Pitt Lake's lost gold mine

Pitt Lake is the second-largest lake in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. About 53.5 km2 (20.7 sq mi) in area, it is about 25 km (16 mi) long and about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) wide at its widest. It is one of the world's relatively few tidal lakes, and among the largest. In Pitt Lake, there is on average a three-foot tide range; thus Pitt Lake is separated from sea level and tidal waters during most hours of each day during the 15 foot tide cycle of the Pitt River and Strait of Georgia estuary immediately downstream. The lake's southern tip is 20 km (12 mi) upstream from The Pitt River confluence with the Fraser River and is 40 km (25 mi) east of Downtown Vancouver.

Golden Ears is the name of the double summit that lies north of Maple Ridge, British Columbia and is visible from most of the western Lower Mainland. The mountain is in Golden Ears Provincial Park, and was originally referred to as Golden Eyries, possibly for golden eagles that were observed near the summit. There is confusion about the name, because of the twin summits the peak exhibits. Many people believe that the mountain is named because it looks like ears which become golden in the sunset light.

The Golden Ears is the name used by the Bivouac Mountain Encyclopedia for a group of mountains in the southern portion of Golden Ears Provincial Park, and visible to most of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. It is a part of the Garibaldi Ranges, and is located in Golden Ears Provincial Park. Historically there has been confusion regarding the name of the area. Originally, the massif was referred to as The Golden Eyries, which became corrupted to Golden Ears in reference to the pointy ears-like shape of the double summit of the mountain now named Golden Ears. Although already known as the Golden Ears, the mountain was dubbed Mount Blanshard by Lieut. Richard Charles Mayne in 1859, in honour of the first governor of the colony of Vancouver Island.Some time after this, the peaks in the area were conferred their existing names: Golden Ears 1,716 m (5,630 ft), the twin summit Edge Peak 1,680 m (5,512 ft), a large blocky summit in the center of the group, named for Sam Edge who climbed it in 1876 Blanshard Peak 1,550 m (5,085 ft), the dramatic peak at the southernmost end of the group, also known as The Blanshard Needle

Edge Peak is a summit in the Golden Ears Group, located in Golden Ears Provincial Park north of Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The peak is not named for its shape but rather for Sam Edge who climbed it in 1876 . Other mountains in this area include Golden Ears and Blanshard Peak.

Blanshard Peak also known as The Blanshard Needle by local climbers is a distinctive rock pinnacle in Golden Ears Provincial Park that is visible from many places in the Lower Mainland. Named for the first governor of the colony of Vancouver Island, the name of the summit and area is the subject of some confusion due to the labeling of the entire Golden Ears Group on the published maps for the area. Mount Blanshard is the proper name of the Golden Ears massif, and later became attached by authors of climbing guides to the summit at the southern end of the group.

Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area located near the south end of Pitt Lake in British Columbia, Canada. The property was purchased by the Nature Trust of British Columbia in 1973 and declared a National Wildlife Area by the Canadian Wildlife Service in October of that year. The Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area is a biologically diverse marsh wetland. It is the traditional territory of various First Nations groups. The Widgeon Valley Wildlife Area is a protected wildlife area that is home to a number of sensitive waterfowl and fish species. The public uses the channels through the Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area for recreational canoeing, anywhere else within the protected area is strictly off-limits to the public. There are future plans to develop interpretive trails through the park and open it to the public.

Evans Peak is a peak to the Northwest of Alouette Lake in Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia.The peak is named for a father and son, Leslie and John Evans, who vanished in the valley between Edge Peak and Blanshard Peak in the spring of 1966. An extensive search failed to find them and are presumed dead.

The Malcolm Knapp Research Forest is located in the Coast Mountains, about 60 km from Vancouver, in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The forest is approximately 5,157 hectares and has many different types of terrain. The forest is home to some 400-year-old trees, though the vast majority of trees are 70–120 years old. It was a site of major logging from the 1800s to 1931, but was officially established as the UBC/Malcolm Knapp Research Forest in 1949 because of the major influence from the late UBC professor Malcolm Knapp. Although today it is dedicated to research and education, it is also a popular destination for trail hiking and camps.

Golden Ears Provincial Park is a 555.9 square kilometres (214.6 sq mi) provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is named after the prominent twin peaks, which are commonly referred to as Golden Ears (Mount Blanshard) (elevation: 1,716 metres (5,630 ft)). The park was originally part of Garibaldi Provincial Park (established 1927) but was split off as a separate park in 1967. The area was logged extensively in the 1920s by the Lougheed and Abernathy Logging Company. Many recreational attractions are found within the park. Golden Ears Provincial Park is a protected area that contains many endangered species of flora and fauna.

The Large Zenith Telescope (LZT) was a 6.0-meter diameter liquid-mirror telescope located in the University of British Columbia's Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, about 70 km (43 mi) east from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (north from Maple Ridge). It was one of the largest optical telescopes in the world, but still quite inexpensive. The telescope was completed in the spring of 2003 and decommissioned in 2016.

Alouette Lake, originally Lillooet Lake and not to be confused with the lake of that name farther north, is a lake and reservoir in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the southeast foot of the mountain group known as the Golden Ears and is about 16 km in length on a northeast–southwest axis. It and the Alouette River, formerly the Lillooet River, were renamed in 1914 to avoid confusion with the larger river and lake farther north, with "Alouette", the French word for "lark", being chosen as being melodious and reminiscent of the original name in tone. Most of the basin of Alouette Lake has never been logged and its north flank is protected as part of Golden Ears Provincial Park (formerly part of Garibaldi Provincial Park until that park's division). A small portion of the lake and its largely inaccessible northwestern shore, near its narrows, are actually part of the District of Mission due to the rectangular shape of that district's boundary. North of the portion of the lake that is in Mission, the rest of its northern end is not in either municipality.

Pinecone Burke Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It extends from the southwest corner of Garibaldi Provincial Park, west of Pitt Lake and Pitt River to include Burke Mountain in the City of Coquitlam. Most of the park is unserviced wilderness with very rough trails such as the Fools Gold Trail in the Boise Valley. There is canoe access to Widgeon Slough and from there hiking trails that lead to Widgeon Lake, and a network of old logging roads, hiking and mountain biking trails on Burke Mountain. Visitors can also use the park for camping, backcountry skiing, and snowshoeing. Before being protected, the park area was logged and mined. The park's boundaries were established in 1995 by the provincial government and covers 38,000 hectares. Parts of the park's boundaries are located in the Katzie First Nation, Kwikwetlem First Nation, and Stó:lō First Nation's territories. The park's diverse ecosystems supports several different species on land and in its inlet. There are six species that have been labeled as sensitive or vulnerable that live in the park.