The Quarry Road entrance serves as the primary trail access point for hikers and bird watchers.

Beyond the trails, lookouts, forests, and marshes, Minnekhada Regional Park has a long history as private property until the late 1970s.

It includes over 200 hectares of farmhouses, stables, fields, marshes, and forests that cover the grounds, built by many of the owners.

[1] The extensive history of the park includes buildings and cabins; Minnekhada farm and hunting lodge are among the few that are still standing.

Today, the hunting lodge is open to the public on the first Sunday of most months, from the hours of 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.[2] In the 20th century, Minnekhada Farm cycled through several different agricultural products such as beef cattle, sheep, and dairy as well as vegetables.

The GVRD is currently restoring its fields and buildings as a heritage estate farm and equestrian centre.

[1] The Kwikwetlem and Katzie First Nations respectively occupied the lands in and around Coquitlam Lake and Pitt River watersheds for thousands of years.

Significant archaeological sites such as those at Coquitlam Lake are among the oldest in the lower mainland and point explicitly to the rich history of these nations’ occupation of these lands.

[1] The marsh was the main target for hunting, as the mass abundance of buckwheat was suitable for luring ducks to the area.

[1] When Hamber became unable to care for the land and animals as well as hunt, he sold the property to his friend, Colonel Clarence Wallace.

[1] Wallace was the owner of Burrard DryDocks, and Hamber was the president of BC Mills, Timber and Trading Company.

[3] The logging occurred as a way to administer vegetation and wildlife studies prior to the park’s development.

Prior to the construction of the Pitt River dyke, the marsh was a floodplain, with high levels of water, and rich in nutrients.

An ecosystem association in this report is defined as "an area of land capable of producing similar climax plant communities.

The nine ecosystems associations are designated as: The two main tree species that are found in the park are the western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Each of these ecosystem associations is characterized by its vegetation, moisture regime, soil type/parent material, landform, and points of interest.

In 1993, the Burke Mountain Naturalists listed 151 species of birds observed in the park, including hawks, owls, grouse, waterfowl, herons, woodpeckers, and songbirds.

The population's decline is mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation as well as competition with the non-native red-eared slider.

To assess the status of this endangered species and the long-term recovery plan, the Ministry of Environment initiated the Coastal Painted Turtle Project in 2008.

[11][12][13] The western toad is common in most of British Columbia but is listed as a threatened species, due to future threats as their habitat is becoming rarer, but the population is secure and stable so far.

People and domesticated animals such as dogs are the two biggest threats to the toad population in Minnekhada Regional Park.

In July 2023 a financial agreement was made between the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the park association, ensuring $45,000 of funding to be paid in a three- year aggregate amount to the MPA.

Among the list of priorities for the MPA were to educate and improve awareness of the cultural history of the park, as well as to foster public ideas and input.

This fire blazed while British Columbia was experiencing extremely high temperatures and dry conditions for October.

This fire was a "wake-up call" to those living near Minnekhada Regional Park and in forested areas around the lower mainland.

[18] British Columbia has seen record high temperatures and dry conditions leading to record high numbers and severity of wildfires, which suggests that Minnekhada Regional Park and other parks in the lower mainland must be prepared to deal with more wildfires to keep up with the changing climate.