spend an afternoon.

Beautiful park!
I use to work at the airport and when I would have time I would drive to this little hidden gem. I call it hidden because its never been super busy every time I come. Its a great peaceful place to watch the ocean and airplanes land or take off. So if you have to kill time before picking up or dropping off someone at the airport this is a great place to go. And it has free parking unlike the airport.

Love the location of this park which is past the airport, secluded from the crazy streets of Hong Kong– oops, I mean Richmond. I think it has some beautiful natural features if you explore the place. Unfortunately I didn’t make it very far because of the smell… unbearable. Iona Beach Park is right beside a waste treatment plant. When I was walking around the beach, I wasn’t sure if the terrible smell was coming from the sea water or the waste water. I’m thinking the latter since no other beach by the ocean water smells as bad as this. Really nasty if you think about it. Just imagine having a picnic, eating your food and the stench of everyone’s human waste mixed together creeps up. Appetizing! (Sense the sarcasm).
Unfortunately when I came by on a summer afternoon, the jetty was closed for construction so I wasn’t able to make it out there. Perhaps being 4 km out, you would be far enough away from the smell that it would actually be pleasant. I know this has been a harsh review of what I thought might have been a hidden gem. I want to like Iona Beach Park and perhaps one day I’ll gain enough courage to go back and give it a second chance to improve my rating. But if that smell comes back, all bets are off.

I love coming to Iona Beach because every time I come, there is almost no one there. It is guaranteed as one of the most quietest beaches in Vancouver (in my opinion) and a great place to come and relax.
Even though the airport is right beside the beach, you don’t hear many planes taking off or landing, but you do get the occasional helicopters flying over head.
Bicyclists also love the ride out to this part and makes it a great half point.
Also great place to bring your dog, however they have to be on leash. There is another turn off before the beach where you can bring your pet and take them off leash. Just look for the signs.
Come early enough and you’ll get the beach all to yourself, or wait till the afternoon when families show up. But fear not, there is still a lot of space between you and the next person that you still get your privacy.

First time I went was thru a website recommendation. It was fine. The park was alittle unkept but that is the point; to be close to nature.
The second time there was this awful stench. Like a busted sewer line or something. Then I see the sign ’ Vancouver waste water treatment plant’. The jetti and all this area is a sewage treatment plant. Why go there then?
It’s sure about being close to nature. More lie the effects of waste when Nature Calls. I certainly wouldn’t bring my kids here.

Found this park today. Loved it. Walks are easy and bike accessible. has all necessary amenities. I personally will be back. Fabulous views. Great for bird watching. Excellent view of arrivals and departures from yvr if thats your thing.

This little gem of a beach is hard to find if you’ve never been. I would advise checking a map and orientating yourself before heading out.
Great for kids because of the clean washrooms, planes taking off and landing overhead, and long mellow stretch of beach. Great for birdwatchers because you can see eagles, herons, sandpipers, ducks, wrens, and more. Great for bikers, runners, and dogs because of the long jetty.
I’ve heard that it can get a little smelly because of the treatment plant, but I didn’t experience any smelliness on my outing, just fresh beach air.

My new favourite place to take the dog. Gorgeous views, nicely maintained, and one helluva walk! Bring comfy shoes!

Great walk to the end of the jetty. Watching the planes come in. great views of the mountains and YVR

Where else in Vancouver can you find a place closer to the descending planes, ocean, and noise altogether?!

If you love planes, this is a cool park, but have some good walking shoes.
Was nice walking out on the jetty, see all kinds of flights roaring over head. Day I went, was clear enough to see the mountain behind YVR. Good picture opportunities.
Serious about the good walking shoes, and no, that house you see half way out isn’t a bathroom, (so take care of that too before you start walking out).

I had come to this park with the boy primarily to find Geocaches. There are a whole bunch here along the Iona Jetty (poop tunnel) that stretches 4 kms out into the Strait of Georgia and the other sand jetty that stretches out diagonally to it.
Unable to find all the caches in one day, we returned multiple times. Both times we were blessed with blue skies and nice weather. Not as many people out earlier in the day, I found that weekends and evenings are the busier times for walkers, runners, and adventurers.
There are fairly clean bathrooms (for park standards) and great views of Vancouver, the Strait, Richmond, and beyond to Delta.

