Crown Mountain - Vancouver Hiking Trails

Crown Mountain, visible from downtown Vancouver, towers behind Grouse Mountain.  It was appropriately named due to its crown shape over 150 years ago by an English captain charting the area.  This very challenging hike offers some phenomenal views from its summit, deep in the North Shore Mountains.

There are three main ways to reach the amazing Crown Mountain.  As it is located near Grouse Mountain, the most direct way to reach it is via Grouse Mountain.  You can either hike the Grouse Grind for free or take the SkyRide for $44 (return).

From the Grouse Mountain Chalet the hike to Crown Mountain is 9.4k return and should take about 5 or 6 hours to complete.  If you hike/run the Grouse Grind as well then add 2.9 kilometres to the journey there and 3.5 kilometres to the return (via the BCMC trail adjacent to the Grouse Grind) to get back to your car.

The third and most challenging way to access Crown Mountain is by beginning and ending at the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park trailhead. This is a tough, but amazing 20k (one way) route to Crown Mountain through the amazing Lynn Valley.  This access route to Crown Mountain often opens in late June or even July,  Check at the trailhead before you head out on the trail make sure that the trail past Norvan Falls is open.

From the Grouse Chalet on Grouse Mountain follow the path under the Peak Chair until you reach the trailhead and hiker check-in station.  From here you follow the marked trail to Crown Mountain.  You can either hike via Dam Mountain, or take the easier Alpine Trail.  Both are roughly the same distance, but the Alpine Trail is a bit easier.

The trail then leads to Little Goat Mountain the descends into Crown Pass.  There are several chain assisted sections here and some tricky scrambling, however, nothing too technical.  Goat Mountain is just .7k from the main trail to Crown Mountain and well worth the look if you have the energy.

There are few creeks along the Crown Mountain hike so ensure that you bring lots of water.  The map shown here is found at the trailhead to Lynn Headwaters Regional Park map.

Trailhead Direction to Crown Mountain

The parking area at the base of the Grouse Grind and Grouse SkyRide is just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver.  Leaving Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge take the right hand lane after the bridge into North Vancouver.  At the first set of lights you will need to then turn left on Capilano Road.  Follow this to the Grouse Mountain parking lot.  There are pay parking lots or you can park for free on the street nearby.

