Downtown Vancouver Trails          Vancouver Hiking by Region

Lighthouse Park is an extraordinarily little known piece of paradise, so close to to Vancouver as to see its tall buildings, yet immersed into a dramatically beautiful coastal rainforest.  A wonderful network of hiking trails winds throughout massive Douglas-fir trees and Western Red Cedars as well as golden Arbutus trees stretching toward the ocean.  There are so many great aspects of this hike.  The first is the beautiful drive to get there.  Marine Drive spectacularly hugs the rugged and steep coast of West Vancouver.  This beautiful stretch of road is a great attraction to Lighthouse Park as it takes you along an easily overlooked, yet beautiful area of Vancouver.  The beautiful Cypress Falls trail has two nice waterfalls to see as well as an impressive forest of old growth Cedars and Douglas Firs.  The trailhead to Cypress Falls Regional Park is located in West Vancouver, just off the Sea to Sky Highway(99).  From the trailhead to the lower falls is easy to follow.  There are quite a few smaller trails that join the main trail leading to various connecting routes to the main trail.  Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver is a beautiful and astoundingly huge network of hiking/walking/biking trails.  An estimated 8 million hikers, walkers, rollerbladers and cyclists visit the park yearly.  The wonderful spider web of trails throughout the park add up to a staggering 200 kilometres, which explains how the park generally feels serene and relatively quiet most days despite its phenomenal popularity.  Stanley Park can be walked or biked in any number of routes and lengths.  Certainly one of the popular, and most straight forward routes is by a large, 10k circle, paved trail that runs around the perimeter.  Burnaby Mountain, just 30 minutes east of downtown Vancouver has a nice network of popular trails with fantastic views of Vancouver, Burrard Inlet and beyond.  The trails link to the wonderful Trans Canada Trail.  The Trans Canada Trail when completed in 2017 will stretch from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and up to the Arctic Ocean.  When completed it will be a 23000 kilometre multi-use, hiking/biking/walking trail that spans North America.  Burnaby Lake has a series of trails that add up to 9k if done in a circular route around the lake.  There are in fact 19k of trails in the park.  The various trails include the 2.6k Cottonwood Trail, the 1.8k Brunette Headwaters Trail, the .8k Avalon Trail which connects the Burnaby Equestrian Centre with the Southshore Trail.  The 3.4k Southshore Trail, and the smaller trails, Conifer Loop, Spruce Trail Loop and the Pavilion Trail. Deer Lake is a relaxing 5 kilometre walk around a cute urban lake just 30 minutes from Vancouver.  The route around the lake is good any time of year and is very popular with dog walkers in and around Burnaby.  Trails in the park lead to a kids playground, washrooms, a boat launch and picnic tables.  In the summer months Deer Lake Boat Rentals offers canoe, kayak and pedal boat rentals. Deer Lake is also home to the Burnaby Art Gallery, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby Village Museum and Century Gardens.  The Kitsilano Beaches begin as soon as you cross the Burrard Bridge and enter the residential paradise of Kitsilano.  Though only this first beach is named Kitsilano Beach, you can walk from one beach to the next via some short and scenic residential detours.  So you can connect the beautiful Kitsilano Beach to Jericho Beach, then Locarno Beach then Spanish Bank Beach.  Walking them all will add up to about 8k (one way) of wonderfully varied beaches, parks, marinas, the enormous Kits Pool and endless vantage points to English Bay and Burrard Inlet.  Pacific Spirit Park surrounds the University of British Columbia on the shores of Georgia Straight.  The park has a beautiful array of trails, 73 kilometres in total, that run along beaches, some old growth forest and even a bog.  The network of trails interconnects so often that you can do small 15 minute sections if that is all you are after.

