Central Park Parking in Burnaby: Where to Go and What to Know

Central Park is an 86-hectare urban park in Burnaby’s Metrotown area, at 3883 Imperial St. If you’re staying at Vancouver Backpacker House - 10 min walk to Metrotown skytrain station, it’s about a 17-minute walk away. The park’s paths, ponds and gardens spread across a large area, so your parking choice can shape where you begin.

The City lists four main parking lots, plus five secondary lots. Pick one based on your destination within the park, and check the route before setting out:

• Boundary Road/Central Park Pool: Northbound on Boundary Road between 47th and 46th Avenue.
• Swangard large lot: Off Kingsway, just east of Boundary Road; follow the road into the park.
• Imperial/Pitch & Putt: Just off Imperial Street, east of Boundary Road.
• Patterson Avenue and Kingsway: On Patterson Avenue, south of Kingsway.

The secondary lots are Swangard small, Patterson south tennis court, lawn bowling, north picnic grounds/Variety Park playground, and Patterson north tennis court. Across the lots, the City lists 25 accessible parking stalls: 4 at Boundary Road/Pool, 2 at Patterson and Kingsway, 1 at each Patterson tennis-court lot, 10 at the north picnic grounds/Variety Park lot, 1 at Swangard large, 4 at Swangard small, and 2 at Imperial/Pitch & Putt. EV charging stalls are also listed. The City does not state a general parking fee or parking-hour schedule for these lots.

Patterson station is beside the park, and its west access opens on the park side of Patterson Avenue at Central Boulevard. The City describes Central Park as easily accessible from Patterson station. Patterson and Metrotown are both on the Expo Line; Metrotown station is on Central Boulevard, east of McKay, at Metrotown Shopping Centre.

If you’re walking from Metrotown, the city’s walking map gives a 3.7 km route to the park, estimated at 1 hour 15 minutes, and includes Patterson station among its transit options.

You can also start at Patterson and head into the park from the station-side access. For airport arrival planning, see this guide to getting from Vancouver International Airport to Burnaby.

The 3.5 km Central Park Perimeter Trail outlines the park and connects to the BC Parkway. For a shorter activity within the grounds, the 2.5-kilometre Trail of Hope has an outdoor fitness circuit with equipment for cardiovascular fitness, balance, strength and flexibility.

Other facilities include 12 outdoor tennis courts, an outdoor pool, a horseshoe pitch, a pitch-and-putt golf course and Swangard Stadium. The pool is open all summer and has six lanes, a length of 50 metres, a 1-metre diving board and changing rooms.

Its listed water temperature is 28°C. Variety Park playground has a spray park with gently graded wet and dry play areas.

For a picnic, two large areas have water taps: one near Variety Park playground in the northwest corner and another beside the upper pond near Boundary Road.

Most picnic tables are first come, first served, while picnic areas 1, 2 and North Upper Pond can be booked. Propane, charcoal and open-flame barbecues are allowed. The Bill Copeland Sports Centre visitor guide covers another Burnaby recreation venue.

Accessible washrooms are available throughout the park. The perimeter trail is smooth and wide for mobility aids, and the outdoor pool has an accessible change room with a shower.

Central Park is open from dawn until dusk year-round. Dogs must be leashed, and owners must pick up after them. Smoking is banned in City parks and multi-use paths.

Before you go: Parking-hour details and general parking fees aren’t specified for the lots. Check the City of Burnaby’s official site before you go for current park and facility information.

For a compact outing, arrive at Patterson station or choose a lot close to the part of the park you plan to use. Walk a section of the perimeter trail, then pause by a pond or garden; if you’re planning a longer stop, the picnic areas and recreation facilities offer more ways to spend time there.

The park’s several entrances make it practical to match your arrival point to your plans rather than treating it as one single destination.