More Hikes Near Crown Mountain

Everyone knows the Grouse Grind as the fantastically popular 2.9 kilometre, workout in Vancouver.  What is less known is that it is the gateway, or rather back door to some amazing hiking in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park.  Dam Mountain, Goat Mountain, Crown Mountain, Norvan Falls, Coliseum Mountain, Lynn Peak and quite a lot more lay across the horizon from the top of the Grind.  Whether you start at the base of the Grind or at the top of the SkyRide, the beautifully addictive Grouse Grind is, for many, just the beginning of the trail to so much more. Lynn Headwaters Regional Park begins several kilometres away at the Lynn Valley trailhead and beautiful trails follow Lynn Creek for 7k to Norvan Falls. Goat Mountain is a beautiful mountain to hike from Grouse Mountain.  It is challenging at times but fairly relaxing overall.  It is just 4k from the Grouse Mountain Chalet and should only take 3-4 hours roundtrip from the top of the SkyRide.  If you hike/run the Grouse Grind as well then add 2.9k to the journey there and 3.5k to the return (via the BCMC trail adjacent to the Grouse Grind) to get back to your car.  From the Grouse Chalet on Grouse Mountain follow the path under the Peak Chair until you reach the trailhead and hiker check-in station.  From here you follow the marked trail to Goat Mountain.  You can either hike via Dam Mountain, or take the easier Alpine Trail.  Both are roughly the same distance, but the Alpine Trail is a bit easier.  The trail then leads to Little Goat Mountain and a fork in the trail.  Lynn Canyon Park is an easy and strikingly beautiful park and yet another locals favourite.  So close to downtown Vancouver at only 30 minutes away, yet you feel as if you are in a remote forest.  There are a few different routes to take and this park is also connected to the Baden Powell Trail which adds to the hiking possibilities.  Lynn Canyon Park is its own rainforest world deep in the forest of North Van.  Part of the temperate rainforest that stretches from Alaska to Northern California.  Lynn Canyon is filled with second growth, though still impressive, Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedars.   Lynn Peak is a beautifully forested hiking trail is a local favourite running route comparable to the Grouse Grind.  In 4.5k the trail rises 730 metres and hardly ever in a straight line.  There are a few good viewpoints on the hike to Lynn Peak.  It is convenient hiking trail, close to downtown Vancouver as it is only about a 30 minute drive away into the magnificent rainforest of North Van.  From the trailhead at Lynn Headwaters Regional Park you will see a sign for the Lynn Loop Trail, there are maps here or click on the map to the right and print it out from the Lynn Headwaters Regional Parks site.  You don't really need a map for Lynn Peak.  You simply get on the Lynn Loop Trail and look for the sign for Lynn Peak shortly after the trailhead.  The trail winds and ascends quickly from here for the 4k to the summit and the fantastic views. Rice Lake is a relaxing walk around a cute lake in Lynn Valley.  It is a family friendly hike although dogs are not welcome.  Rice Lake is near the trailhead to Lynn Headwaters Park and there is a 1k connecting trail from there to the Rice Lake Trail.  There is also the more convenient parking lot at the Rice Lake trailhead at the end of Lillooet Road.  There are several picnic areas and viewing areas with seats around the lake as there is quite a variety of wildlife in the area as well as some impressive Douglas Firs and Western Red Cedars.  Fishing is also fairly popular at rice lake as it is stocked frequently with catchable sized rainbow trout.  There is a large fishing dock perfectly located for fishing. Mount Fromme is the thickly forested Mountain next to Grouse Mountain.  If looking from the direction of downtown Vancouver, Fromme is just to the right.  It is infrequently hiked, at least partly due to the high number of amazing hikes surrounding it.  Fromme gets a bit lost in mix.  Recent years have brought an amazing array of mountain biking trails on the mountain and you are far more likely to encounter mountain bikers than hikers on the mountain. Hollyburn Mountain, in Cypress Provincial Park, is an amazing place to snowshoe or go hiking.  The Hollyburn trailhead is an astonishingly close, 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver.  The 30 minute drive is quite something as well.  From the always beautiful crossing of the beautiful Lions Gate Bridge, to the incredible views of Vancouver from the approach drive to Cypress Mountain and the Hollyburn Mountain trailhead. Mount Strachan is part of the trio of mountains, also Black Mountain and Hollyburn Mountain that form a bowl, or Cypress Bowl that give the resort its name.  The Cypress part of the name comes from the Cypress or Yellow Cedar that fills the valley.  Both Strachan and Hollyburn are easy hikes from the Cypress Resort parking lot.  For Strachan you can start near the main lodge walk directly up the gravel road past the chairlift and bear left.  The route is boring and uneventful as you are following ski runs, however the summit has amazing views.  Strachan is part of the 29k Howe Sound Crest Trail as it lays at the one end of this span at the Cypress Trailhead. St Mark's Summit is a relatively easy way to get hiking deep into Vancouver's amazing mountains.  Starting this hike at Cypress means you drive most of the elevation.  Even though you still have another 460 metres in 5.5k to hike, the beautiful forest and frequent Howe Sound views make it seem quick and easy.  It takes about 1.5 hours to reach St Mark's Summit and the views are fantastic.  Not only because of the incredible vantage point over Howe Sound, but the abruptness of St Mark's Summit.  The cliffs below you are frighteningly vertical, making the views fantastically majestic.  Unnecessary Mountain gets its peculiar name from the fact it once was part of the route to reach The Lions whereas now the route avoids it.  This now, unnecessary mountain, no longer needs to be climbed to reach The Lions.  Unnecessary is part of the amazing Howe Sound Crest Trail in Cypress Provincial Park and is one of the many beautiful peaks to be climbed if desired on the 29k trail.  Among the hiker friendly mountains (from Cypress north) on the Howe Sound Crest Trail are: Mount Strachan, St Mark`s Summit, Unnecessary Mountain, The Lions, Mount Harvey, Mount Hanover, Brunswick Mountain and finally Deeks Peak.  As Unnecessary lays in the middle of the Howe Sound Crest Trail, it has its own trail from Lions Bay which makes it a manageable day-trip.  The trail is well marked but very steep and overgrown.  It is sometimes compared, as so many other North Shore trails, to the Grouse Grind.  Harder, better views and no people, is the usual description. The Lions dominate the skyline in North Vancouver, about one hour from downtown Vancouver.  The two distinct, rocky peaks are visible from downtown Vancouver.  The view from the top is spectacular.  Howe Sound stretches out into the blue distance.  A tough but wonderful hiking trail.The first half of the hike is very easy as you follow a disused, though beautifully overgrown logging road gently uphill.  The trail after this road is very well marked with flagging tape, tree markers and paint indicators on the rock faces.  There are two plateaus before the final, very difficult ascent to the summit of the West Lion.  Both plateaus have incredible views and most make the second plateau their final destination.  It is at the base of the West Lion.  There are not really any suitable places to put up a tent, but if you had to choose, somewhere in the vicinity of these two plateaus would be the place to do it.  Mount Harvey is one of the huge, visible and hikeable summits in the North Shore mountains.  It is located on the Howe Sound Crest Trail in Cypress Provincial Park near The Lions.  Reachable via the Howe Sound Crest Trail or by its own trailhead in Lions Bay.