Seymour Provincial Park              Vancouver Hiking by Region

Dog Mountain is a beautiful, short and fun hike (or snowshoe trek) close to Vancouver and starting from the parking lot of Mount Seymour Resort.  Just 2.2k gets you from your car to breathtaking views of the big city below.  well as amazing views of Vancouver, the lower mainland and the Gulf Islands.  Located in the beautiful Mount Seymour Provincial Park there are several hikes in the area.  There are a few easy lake trails like Mystery Lake and Goldie Lake.  These are family friendly hikes.  Another, relatively easy hike branches off shortly after the start of the trail to Mount Seymour.  This area is popular all year-round and there are plenty of trails to choose from.  In the summer the trails include, Mount Elsay, a beautiful and very challenging 16k roundtrip hike to a beautiful mountain peak.  Mount Seymour, a moderately challenging 8k roundtrip to the top of Seymour and amazing panoramic views.  And Goldie Lake and Mystery Lake, which have their own comparatively easy, family friendly trails. Mystery Lake is an easy, well marked trail that leads to a cute mountain lake, excellent for swimming.  It is just 1.5k to the lake and like the rest of Seymour Park dogs are welcome.  To get to the main parking lot simply drive until you come to the end of the road and the end of the final parking lot (you will see ski lifts). Mount Elsay is a tough 16k roundtrip hike that takes you beyond Mount Seymour and the crowds into the desolate backcountry of Mount Seymour Provincial Park.  To get to the marked Mount Elsay trail you have to follow the trail to Mount Seymour.  Mount Elsay is a difficult and dangerous trail to hike if you are unprepared or poorly equipped.  The trail is often very difficult and losing the trail is very possible even in good weather.  The trailhead for Mount Seymour (which leads to the Mount Elsay trail) is easy to find once you have reached the main parking lot to Mount Seymour Resort. The Goldie Lake trail in Mount Seymour Provincial Park is a cute, self-guided interpretive trail that runs around this small mountain lake.  Although it is only 4 kilometres(roundtrip) for the normal loop trail, there are some side-trail variations that can lengthen and vary the route to almost 6k. Flower Lake is one of these trails and well worth the look.  Certainly one of the more family friendly hikes on in Mount Seymour Park when compared to the more rigorous hikes like the nearby Mount Seymour and Mount Elsay hikes.  At the far end of the Baden Powell Trail, in the cute town of Deep Cove is home to the fantastic Deep Cove Lookout trail.  Also known as Quarry Rock and the Grey Rock Trail, the Deep Cove Lookout Trail is amazing.  The wonderful trail crosses numerous creek bridges to get to the impressive lookout with views of Deep Cove and Indian Arm far below.   The busy Mount Seymour trail in Seymour Provincial Park is a locals favourite.  It is challenging and an excellent workout at 4k from the trailhead to the summit.  The views are phenomenal.  On a clear day you can see as far as Vancouver Island as well as amazing views of Vancouver, the lower mainland and the Gulf Islands.  Located in the beautiful Mount Seymour Provincial Park there are several hikes in the area.  There are a few easy lake trails like Mystery Lake and Goldie Lake.  These are family friendly hikes.  Another, relatively easy hike branches off shortly after the start of the trail to Mount Seymour.

Lynn Valley & Grouse Mtn           Vancouver Hiking by Region

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.  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.  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.  Coliseum Mountain is one of several beautiful hikes in the Lynn Valley's beautiful Lynn Headwaters Regional Park.  It's not terribly difficult, but it is very long.  12 kilometres from the trailhead to the summit.  Although the first 7 kilometres  are along the very easy Headwaters Trail with little elevation gain.  The final 5 kilometres is at times challenging, but manageable by most as there is only a few short sections of scrambling terrain, but certainly not technical.  The route is well marked along the way with flagging tape, so the main safety concern is the distance of the trail.

Cypress & the HSCT                     Vancouver Hiking by Region

Black Mountain can be reached from two different trailheads.  The trailhead from Cypress Resort and the original trail off Marine Drive halfway between Horseshoe Bay and Lighthouse Park.  The Cypress Mountain Resort is the newer, shorter and easier way to access Black Mountain and Eagle Bluffs.  Located just a short and very nice, 30 minute drive from downtown Vancouver, the Black Mountain and Eagle Bluffs trail begins next to the Cypress Mountain Resort chairlifts.  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.  You would almost expect that there would be various fees for parking, trail use, etc.  But the Hollyburn Mountain snowshoeing and hiking trail is completely free, and also quite convenient.  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. St Mark's Summit is a borderline moderate to challenging trail.  It 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.  Mount Unnecessary 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. The Lions are the two distinct mountains 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.  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.  The same trailhead used for The Lions, Brunswick Mountain and Mount Hanover.  There are no trail use fees, parking fees or camping fees from this trailhead.  The trail is challenging, though not out of technical skill but due to its steepness of the trail.  You gain 1400 metres in just 6.5k.  The final scramble to the summit can be dangerous in poor weather, but generally not too difficult.  Brunswick Mountain is the highest peak in the North Shore mountains.  Located in the beautiful Cypress Provincial Park, Brunswick Mountain is among several other prominent summits on the amazing Howe Sound Crest Trail.  You can reach Brunswick from the Howe  Sound Crest Trail if you begin your hike from the Cypress Mountain Ski Resort, however reaching it from the trailhead in Lions Bay is much shorter.  The trail is challenging as you gain considerable elevation in a short distance, 1550 metres in just 7.3k. Mount Hanover is another amazing and accessible peak in the North Shore mountains.  Located in the beautiful Cypress Provincial Park, Mount Hanover is among several other prominent summits on the amazing Howe Sound Crest Trail.  You can reach Mount Hanover from the Howe Sound Crest Trail if you begin your hike from the Cypress Mountain Resort, however reaching it from the trailhead in Lions Bay is much shorter.  This trailhead is also used to reach The Lions, Mount Harvey and Brunswick Mountain.  Deeks Peak is at the far north end of the beautiful Howe Sound Crest Trail which runs from Cypress Resort 29k away.  The trailhead near Porteau Cove is the access point for both Deeks Peak and Deeks Lake. It is a steadily uphill hike as you gain 1615 metres in just 8k.  The trail is also very overgrown and strewn with fallen trees.