Como Lake fall photos: a short Coquitlam outing without a mountain hike

A smaller plan can be enough

Como Lake offers an autumn outing with a small decision: pause for a few photographs or make a longer walk around the water. Choose it for time with the trees and birds, without promising a particular day of peak colour.

A September 2025 Coquitlam Reddit discussion asked where a newcomer could photograph autumn leaves. Como Lake was recommended for several tree types, changing views around the water and birds. Lafarge and the river were alternatives. Those comments describe what people enjoyed, not a forecast of peak colour today.

Choose one local park rather than driving between several places chasing a leaf report. A short visit gives you time to notice a single tree, reflections or the edge of the path.

Como is a good choice when you want one clear destination rather than a long route to work out. A lake, a loop and somewhere to pause can be enough for an autumn afternoon. In the May 2026 preschooler discussion, readers paired Como and Mundy with the idea of gentler family walks. Those are helpful starting points, but your own group’s pace and the current access notice decide the outing.

Source: City of Coquitlam: Como Lake Park

Source: Coquitlam Reddit: leaf-peeping places, September 27, 2025

Source: Coquitlam Reddit: easy trails with a preschooler, May 11, 2026

Source: Coquitlam Reddit: Mundy drainage after heavy rain, 2021

Plan around the person carrying the camera

The park is at 700 Gatensbury Street. Its one-kilometre lakeside loop offers a compact outing with benches and open grass. The current upgrade notice closes the trail from the south parking lot and the table-tennis area. It directs visitors to the north lot for more accessible lakeside trail access.

Use the posted detour and keep the outing short if rain or fallen leaves make footing awkward. A loop on a park map does not require completing the full circuit. Leave enough time and energy to return along the open route.

The one-kilometre loop also gives a simple way to plan photographs. Choose a lakeside view, leave room for walkers, then move on rather than setting up across the path. A child can look for different leaf shapes while someone else takes a picture. You do not need peak colour everywhere to come home with an interesting image of reflections, tree shapes or the edge of the water.

Enjoy wildlife without promising a sighting

The discussion mentioned geese, ducks and a heron. Treat that as a dated account, not a guarantee. Watch quietly and give animals space. A park visit should still work if the tree is bare or no bird appears.

The City lists washrooms, drinking water, a playground and public Wi-Fi. These can help with a short family stop, but the list does not establish seasonal daily hours. Do not feed ducks or geese to bring birds closer for a photograph.

There is a useful difference between a natural setting and untouched ground. The City describes Como as the headwater of the Como Creek watershed and an ecologically sensitive habitat. Stay on the open path rather than trampling the shoreline for a clearer angle. Do not lure birds with food. Watching quietly can be part of the visit even when the bird you hoped to photograph never appears.

Wet-weather comments about nearby Mundy show why yesterday’s report is only part of the picture. One older writer praised drainage while a reply remembered a blocked drain and earlier flooding. At Como, the practical issue is the current south-lot trail work. Start from the north lot as directed, use the detour and make the return trip while everyone is still comfortable. A shorter walk with a pleasant pause beats finishing a loop that has stopped being enjoyable.