Rural Langley: a guide to the countryside

Once you leave the urban neighbourhoods, Langley turns to fields, barns and quiet roads. The Township says roughly 75 per cent of its land is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, so much of the municipality is rural. It’s a place for berry picking, country drives, horse shows and a good long walk.

Places to know

• Milner: an old farming village. The Langley Heritage Society’s timeline says it was renamed Milner in 1909, after a colonial administrator. The BC Electric Interurban arrived in 1910, Milner Hall opened in 1911, and the Langley Fall Fair was held in Milner Park from 1920 to 1938.
• Glen Valley: a farming area on the Fraser River’s south bank. The Encyclopedia of BC says dairy farming has long been its mainstay, and Gilbert McKay first settled the district in 1877. Glen Valley Regional Park is here. Metro Vancouver’s Brae Island brochure also describes an 18 km, flat, one-hour cycle from Fort Langley to the park along quiet country roads.
• Otter: a rural community, with a fire hall, North Otter Elementary (5370 - 248 Street) and Otter Co-op. St. Alban’s Anglican Church moved to Otter in 1926, according to the Milner timeline.
• Salmon River: the City of Langley’s history article notes that in 1824 Hudson’s Bay Company explorer James McMillan followed an old Indigenous trail from the Nicomekl River to the Salmon River, and found it so muddy the trip took a full day.
• Campbell Valley: home to a regional park, described below.

Country roads

The Township designates certain rural roads as “country roads,” keeping their rural feel. The list includes 0 Avenue (about 16 km, the longest), 256 Street, 224 Street, Robertson Crescent and Allard Crescent. They’re popular with cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers out for a ramble.

Campbell Valley Regional Park

This Metro Vancouver park has a restored farmstead, a 1924 schoolhouse that the Langley Centennial Museum runs programs in, a Nature House, and an equestrian centre. The Annand/Rowlatt Farmstead was farmed from 1886 until Metro Vancouver acquired it in 1973, and it became a municipal heritage site in 1988. The Little River Loop is a 2.3 km flat, wheelchair-accessible route over boardwalks, and the Perimeter Trail is 20 km (the only trail where cycling is permitted). The Shaggy Mane Trail is 11 km, shared by hikers and riders. Gates generally open at 7 am.

Thunderbird Show Park

At 24550 72 Avenue, Thunderbird Show Park is an equestrian venue that, according to Tourism Langley, hosts six internationally recognized hunter and jumper tournaments each year. It also hosts markets, car shows and music and food festivals. Check tbird.ca for events.

Farms and markets

Tourism Langley’s Circle Farm Tour is a free, self-guided route linking farms, wineries, farm stores and u-pick fields across the Fraser Valley. Stops set their own hours, so check ahead. Berry picking runs through summer and pumpkin patches are busiest in October.

Getting around

Check TransLink’s trip planner for bus options, and expect to drive or cycle for most rural trips. Watch for tractors and horses.

What’s on

See what’s on in Langley. For parks near Fort Langley and Aldergrove, see our Fort Langley guide and Aldergrove guide.

Something out of date? Tell us.