Iona park is a magical place, where time stood still. Grave yard of driftwood, sandy shoreline and fresh ocean breeze.
That is unless you venture 100 yards on to the central road where sign reads:
«GVRD, boundary» Restricted area”
That is the part of the Park, you are not suppose to see. Grave yard of rusting machinery, garbage, truck trailers, containers and hundreds of tires mixed with chemicals of all kind, with stench of creosote seeping from mountains of old wood pilings.
This place is an ecological disaster, yet no one seems to notice that there are families having picnics not even hundred yards from this dump site.
There are signs everywhere, advising visitors how fragile ecosystem this is, pets on leash only, do not walk in marshy area, and an occasional drive by a park ranger on an ATV making sure there is no beer and teens having fun.
Yet again no one cares that someone is converting this ecosystem in to a dump!

Iona Beach Park and the road that leads to it… Me riding with the planes, singing Pavarotti or gay show tunes from the top of my lungs on my Vespa, my secret beach, horse stables, mountains at the horizon, lovers making out in their cars, the yellow fields somehow looks like wheat…
It definitely is not a known or often visited spot, an oasis just 15 minutes to downtown Vancouver. As much as I do not want people to crowd this gem, I believe everybody deserves a break from Kits beach. Just sit by the water as you watch planes land, dig in a book, take a quiet walk on the pier which reaches into the sea about 1 miles (a rough guess). Give it a shot, you will be blown away.
One thing; enjoy the sunset, but as soon as the sun is down, and I mean literally!!!, within 2 minutes of time a giant population of mosquitos ambushes you and they are scary hungry. First experience; I had about 14 bites in a matter of 1.5 minutes while we were running back to the car, so make sure you take cover.

Iona Beach Park is, perhaps, one of my favourite places to be when I want to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Located at the far end of YVR (Vancouver International Airport), this park boasts some of the most beautiful sunsets and habitats in the Lower Mainland.
What’s iconic about this park is the 4 kilometer-​long jetty (8 kilometers from start to finish) which stretches out into the Straight of Georgia. It is perfect for a walk, jog, bike ride and it’s even canine-​friendly!
If you’re a photographer that loves to capture nature and landscapes, I highly recommend visiting this park. You won’t be disappointed.
To all visitors:
This is a park with natural habitats, self-​sustaining ecosystems and an abundance of wildlife. If you do visit, PLEASE clean up after yourself and don’t litter. There are garbage cans available there for a reason. If you’re a dog-​walker like I am, PLEASE clean up after your pet. The City of Richmond kindly provides complimentary waste bags for you/​us.
We want to preserve this beautiful park (and the respected wildlife) for everyone to enjoy. This is my planet as is yours.
Cheers!

Went for an early summer evening walk on the jetty with family, it was quiet except for when the planes took off or landed at the airport across the water. A great location to get some landscape and seascape photos at night, but take note the park closes at 10PM.

Great place to walk the dog, especially at low tide. Low tide is definitely best, because the water is shallow and the beach extends quite a ways out.
It can be stinky at times, so for picnics or just general strolling I don’t really suggest this as a location. Certainly not for swimming.
There is some type of logging industry part way up the point, some sort of wood/​junk recycling thing? Not sure. But there is machinery and some detritus from that industry that makes it down to the shore (old rusty cables and such.)
There is a 4.5 KM jetty that extends out into the Strait. I’ve walked and biked it a couple times. Nice views and I like it on a windy day. Sometimes you’ll catch a couple of eagles out on the buildings at the end of the jetty, resting between fishing.
I can imagine that kids would be pretty bored here. Again, perfect for walking dogs. My dog loved it back when I lived in Richmond.

This is a beautiful, extremely scenic, peaceful beach park with clean fresh air only minutes away from Vancouver International Airport. This is the gem of Richmond when it comes to scenic parks. There is a 4 kilometre jetty which is excellent for walking, running, jogging, and biking. Due to the fact that there are no public transportation services in this area, there aren’t a lot of visitors, and finding a parking is never a problem for me.
Please note that I had to use YVR Airport for the address as there is no direct address to this park.
Iona Beach Regional Park is north and west of Vancouver International Airport. Go towards Vancouver International Airport and get onto Grant McConachie Way. Follow Grant McConachie Way westward to Templeton Street and then turn right (north) onto Templeton Street. Follow Templeton Street as it turns left (west) and becomes Ferguson Road. Follow Ferguson Road westward to the end; it goes directly to Iona Beach Regional Park